The longer I live, the more I realize the value of true friendship. That's why a true friend is such a blessing in life.
Jesus had many friends but He also had enemies who called Him names; one of which was, of all things, "the friend of sinners." (Luke 7:34) The term was meant to be a derogative slur, but it was actually a wonderful compliment. Jesus was and is, the sinner's best friend.
Like a good doctor, Jesus tells us the truth about our condition. I would not consider a doctor to be a good one if he didn't tell me what was wrong with me, even if it meant alarming me to a very serious condition. I would want to know so that I could seek a remedy, or else be alerted to pray. I wouldn't want to be "kept in the dark" so to speak, just because the doctor knew I would be saddenned to hear bad news. I would be very upset if I was not told that I had a severe condition. I would not think highly of a doctor who didn't tell me what was wrong with me.
In the same way, Jesus is a good friend to the sinner. He doesn't just say all will be well, knowing this is not the case. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) - none of us have lived our lives for the glory of God. In fact, we're all rebels and sworn enemies to a Holy God.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Let's look at just one scripture passage, the one that gives us the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20).
1 Then God spoke all these words, saying,
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
5 "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,
6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 "Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.
11 "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
13 "You shall not murder.
14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal.
16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
May I ask you, how does your life look like when laid alongside the Ten Commandments? Are you able to say that you have kept these commandments all your life?
Well, it gets worse before it gets better. Why? Because Jesus explains many of these commandments in His sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew's Gospel Chapter 5.
Here is Jesus' commentary on a number of these commandments:
20 "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER ' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.'
22 "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
27 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY';
28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
How are you doing right now? Do you still feel that you can go to the Judgment with a clear conscience, or are you like me, and realise you are in severe trouble if you had to stand before God and have to answer for your sins?
The Bible's diagnosis of our condition is a grave one. None of us have kept God's commandments, for we have taken God's name and used it as a vain swear word, we have stolen, we have had lustful thoughts, we have coveted, we have lied, we have slandered, we have either killed, or have had anger in our hearts at someone, and Jesus makes it clear that this makes us guilty before God; we have either commited adultery or had lust in our hearts for a member of the opposite sex to whom we were not in a covenant of marriage, and therefore we have commited adultery in our heart; we have set up other gods in our hearts rather than the true God, whether they be images we've made with our hands, or sports-heroes and music stars, or perhaps even the idols of popularity, fame and wealth, rather than allowing God to rule in our hearts.
All of mankind has failed - we have sinned, we have committed high treason against our Creator, with our thoughts, words and deeds. We are sinners and without God's direct intervention, will without doubt, face His fierce and terrible wrath on the Day of Judgment. The New Testament declares, "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:31)
THE GOD OF LOVE
If the Bible teaches anything, it teaches us about a God of love. On almost every page we read of a God who creates out of love, who nourishes and feeds, and guides out of His love. There is no doubt whatsoever that our God is a God of love. Yet the same Bible reveals that this God of love is also a Holy and Just God. As such, He must punish sin. In fact, He must punish all sin. That's not what we most want to hear, especially when this relates directly to us, but it is the Bible truth.
But like a good doctor, Jesus has the remedy for us. God sent His Son into the world to save all who would believe. "For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
If we respond to His call in repentance and faith - if we make Jesus the Lord and Savior of our lives, His blood shed on the Cross for us is full payment for our sins. God's anger and displeasure fell on His Son, Jesus, as He hung in the place of sinners on the Cross, paying the penalty we deserved. The Scripture says, "He bore our sins in His body on the tree... by whose stripes you were healed." (1 Pet. 2:24) "Christ came into the world to save sinners" (1 Tim. 1:15).
Jesus said "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." (Mark 2:17) We tend to think of a "sinner" as someone who is either behind bars or close to being so. We assume it is not referring to us.
I had an uncle called Lawrence who used this verse in Mark chapter 2 to say that he didn't need Jesus because he was not a sinner. Such thinking shows a complete lack of understanding of what Jesus was saying. Jesus was not suggesting that some people didn't need Him. Quite the opposite. The standard for righteousness is not simply "better than most people" or "better than the worst - the Hitler's and Stalin's of this world." No, the standard is God's definition of righteousness and that is His standard of absolute perfection in obedience to God, in heart, mind and will. Jesus lived a life perfectly pleasing His Father, but no one else in history has lived such a life.
Jesus went to the Cross as the sinless, spotless Lamb of God to suffer the punishment we deserved as rebellious sinners. The punishment due to us came on Him, that the good due to Him, might be made available to us. "All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him." (Isaiah 53:6)
The reason Jesus did not come to call the righteous was because there weren't any "righteous" to call! The Bible declares, "There are none that do good, there are none righteous, no not one." (Rom. 3:10) Jesus didn't come for those who thought they were righteous but for those who, recognizing their sin, humbly admit their desperate need of His mercy. Well people don't need a doctor but those who are sick and who recognize it. I hope that you, like me, recognize your need for this Friend to be your friend.
Rather than being merely a figure in human history, Jesus can become your best friend as you get to know Him in a personal way. He will stick close to you when all flee away. He will give you His peace and lift you to new heights in life. He gives life in its fullness. But most of all, He will save your soul. As important as our earthly needs are, there is nothing more vital than to have peace with God. That's where Jesus comes in. The Lord Jesus Christ is the very Son of God and the best friend I have. He can be yours too. I would love to see your friendship with Him start today - a daily walk with the Lord that will not only last a lifetime, but it will take you right through death, and on into eternity Why? Because when He becomes your friend, the friendship is not temporary - it lasts for Eternity.
