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By these words Christ declares the reason why he was pleased to change his stile, and call his disciples friends instead of servants: namely, because of his communication of secrets to them, which servants are not admitted to the knowledge of: Henceforth I call you not servants; that is, not mere servants: not that they were to be exempted from obedience: (for that is called for in the foregoing verse) but Christ treated them now with the kindness and familiarity of friends, being about to leave them, he unbosoms himself unto them, saying, All things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you.
Not as if Christ had communicated the infinite treasures of knowledge to them, which the Father had imparted to him: but he speaks here as the prophet of his Church, that as such he had revealed all things needful for them to know in order to salvation, all things belonging to their case and state; as a counsellor doth not impart all his knowledge to his clients; but all that is necessary for his client to understand and know, that he makes known unto him, relating to his own case.
Learn hence, 1. That all Christ's disciples are his servants, and all his servants are his friends, in regard of intimate communion and tender usage: Henceforth I call you not servants, but friends.
And after his resurrection he called them brethren, Joh_20:17. The dignity of believers is a growing dignity, the longer they follow Christ, the higher privileges are indulged to them.
Learn, 2. That all the Father's counsel concerning our salvation, and so far as it is needful and necessary for us to know, is faithfully revealed by Christ to his Church, he being constituted by God the Father to be the great prophet and instructor of it: All things that I have heard of the Father, I have made known unto you; that is, all things fit for them at present to know; namely, concerning his passion, resurrection, ascension, mission of the Holy Ghost, a future judgment, and the promise of eternal life.