The world of social media has redefined the definition of friend—on one platform in particularly Facebook . When Facebook debuted in 2004, early users raced to accumulate as many friends as possible; high numbers were a status symbol. Then people realized most of their friends weren’t friends at all and they started “unfriending” (the word entered the dictionary in 2009). This process raised a good question which continues today: What is a true friend?

These friendships imply something deeper than a blood connection—intimacy, love, and loyalty.
The ultimate expression of such friendship was expressed by Jesus when He declared His disciples to be His friends for whom He was prepared to die