Savior and Friend

Savior and Friend
By Guido Reni

“He answers privately,
Reaches my reaching.
In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend.
Gentle the peace He finds
for my beseeching.
Constant He is and kind,
Love without end.”
Where Can I Turn for Peace? (Hymn)
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In this study of Christ, painted more than 400 years ago, we see a portrait not of distant majesty, but of intimate love and compassion. The Savior’s gaze is gentle, His head bowed slightly, inviting us to come to Him not only as our Redeemer but also as our Friend. Jesus Himself declared this relationship when He said: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. … I have called you friends.”

Reni’s Christ captures that very spirit — the One who descended below all things so that He might lift us through His love. In moments of grief or loneliness, the tender question from the hymn Where Can I Turn for Peace? echoes: “Who, who can understand? He, only One.” Reni’s depiction of Christ reflects that deep, understanding compassion that is more than sympathy — it is the divine empathy of one who, in the words of Isaiah, has “borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” A Savior whose suffering is not distant but personal, and whose redemption is offered in the context of loving friendship.

Jeffrey R. Holland has testified that Jesus “will be with us, even when no one else is,” for “The Savior is not a silent, distant, or uninvolved God. He is our Father’s Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world, and our great and faithful Friend.” In the portrait, Christ’s humility reminds us that His power to save is matched by His willingness to walk alongside us through sorrow and joy. President Russell M. Nelson taught, “The Savior is never closer to you than when you are facing or climbing a mountain with faith.” Thus, Christ is not merely the victor over sin and death; He is our confidant, our companion, the steady hand we can grasp when no others seem near.

May we always remember that Jesus is not only mighty to save but tender to understand. He calls us friends — not because we are perfect, but because He loves us perfectly. And He invites us to turn to Him for peace, for healing, and for joy beyond measure.


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