Yochanan 15:14

14 You are my chaverim, if you are shomer oner my mitzvot. [IYOV 16:20; MISHLE 18:24]

Yochanan 15:14 Meaning and Commentary

John 15:14

Ye are my friends
This is an application of the foregoing passage, and more, clearly explains it. The character of "friends", is applied to the disciples of Christ; and belongs, not only to his apostles, but to all that love him, believe in him, and obey him; to whom he has showed himself friendly, by laying down his life for them: for this clearly shows, that Christ had respect in the former words, to his own laying down his life for his people, in consequence of his great love to them; whereby he has made them friends, and who appear to be so by their cheerful obedience to him:

if ye do whatsoever I command you;
not that their doing of the commandments of Christ interested them in his favour; or made them his friends; or was the reason and motive of his laying down his life for them, and showing himself in such a friendly manner to them: but the sense is, that by observing his commands from a principle of love, they would make it appear that they were his friends, being influenced by his grace, and constrained by a sense of his love in dying for them, to act such a part.

Yochanan 15:14 In-Context

12 This is my mitzvah for you, that you have ahavah (agape) one for the other, as I have ahavah (agape) for you.

13 Ahavah (agape) gedolah than this no one has, that someone lay down his neshamah for his chaverim [BERESHIS 44:33].

14 You are my chaverim, if you are shomer oner my mitzvot. [IYOV 16:20; MISHLE 18:24]

15 No longer do I call you avadim, because the eved does not have da’as of what his Adon is doing. But you I have called chaverim, because all things which I heard from HaAv of me, of all these things I gave you da’as. [SHEMOT 33:11]

16 It was not that you chose me, but I chose you, and have given you s’michah that you go and bear p’ri and the p’ri of you remain, that whatever you ask HaAv b’Shem of me (Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach), HaAv may give it to you.