Introduction

A. Friends that you can really count on are rare, and we should be thankful for every one we have.

B. As great as our friends may be, the fact is that there is not a friend anywhere in this world like Jesus.

I. Jesus was always a friend to the friendless.

A. He was a friend to lepers (Mark 1:41; Matthew 26:6).

B. He was a friend to sinners (Matthew 9:11-12; 11:19).

C. He was a friend to the poor (Luke 4:18; 14:12-14).

II. There has never been a better friend than Jesus.

A. Jesus is a friend with extraordinary compassion (Luke 7:11-15; Matthew 20:29-34; 9:36; 14:14-15).

B. Jesus is a friend with extraordinary love (John 11:5,35-36; 13:1; 15:13).

C. To be a friend to Jesus, one must keep His commandments (John 15:12-14).

D. To be a friend like Jesus, one must show compassion (Matthew 18:27-33; 25:31-46) and be a good neighbor (Luke 10:33-35) and a good brother (cf. Luke 15:25-32).

Conclusion

A. It is of no value to be friends with the world (1 John 2:15-17; James 4:4), because there is no friend in all the world like Jesus.

B. Will you choose to be a friend to Jesus?