Alive on the Vine: A Look Into Johnනියැදිය

Day 5: More than a Servant

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you (John 15:15, ESV).

God has angelic servants to do his bidding—hosts of them (Psalm 103:20-21). He is worthy of our service too, and our servanthood is an appropriate aspect of our relationship with him, as Jesus has already pointed out (13:14-16). But God did not create human beings in his image, with the capacity to share his thoughts, purposes, emotions, and more, simply to serve him. He created us in his image for fellowship. There comes a time when he lifts us up from servanthood and calls us his friends.

There are biblical precedents for this kind of relationship. God called Abraham his friend (Isaiah 41:8; James 2:23) and allowed Abraham to negotiate with him (Genesis 18:16-33); he spoke face-to-face with Moses as a friend (Exodus 33:11); and David spoke to him in intimate terms and even argued with him at times.

Here, Jesus welcomes his disciples into that kind of fellowship because he is interested in something more than instructions. He wants them to know what he’s doing—where he has come from and where he’s going; how he’s preparing a place for them; how they can draw life from him like branches on a vine; and how God wants them to interact with him in the place of their deep and true longings. Clay can’t discuss such things with the potter (Isaiah 29:16), sheep can’t converse with their shepherd (John 10:1-18), and servants don’t chat with their master. But friends do.

Re-Envision Your Status

God is infinitely greater than any created being, even those made in his image. He has no peers. Yet like a strong father getting down on the floor to wrestle with a small child, he meets us on our level. He also raises us up to his, crowning us with glory and honor (Psalm 8:5) and inviting us into the fellowship of the Trinity (John 14:23; 17:22). He even makes himself vulnerable to our desires (14:13; 15:7; Psalm 37:4)—to a point—to interact with us in a relationship of love.

Are we worthy of that? Of course not. But it’s what he wants. Serve him well, but don’t miss the opportunity for a deeper relationship. By faith, you are inextricably united with God and receive the fullness of his life. Enjoy that, ask him what’s on his heart, share your heart with him, and let the friendship grow.