Who are the people that you feel are your best friends? Everyone needs someone they can depend on. Someone they can talk to when in distress. Someone who will give them godly advice, not just tell them what they want to hear. Most never have a friend that really looks out for what is truly best for them. The majority have friends that sympathize with them and go along with whatever they want. A true friend will tell you the truth. A true friend will want what is best for you in the big picture of life, not just circumstances that make you happy for the moment. As always, our answer to who our inner circle should be can be found in God’s word.
Jesus had three such friends that he trusted. Were they perfect? No. Peter, James, and John were all different, yet they represented the kind of friends we should have also.
Peter was very impetuous. He declared he would never betray Jesus, but he did. He thought he was stronger than he was, but after his betrayal, he wept and repented. He became one of the greatest friends of the gospel to ever live. Peter didn’t always think before he acted, but when he realized he was wrong he immediately repented.
Matthew 26:33-35 “Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise, also said all the disciples.”
Matthew 26:75 “And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly”
Peter represents that friend that messes up but is truly repentant. Because of their failure, they become more dedicated to you than ever. Their desire to be there for you is evidenced in their actions. Just because a friend messes up does not mean you toss them to the side.
Jesus truly loved these three men and trusted them. He took these three with him when he was going to pray at Gethsemane. This was just before the arrest of Jesus. It was a very intimate time for Jesus and he chose to share this with Peter, James, and John.
Matthew 26:36-38 “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”
Jesus also took these three with him up on the mountain for His transfiguration. This inner circle of friends had the opportunity to be with Jesus at another very important, private time. They saw the transfiguration, they saw Elijah and Moses, and they heard God speak. Now, Jesus shows his real trust in them he tells them they can tell no one what they have seen.
Can you imagine having a friend that saw Moses and Elijah, witnessed Jesus’ transformation, and heard God speaking? Afterward, you expect them to tell no one for a period of time! These were some trustworthy men. Do you have a close friend you can tell anything to and expect them to keep it a secret? That is a valuable character trait.
Matthew 17:1-9 “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man is risen again from the dead.”
These men were trustworthy, loyal, and tenderhearted, and they loved their friend very much. All three were different. They represent the extremes of the 12 disciples. Peter was the oldest, James was the first of the 12 to die as a martyr, and John was the youngest, and lived the longest. Each one was unique in their own way, and with God, those differences could be used to further the kingdom more effectively.
What do you look for in a friend? Most look for someone their own age. Someone who has more things in common with them. Jesus proved that was not what he was looking for. Your most common bond should be Jesus Christ. Seek out people who can help you to be more like Jesus. Seek out people of character, loyal, trustworthy, committed to Christ, and then you seek to be that kind of friend to others. Proverbs 27:17 deals with the influence we have on one another. We should have friends that make us better, and in turn, we should be making them better.
Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpeneth iron; so, a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”
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