This had never occurred to me:
"It is crucial to the understanding of this passage to note that the disciples are said to be Jesus' friends, but Jesus is not said to be their friend. In fact, nowhere in Scripture is either the Father or the Lord Jesus ever said to be the friend of anyone...the fact remains that the Scriptures never refer to him by the noun friend. A moment's reflection reveals why. The word friend can conjure up so reciprocal a relationship of affection that it would badly distort and misrepresent the relationship that actually exists between Jesus and his followers. In short, there is a danger of a chummy view of friendship which neither embraces real love nor preserves the fundamental distinction between Jesus and those he redeems." (The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus, 104-5)
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