You can be Jesus' friend

[Kosonen]

You can be Jesus' friend. 

John 15:14  You are my friends if you do what I am commanding you. 15  I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, because I have made known to you all the things I have heard from my Father.

And the previous verses prove that Jesus wishes that we are his disciples:

John 15:4 Remain in union with me, and I will remain in union with you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you unless you remain in union with me. 5  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever remains in union with me and I in union with him, this one bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing at all. 6  If anyone does not remain in union with me, he is thrown out like a branch and dries up. And men gather those branches and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7  If you remain in union with me and my sayings remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will take place for you. 8  My Father is glorified in this, that you keep bearing much fruit and prove yourselves my disciples. 9  Just as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; remain in my love. 10  If you observe my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have observed the commandments of the Father and remain in his love. 11  “These things I have spoken to you, so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be made full.

 

Though Jesus is King of kings and Lord, he is personally interested to help us and he does that according to the scriptures:

 

Rom 8:34 Christ Jesus is the one who died, yes, more than that the one who was raised up, who is at the right hand of God and who also pleads for us.

Hebrews 2:17 Consequently, he had to become like his “brothers” in all respects, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, in order to offer a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the people. 18  Since he himself has suffered when being put to the test, he is able to come to the aid of those who are being put to the test.

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tested in all respects as we have, but without sin. 16  Let us, then, approach the throne of undeserved kindness with freeness of speech, so that we may receive mercy and find undeserved kindness to help us at the right time.

Hebrews 6:20 where a forerunner has entered in our behalf, Jesus, who has become a high priest in the manner of Mel·chizʹe·dek forever.

Hebrews 7:25 So he is able also to save completely those who are approaching God through him, because he is always alive to plead for them.

Hebrews 9:24 For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with hands, which is a copy of the reality, but into heaven itself, so that he now appears before God on our behalf. 

1 Timothy 2: 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the wicked one. 4  Moreover, we have confidence in the Lord regarding you, that you are carrying out and will go on carrying out our instructions. 5  May the Lord continue to guide your hearts successfully to the love of God and to the endurance for the Christ……. 16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace constantly in every way. May the Lord be with all of you.17  Here is my greeting, Paul’s, in my own hand, which is a sign in every letter; this is the way I write.18  The undeserved kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.

1 Corinthians 1:7 so that you do not lack in any gift at all, while you are eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also make you firm to the end so that you may be open to no accusation in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 3: 12 Moreover, may the Lord cause you to increase, yes, to abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you, 13  so that he may make your hearts firm, blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the presence of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.

Jesus affirmed that he would be with his disciples after he ascended to heaven.

Matthew 28:20 ….And look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.”

Matthew 18:20 For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst.”

And Jesus' prayer in behalf of his disciples extends to his disciples today:

John 17:20  “I make request, not concerning these only, but also concerning those putting faith in me through their word, 21  so that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in union with me and I am in union with you, that they also may be in union with us, so that the world may believe that you sent me. 22  I have given them the glory that you have given me, in order that they may be one just as we are one. 23 I in union with them and you in union with me, in order that they may be perfected into one, so that the world may know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me. 24  Father, I want those whom you have given me to be with me where I am, in order that they may look upon my glory that you have given me, because you loved me before the founding of the world. 25  Righteous Father, the world has, indeed, not come to know you, but I know you, and these have come to know that you sent me. 26 I have made your name known to them and will make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in union with them.

 

Hebrews 5: 9  And after he had been made perfect, he became responsible for everlasting salvation to all those obeying him, 10  because he has been designated by God a high priest in the manner of Mel·chizʹe·dek.

 

Ephesians 1:2 May you have undeserved kindness and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3  Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in union with Christ, 4  as he chose us to be in union with him before the founding of the world, that we should be holy and unblemished before him in love. 5  For he foreordained us to be adopted as his own sons through Jesus Christ, according to his good pleasure and will, 6  in praise of his glorious undeserved kindness that he kindly bestowed on us by means of his beloved one. 7 By means of him we have the release by ransom through the blood of that one, yes, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his undeserved kindness.8  This undeserved kindness he caused to abound toward us in all wisdom and understanding 9  by making known to us the sacred secret of his will. It is according to his good pleasure that he himself purposed 10  for an administration at the full limit of the appointed times, to gather all things together in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth. Yes, in him ….

 

1 Corinthians 3:11 For no one can lay any other foundation than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ.