CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1114537
Discove r Cit yV iewN C.co m's fre s h up d ate d loo k ! | 15 Integrity, Knowledge, Experience Co m m e rc i a l R e a l E s t a t e 910.864.2626 231 Fairway Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28305 www.franklinjohnsoncommercial.com Franklin Johnson, Crawford Mackethan, Malinda Craven, Michael Pennink ourselves to be His disciples. And we will bear fruit for the Kingdom. Verses 14 and 15 are instructive here. Jesus says, "You are my friends." en again He says, "I have called you friends." Why are the disciples (and by extension all of His followers) called "friends"? Because Jesus is reminding His disciples in view of what He says in verse 13, that He will die for them. Jesus, if we trust in Him and follow Him, is our friend. Our friend. What amazing truth! Not just that the Son of God is our friend. But that He also lays down His life for His friends, which is clearly the main point of what Jesus says in verse 13: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." If, as followers of Christ, Christians are Jesus' friend, then it is also true that Jesus has laid down His life for us – His friends. Private First Class Bryant Homer Womack is a wonderful example of the great love exhibited when a man lays down his life for his friends. But the greatest example of that kind of love is when God's Son, Jesus, gave His life for His friends. I hope that you are trusting Jesus. For Jesus is the only one who can save your soul and offer eternal life by laying down His life for His friends. Heavenly Father, we thank you for men like Bryant Womack who paid the ultimate sacrifice for us and for our freedoms. And we are eternally grateful for Jesus Christ, your Son –who paid the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of undeserving sinners. Teach us each day to trust Him more and more; that we may have true freedom to love and serve You, follow Him and His example and by e Holy Spirit produce fruit that will last. Amen. Chaplain (LTC) Ken Godwin is chief of pastoral care at Womack Army Medical Center.