John 15:15 From now on I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord does: but I have called you friends… I. CHRIST'S SERVICE IS A SERVICE OF FRIENDSHIP. 1. The relation between the Lord and His people is that of Master and servants; but the perfect bond of that relation is love to His person. (1) These disciples had hitherto been servants, whose awful sense of their Lord's dignity had never yet been quickened into the ardour of personal devotion that He desired. "Henceforth" — after they had received into their inmost souls the self-sacrifice of Christ in laying down His life for them — they added perfect love to perfect homage. Servants they termed themselves to the end; but from that time one spoke for the rest the common sentiment, "We love Him, for He first loved us."(2) In every Christian there is the same "henceforth." Until the hour of the manifestation of the personal Saviour comes, we can neither perfectly love nor serve Him. But when the Son of God is revealed in us, then, "Whether we live we live unto the Lord," etc. The love of God is "then" shed abroad in our hearts. 2. Our interest in the Saviour's work is when made perfect that of friendship. He shares His counsels with us, not as being His servants only, but as being His friends. (1) Before the "henceforth" the disciples' thought of His work was that of servants who know not what their Lord doeth. When He spoke to them of the vast designs He came to accomplish, they were like men that dreamed. When, however, He had died, and the Holy Spirit shed His light upon the Redeemer's passion, their minds entered into the infinite Secret and made it their own. (2) This is, in a sense, the dignity and privilege of all believers. They enter into the fellowship, not only of the Saviour's death and resurrection, but of His government also. "Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I do" expresses the spirit of our Lord's dealings with His friends. His language is not "Go and do this for Me," so much as "Come and let us do it together." 3. The principle that animates true Christian service is that of the truest love. (1) These disciples before that "henceforth" had done their Master's will from a lower impulse: sometimes from fear, ambition, or reward. "What shall we have?" But when they went forth to their duty after the baptism of Pentecost, we trace no other constraint but that of love. (2) And so it is with us if our devotion is made perfect. We are indeed servants still; but the commanding energy of duty is always and only love. II. The counterpart of this truth. Their friendship must not degenerate into licence or presumption: it must be the FRIENDSHIP OF SERVICE. He who knew what was in man knew what would be the danger of His friends; and with exquisite tenderness shows what their peril would be and how they should effectually guard against it. 1. There is an everlasting distinction between the Redeemer and His people in their mutual friendship. (1) This word in the language of men implies, generally speaking, a certain equality, and thus it is in some affecting respects between Christ and His friends. But still the eternal distinction remains. "He chose us." Though in His union with our humanity, He is one with our race. He never ceases to be God. Though He came down from heaven to make us His friends He is still the Son of Man which is in heaven. Hence the profound reverence which is stamped on their every allusion to His person. He called them not servants: they called themselves by no other name. (2) In this they are examples to us. We must enter into their feelings of reverence, while cherishing the warmest personal love towards Him. "He is thy Lord, and worship thou Him." "Ye call Me Master and Lord, and ye say well:" which reminds us that we say well when we keep our language free from endearing epithets. 2. As on the one hand our interest in Christ's work must be that of friends, so on the other we must remember that we are entirely dependent on Him for the best ability in His service. Human friends are mutually serviceable; but in this heavenly relation we have nothing that we did not receive. "Without Me ye can do nothing." "I can do all things through Christ." 3. The Lord guards our sentiments of love and delight in His service by the solemn intimation that His disciples are under probation for the blessedness of His present and final friendship (ver. 14).Conclusion: The two leading terms of the text point to two prevalent errors in religion. 1. There is a religion which is a service without love, which regards the Lord as only an austere man. 2. There is also a religion which is too full of a baseless confidence in Christ. (W. B. Pope, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. |
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