In today’s episode, we explored how Jesus models true friendship, exemplified in His encounter with Mary Magdalene, who carried a past filled with shame and regrets. Even in her fear of unworthiness, Jesus gently reassured her that His love and grace covered every stain of her past, declaring her cleansed, accepted, and deeply cherished. This conversation demonstrates Jesus’ profound empathy and unwavering commitment to restoring dignity to those who feel disqualified by their history.

Beyond words, Jesus embodied the essence of friendship through His actions: eating with outcasts, defending His disciples, sharing in grief, and vulnerably inviting His closest companions into His moments of anguish. He treated His friends with patience, shared His mission with them, and extended forgiveness and acceptance, even to those who would fail Him. These patterns reveal that Jesus’ friendship is not shallow or conditional but rooted in a steadfast love that embraces us at our worst and calls us into our redeemed identity.

As we reflect on Jesus as Friend, we see that He invites us into a relationship marked by trust, love, and shared purpose, not because we are perfect, but because His grace is perfect. His friendship reminds us that our past does not define us, and we are fully known and fully loved by Him. Today, let us embrace His friendship with gratitude, live in the freedom it brings, and extend that same grace-filled friendship to others, reflecting Jesus’ heart to a world that needs it deeply.

In this episode of 10:10 Thrive, we explore Jesus’ teaching from Luke 11:5–8, where He shares the parable of a friend knocking at midnight to ask for bread, emphasizing the importance of shameless audacity in prayer. Jesus had just taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer, and this parable immediately followed, illustrating that prayer is not simply a formal recitation but a bold, persistent coming to the Father with our real needs. In a culture where hospitality was a sacred duty, the image of a desperate host knocking at midnight would resonate deeply, showing that God welcomes our persistent prayers even when they seem inconvenient or repetitive.

Jesus uses this parable not to compare God to a reluctant neighbor but to contrast them, teaching a “lesser-to-greater” lesson: if even a neighbor can be moved by persistence, how much more will a loving, attentive Father respond to our persistent prayers. The term “shameless audacity” used in the text speaks to a kind of prayer that is unembarrassed, bold, and refuses to give up, trusting that God’s heart is open to His children at all hours and in all seasons. This reframes our view of God, reminding us that He is not annoyed or inconvenienced by our repeated requests but delights in our continual coming to Him, inviting us to trust His generosity and readiness to answer.

Ultimately, Jesus models this bold, persistent prayer through His own life, withdrawing often to pray, spending entire nights in prayer, and showing earnest persistence in Gethsemane. He invites us to follow His example, bringing our deepest needs to the Father with faith and persistence, believing that God hears and will respond in His perfect timing. As we live out this call to “knock at midnight,” we grow in faith and intimacy with God, experiencing the peace that comes from trusting Him fully, and learning that the Father’s door is always open, ready to provide for His children who come in faith.

This episode explores the profound reality that Jesus called Judas “friend” even in the moment of betrayal, revealing the steadfast and unchanging nature of Jesus’ love. Judas was not an outsider but one of the Twelve, trusted with responsibilities and included in intimate moments like the Last Supper, sharing ministry and fellowship with Jesus. Despite knowing Judas would betray Him, Jesus washed his feet, served him, and continued to love him, demonstrating a love that is not based on how others treat us but flows from God’s own faithful character.

The devotional highlights that Jesus’ use of “friend” was not sarcasm but a final invitation to repentance, showing the depth of His mercy and the dignity He offered even to those who turned against Him. Jesus’ response teaches us to choose love over bitterness and forgiveness over vengeance, even when deeply wronged. The betrayal fulfilled Scripture and God’s redemptive plan, reminding us that even the worst human actions cannot derail the mission of salvation Jesus came to accomplish for us all.

Finally, this episode challenges listeners to examine their hearts, recognizing that proximity to Jesus does not automatically mean intimacy with Him, and calls us to genuine faith and repentance. Jesus desires friendship with us and invites us to abide in Him, to love like Him even when it is costly, and to live in the freedom and forgiveness He offers. By calling even Judas “friend,” Jesus shows that His sacrificial love covers all betrayal and failure, inviting each of us to walk as His friends, trusting His unchanging love and reflecting His mercy to the world.

In this episode, we explore Jesus’ profound declaration in John 15:13–15, where He calls His disciples “friends” and anchors this friendship in His sacrificial love, stating, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Set during the Farewell Discourse on the night before His crucifixion, this passage marks a pivotal shift in the divine-human relationship, moving from servanthood to intimate friendship rooted in love, trust, and shared knowledge of the Father’s heart. Jesus’ words foreshadow His imminent sacrifice on the cross, demonstrating the ultimate act of friendship and love that redefines how we relate to God.

The “Let’s Get Deep” section unpacks how Jesus’ friendship is not superficial but a covenant marked by His sacrificial death, proving His love and commitment to us. We see that this friendship involves intimacy and shared purpose, as Jesus invites us into the Father’s plans and mission, entrusting us with the message of reconciliation and calling us to bear fruit in His name. It also includes obedience, not as a requirement to earn His friendship but as a response to His love, abiding in Him and living out His command to love others as He has loved us.

Ultimately, this episode reminds us that Jesus, the Savior and King, desires to walk with us as Friend, inviting us to share our daily struggles, trust Him in every circumstance, and allow His love to shape our lives. His friendship transforms how we live, how we love others, and how we engage in His mission, rooted in the assurance that we are deeply loved, fully known, and never alone. As we embrace Jesus as our Friend, we are called to reflect His sacrificial, patient, and forgiving love to a world in need of His grace.

This episode of the 10:10 Thrive Podcast continues the “10:10 with Jesus: A Deeper Look” series by focusing on what the Bible teaches us about Jesus as a friend. The Gospels reveal that Jesus did not merely function as a distant teacher but cultivated genuine, affectionate friendships marked by trust, support, and shared life. His close relationships with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha of Bethany demonstrate His tender compassion, willingness to grieve alongside His friends, and acceptance of devotion and hospitality. Tradition also portrays these siblings as early evangelists and symbols of faith and hope, further underscoring the depth of their relationship with Jesus.

The episode also explores Jesus’ friendships with His disciples, including Peter, John, and James, who formed part of His inner circle and shared intimate moments with Him. Despite Peter’s impulsiveness and failures, Jesus restored and trusted him, while John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” experienced profound closeness with the Savior, and James shared pivotal ministry moments. The story of Jesus’ acceptance of Zacchaeus, a despised tax collector, further illustrates Jesus’ radical inclusivity, demonstrating that His friendship is extended even to societal outcasts, offering transformation and grace to those who encounter Him.

These friendships reveal the character of Jesus as patient, compassionate, restoring, and radically loving, calling us to respond by cultivating a personal, faithful friendship with Him. They challenge us to extend the same gracious friendship to others, reflecting Jesus’ love to a world in need. The episode closes with the encouragement that Jesus, our Savior and Friend, desires to walk with us in every season, transforming our hearts and giving us hope, purpose, and restoration as we embrace His companionship in our daily lives.

In this episode, we conclude our two-week exploration of Jesus’ character, ministry, and purpose through song by revisiting William Cowper’s hymn, “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood.” This hymn has profoundly shaped evangelical worship and theology, frequently used in communion, baptism, and calls to repentance, reminding believers of the unfailing power of Christ’s blood to cleanse and redeem. Its continued resonance in the church underscores the truth that all spiritual blessings flow from Jesus’ sacrificial love and the work accomplished at Calvary.

The episode delves into how the hymn vividly portrays Jesus’ identity as the divine, sacrificial Lamb of God, whose blood was shed as a spotless offering to atone for the sins of the world. The imagery of the “fountain filled with blood” powerfully directs our attention to the cross, emphasizing the substitutionary nature of Jesus’ death and the complete forgiveness it secures for those who believe. It also highlights Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrificial system, revealing Him as the once-for-all Savior whose power to cleanse is eternal, unmatched, and deeply personal for every believer.

Finally, the hymn’s invitation to “plunge beneath that flood” calls for a personal, faith-filled response to Jesus’ sacrifice, leading believers into a posture of gratitude, worship, and trust. It reminds us that Jesus’ blood remains powerful today, offering freedom from guilt and a life anchored in the hope of His redemptive work. As we reflect on this hymn, we are encouraged to walk daily in assurance and thankfulness, letting our lives testify to the enduring power of the cross and the matchless love of Jesus, our Savior.

We then share a modern song inspired by Cowper’s hymn.

In this episode, we explore the enduring connection between early Christian hymns and the sacrificial nature of Jesus, noting how the New Testament epistles contain some of the earliest Christological confessions. Passages such as Philippians 2:6–11 and Colossians 1:15–20 highlight Jesus’ humility, obedience unto death, and the reconciliation accomplished “through the blood of His cross.” These early fragments of worship remind us that from the church’s earliest days, believers recognized the centrality of Christ’s sacrifice and the power of His atoning blood in God’s plan of salvation.

We then examine William Cowper’s hymn “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood”, which powerfully captures the theological weight and emotional depth of Christ’s atoning work. Written during a period of Cowper’s renewed spiritual clarity, the hymn draws from Zechariah 13:1 to depict Jesus’ blood as an inexhaustible fountain of cleansing and forgiveness. Despite attempts to soften its vivid imagery, the hymn’s raw, unvarnished language has endured in worship settings, testifying to the deep need for and the transformative power of Christ’s blood, which alone has the power to cleanse every sin and redeem every sinner who trusts in Him.

Ultimately, the hymn serves as a lyrical sermon on substitutionary atonement, reminding us that Jesus’ sacrifice is not an abstract theological concept but a living, active reality that purifies, restores, and welcomes us into God’s presence. Each stanza emphasizes that through Jesus’ blood, we are washed clean, freed from guilt, and made new, leading us to gratitude and daily trust in the power of the cross. As we continue to reflect on this hymn, we are invited to live in the freedom, hope, and reverence that Jesus’ sacrifice has secured for us, allowing our lives to reflect His redeeming grace to a world in need.

In this episode, we explore the profound truth of Titus 3:4–5, which reminds us salvation is not earned by our righteous efforts but is a free, merciful gift flowing from God's goodness and loving kindness. The Apostle Paul’s words shatter the human paradigm of striving for worthiness, replacing it with the breathtaking reality that God’s nature—His compassion and mercy—stepped into history in the person of Jesus to rescue us. This divine act of salvation is not the result of our accomplishments but the overflow of God’s character, expressed through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

We then connect this truth to the song “Goodness of God,” which celebrates God’s unwavering faithfulness and active presence in our lives. The song's imagery of Jesus as our comfort in darkness and our light in despair makes His nature profoundly personal and real, reminding us that He is not just a historical figure but the intimate, ever-present embodiment of God's goodness in our daily struggles. Jesus meets us where we are, patiently pursues us with grace, and brings light, healing, and peace into every area of our lives, showcasing His steadfast love and the depth of His compassionate nature.

Ultimately, the episode emphasizes that Jesus’ ministry and sacrifice reveal God’s goodness in action, calling us to rest in the truth that our salvation is not a prize to earn but a gift to receive. The song and scripture together encourage us to trust in Jesus’ faithful presence, to surrender our striving, and to live lives that testify to the unearned, transformative embrace of God’s mercy. As we reflect on these truths, we are invited to live in gratitude and dependence on Jesus, allowing His Spirit to renew us daily as we thrive in His abundant love.