Why is Jesus called “the beloved Friend”?

Christ’s parting words with His disciples reveal the purpose of His incarnation and the salvation He offers to humanity by becoming to us a powerful friend, unique in His love. He says this outright: “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:12–15). He grants His friends various talents and diverse gifts, which He carefully nurtures by His Holy Spirit. He does not cast us from one mold; each of has his own personality, capabilities, and role. In all this, He deals with each person as a personal friend, and appreciates their potential.

To help us appreciate the exaltedness of Christ’s friendship, here are a few examples that illustrate how He raises the faithful to become His friends:

St. Mary. He responded to her request at the wedding at Cana of Galilee and turned the water into wine; and on the Cross in the midst of His sufferings for all humanity, He focused His personal attention on her and entrusted her to St. John the Beloved (John 19:26–27).

St. John the Beloved. He allowed him to lean on His chest during the institution of the sacrament of the Eucharist and granted him the greatest of gifts when He gave him His own mother to be a mother to him.

Mary and Martha. When he met them four days after the death of their brother Lazarus, He could not bear their tears, and it was said of Him, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35); even though He had come to raise him from the dead. He could not bear the tears of His loved ones.

Judas. When His own disciple gave Him up to His enemies in a horrible betrayal, He rebuked him tenderly: “Judas are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48).

He often called a person by name as a sign of His desire to be friends with that person, for example: “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down” (Luke 19:5); “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” (John 21:15); “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4); and “Mary do not cling to me” (John 20:17).

The sign of the friendship He extends to all humanity is that “when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God with the death of His Son” (Rom. 5:10). He died for all humanity, that He might make, if possible, all people His friends eternally.

St. Maximus, Bishop of Turin , says, “For one who knows that Christ is his companion is ashamed to do evil. In good things, however, Christ is our helper, and in the face of evil things He is our defender.”⁷⁵¹

St. Augustine says, “But let us, beloved, in order that we may be the friends of the Lord, know what our Lord does. For it is He who makes us not only men, but also righteous, and not we ourselves. And who but He is the doer, in leading us to such a knowledge?”⁷⁵²

He loved sinners and tax collectors. In all His encounters with others, whether in groups or individually, Christ yearned for the return of sinners to the holy life. In His incarnation and works of salvation, He stretches out His hands to pour out His mercy upon all humanity. St. John Chrysostom and many of the fathers believed that the greatest of all His miracles was the creation of saints out of sinners; of the likeness of angels in human beings; and of heaven on earth; for all of which, the heavenly hosts rejoice. St. Ambrose says, “Is it not a further incentive to be good, when you consider that your conversion gives joy to troops of angels? Indeed, we should — each one of us — try to obtain their patronage, and we should dread giving them offence. Friend, be a joy to angels, and then they will surely rejoice when you come Home.”⁷⁵³

He has given us the gift of encountering Him and talking to Him . St. John Chrysostom says, “‘ He dwelt among us ’ so that we are able to approach Him, speak to Him, and deal with Him quite directly.”