A Friend Like Jesus

Not long ago, my son Henry, who is only in kindergarten, returned home with tears in his eyes. His words carried more weight than his young age should have to bear: he wanted to play football again—not because he rediscovered a love for the game, but because a classmate had declared, “If you don’t play, I won’t be your friend.”

Henry has admitted before that this same friend doesn’t always welcome him. “Sometimes he doesn’t want me to walk with him or play with him,” he once told me, “but I walk by him anyway.” His desire to belong is both tender and heartbreaking.

That moment reminded me of something simple yet profound: genuine friendship does not issue ultimatums. Proverbs 17:17 tells us plainly, “A friend loves at all times.” Real love is not transactional. It is steadfast.

Scripture makes it clear that human affection can be fragile, but the friendship of Christ never fails. Romans 5:8 proclaims, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” His love is neither conditional nor fleeting—it is sacrificial, enduring, and absolute.

Jesus Himself said in John 15:13–15, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends… I have called you friends.” The Son of God dignifies us not as distant servants but as beloved companions. His friendship is unshakable, immune to shifting moods or social bargains.

The longing Henry expressed on a kindergarten playground is the same longing that reverberates through every human heart: the desire to be known, loved, and chosen. In Christ, that longing is answered—not with rejection, but with an eternal “yes.”

So whether you are five or fifty-five, here is the good news: Jesus is the truest Friend you will ever have. You do not have to audition for His affection. You do not have to chase His attention. He already calls you “friend.”

And as Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 reminds us, “Two are better than one… if either of them falls, one can help the other up.” In Christ, we not only gain His friendship, but also a model for how to love others faithfully—without bargains, without conditions, and without walking away.