What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Proverbs 18:24—A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Friendships—No one can live a fulfilling life without them. I thank God for every friend I have. I’ve enjoyed the privilege of introducing a few to you today. In this message I would like to introduce you to another friend of mine—Jesus. He is not only my friend, He is my best friend.
I’m not talking about some fantasy friend. I’m talking about a real Friend you can communicate with and will abide with you through life and death. The person of Jesus is no myth or fairy tale character.
Albert Einstein said in the Oct. 26, 1929 issue of The Saturday Evening Post: “No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. NO MYTH IS FILLED WITH SUCH LIFE.”
How do I know that Jesus Christ existed as an actual historical figure?
One way is by what people wrote about Him—people who knew Him or who knew about Him around the time He lived on earth.
There is more historical evidence for the existence of Jesus Christ than there is for Mark Anthony or Cleopatra. More books have been written about Jesus Christ than any other person in history. More songs have been sung about Him than any other person.
Our Scripture text describes two truths about any friendship:
1. The Requirement for Friendship—“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly.” If we are to make friends, we must take the first step.
2. The Reliability of a Friend—“And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” A friend will stick by you in good times and the bad.
This verse describes the Friend we have in Jesus to a “T.” Jesus showed Himself friendly by…
I. His COMING to us.
A. He took the initiative in being our friend.
1. He didn’t have to leave His heavenly throne to come to this sinful planet. He could have left us lost in our sinful condition and on the road to Hell.
2. When we could not go to Him, He came to us. He condescended to where we are.
Partial Sermon: See PDF for full sermon.
