You know, it’s friendship that warms hearts and binds together individuals, families, and nations. Friendship is what happens when love is acted upon. And just how important is friendship then to the ongoing work of God? Please consider this.

At the beginning of the Savior’s ministry, He came to John the Baptist to receive baptism. John bore witness of Him as the Messiah to all who would listen. One day not long after that, John saw Jesus walking nearby, and turning to two of his disciples he said, “… Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36)

Curious, the two disciples began to follow Jesus. He turned and saw them following Him and said, “… What seek ye? They said unto [to] him Rabbi, where dwellest thou?” [and] He said unto them, “Come and see …” (John 1:38-39)

They went with Him to where He was staying, and since it was late in the day, they spent the night.

Now, the scriptures are silent as to what happened that evening, but the conversation must have been glorious, because the next day Andrew, one of the two, set out immediately to find his brother Simon.

“We have found the Messias [Messiah]” he announced to him. (John 1:41)

And then he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus saw him, he welcomed him with “Thou art Simon, the son of Jonah, Thou shalt be called Cephus, which is by interpretation a seer or a stone.” John 1:42 JST.

The next day Jesus went into Galilee, and He found Phillip. No sooner was Phillip convinced that Jesus was the Messiah than he went out and found his best friend Nathaniel.

“… We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write,” Phillip declared, “Jesus of Nazareth …” (John 1:45)

Nathaniel found that just a little hard to believe. “… Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? …” he said. (John 1:46)

And get this: “… Come and see,” Phillip replied. (John 1:46)

And the moment Jesus saw Nathaniel, He said, “… Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom [there] is no guile!” (John 1:47)

And from that point forward, Nathaniel too became one of those who left all and followed the Master.

Friends bring friends to Christ. They always have; they always will. And thereby the Kingdom of God on the earth grows. Men are saved and the work rolls forward. Moreover, just as this story illustrates, you don’t need to worry about your friends. It doesn’t matter who or what your friend is, the Savior will welcome your friend and put him to work. So – go and tell a friend what you’ve found.