John 15:13

John 15:13 says, Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for His friends.  We will see that Jesus continued to give His disciples a commandment to love one another.  How great was that love to be?  It was to be great enough that His disciples would die for others. That commandment still applies today.  We are not called to love until it costs us something, but we are to love even if it costs us everything, including life itself.  Verse fourteen adds, Ye are My friends, if he do whatsoever I command you.  People may declare themselves friends of Jesus, but He said there is a test of that.  If we are His friends, we will do whatsoever He commands us to do, and He had just commanded them to love one another.  If we cannot comply with this most basic commandment, then we likely will not comply with the whatsoever Jesus may command us to do.  Verse fifteen continues, Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you.  Jesus said His disciples were not only servants, but friends.  We will always be Jesus' servants, but we are also His friends, and He laid down His life for us.  Usually, when we think of a servant, we think of someone who is totally under the dictates of their master, but Jesus said we are not just servants, but friends.  Jesus did not keep them in the dark but told them everything the Father told Him.  He tells us everything we need to know to follow Him and calls us His friends.  There can be none greater to be a friend to.  Yes, we are servants of Jesus, but even more we are His friends.