SERMON: “Praying to the Father” (John 16:23–28)
“Praying to the Father” (John 16:23–28)
Series: “John:
Life in Christ’s Name” Text:
John
16:23–28
By: Shaun
Marksbury Date:
October
13, 2024
Venue: Living
Water Baptist Church Occasion:
AM Service
I.
Introduction
However, Scripture presents a different model. In these chapters of John, Jesus is speaking
to His disciples in the context of His impending departure. Here, He offers them clarity and assurance
about their relationship with the Father through prayer. Jesus teaches that we, as believers, have
direct access to the Father through His name.
He emphasizes that we no longer need earthly mediators because He has
given us a relationship with the Father, rooted in His love for us. This scriptural model is clear: through
Christ, we are invited to approach God boldly and confidently in prayer
(Hebrews 4:16), knowing that the Father Himself loves us and listens to our
prayers directly.
We have direct access to the Father through prayer. That direct prayer access results in two
intangible results in our hearts.
Because of prayer to the Father, we can experience the joy of the Father
and the love of the Father. Let’s
consider the first of these:
II.
First, We Know the Joy of the Father through
Prayer (vv. 23–24)
In that day you
will not question Me about anything. Truly,
truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will
give it to you. Until now you have asked
for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made
full.
In this first section, Jesus introduces the transformative
power of prayer. That is, He specifically
talks about prayer in His name. But, let’s
work our way there. What is Jesus
talking about in v. 23?
First, Jesus references a still-future time for them. This will be when their understanding and
experience would shift dramatically. Christ
will depart from them, but He will send the Holy Spirit (cf. John 14:20;
16:26). While this specific moment
primarily points to Pentecost, it also extends to the broader eschatological
framework — the “last days”—which were inaugurated by Christ's resurrection and
the Spirit's descent (Acts 2:1–13, 17).[1] From this point on, the believers would
experience a fuller understanding of Christ’s teachings and promises.
They were still figuring out what all this means. As Calvin notes here, they were like children
struggling with reading; “almost every word of Christ gave them some sort of
offence, and this hindered their progress.”[2] Yet, the coming Holy Spirit would help them
understand the truth.
Consider the surprising statement that they will ask Him
nothing. The verb is a term used for
interrogation, where they would ask Jesus questions to learn more about the
truth. Here, Jesus tells His disciples
that they will no longer Him questions directly. This change means the disciples will be led
into all truth and will no longer rely on Jesus for explanations in the same
way they had during His earthly ministry.
He then says, “Truly, truly, I say to you.” This is yet another amen, amen or
“verily, verily” statements. This is
that solemn marker our Lord uses to underline an important point, and this is
work of the Holy Spirit to produce a new state of prayer for them.
This new state of prayer is indicated in the next
conditional statement — “if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will
give it to you.” If we ask, the Father
will give. This statement moves the
disciples from thinking about asking Jesus questions to praying to
the Father. In fact, in the original
language, the verb is different. They
are now able to petition the Father in Jesus’s name, and Jesus promises that
the Father will respond.
Now, the conditional includes more than just praying and
receiving. They will pray in Jesus’s
name. This means that they are choosing
to align themselves with the will and purposes of Jesus Christ as they pray.
We’re used to thinking of this as a formula to conclude
prayers. We often close out our prayers
by saying, “In Jesus’s name, amen.” As
one commentary notes, “The words in My
name are not a magical formula which enable the user to get his will done.”[3] Rather, these words signify praying in
alignment with Jesus’s person, work, and will. It reflects the believer’s relationship to
Jesus and their participation in His mission and purpose.
It is at that point that the Father is pleased to give unto
us. As Jesus said in John 15:16, “You
did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear
fruit, and that your fruit would
remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”
It emphasizes the generosity and willingness of the Father
to grant requests made in accordance with His will. The promise here echoes what Jesus said
earlier in John 15:16: “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed
you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that
whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” The disciples’ ability to bear spiritual
fruit and receive answers to their prayers are both rooted in their union with
Christ and their alignment with His will.
God's response comes to prayers offered through Christ. This means that we have direct access to
the Father through Jesus. We no
longer need an intermediary; our prayers can go directly to the throne of
grace.
Because of this access, the Father grants us the gift of
joy. That’s what we see in the next
verse.
Jesus says in v. 24 that change is coming to their prayers. As the Reformation Study Bible notes,
“Their prayers were too timid in the light of the salvation they were soon to
know.” Their prayer life is about to
change significantly with the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus says, “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name.” Jesus here is pointing out that up until this
point, the disciples had not prayed directly to the Father in His (Jesus’s)
name. Jewish prayers were often offered
through mediators like the priests or were associated with sacrificial
systems. While they had asked Jesus for
many things during His earthly ministry, they never conceived of praying
directly to the Father through Jesus.
This emphasizes spiritual access to the Father through Christ. This new approach to prayer brings with it
the promise of greater fruitfulness and joy as they see God working in response
to their petitions.
So, Jesus commands them to really pray. He implies here that they are to bring their
requests before God in His name. As
Calvin notes here, to pray without regard to Jesus’s mediatorial role would
profane God’s holiness.[4] Christ would have us pray to the Father
through Him, not through human priests or saints, Mary, angels, or anyone
else. He is the Mediator between God and
man (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5), and as such, He commands, “Ask.”
Jesus then reiterates the promise that they will receive
those requests made in His name. Jesus
assures His disciples God the Father will answer prayer in His name. This reflects the confidence believers can
have in prayer when they approach God through Christ. This gives us confidence and boldness,
knowing that when we ask in Christ’s name, requests will be granted according
to God’s will.
He then gives the purpose for the gifts: The Father wants
their joy to be full (cf. John 15:11). We
might think that He does so only to fulfill His will, or we might be tempted to
think only about what God will give us materially when we ask. However, we see that He wants us to
experience fullness of joy! Prayer to
the Father in Jesus’s name results in joy.
This encourages us to approach prayer not only with confidence, but also
with anticipation of God’s blessings.
This speaks to the intimacy of our relationship with God. He desires to give us good gifts! In our prayer life, we may encounter
struggles or feel distant from God, yet Jesus assures us that when we ask in
faith, we can experience profound joy. This
joy isn’t dependent on our circumstances but on the assurance that the Father
listens and responds to our requests.
The disciples need joy as their friend is physically leaving
them. Yet, He’s leaving them with a
stronger relationship with the Father.
He’s also telling them that they can experience joy in prayer with the
Father. That’s not all, either, as we
consider the next few verses:
III.
Second, We Know the Love of the Father through
Prayer (vv. 25–28)
These things I
have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no
longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the
Father. In that day you will ask in My
name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf;
for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed
that I came forth from the Father. I
came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world
again and going to the Father.”
Now, considering that Jesus is trying to comfort them, one
might expect that He would speak plainly all the time! Sometimes, we also feel like we need a better
word from God. Yet, He gives us what we
need in His timing.
Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you in figurative
language,” or, as the LSB has, “figures of
speech.” This can be somewhat troubling.
Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, but that was in judgment (Matt
13:34). However, Jesus isn’t speaking of
punishment here. This is about the
current limitations in the disciples’ understanding; they do not always get it
(v. 29). This tells us that, even today,
we need to rest in the power of the Holy Spirit for understanding the things of
God; our own understanding won’t always cut it.
He says that “an hour
is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language.” Jesus again points them to a near-future time,
anticipating the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This verse underscores the idea that God’s
revelation is progressive. Jesus’
teachings were initially veiled from their understanding through figures of
speech. Yet, the coming clarity through
the Holy Spirit affirms the belief that God desires His followers to understand
His will and purposes.
God's desire for
His followers is to understand His truths fully, not to hide them. The whole Trinity works together in revealing
these truths. Believers are encouraged
to embrace clarity in their communication of the Gospel and to seek a deeper
understanding of God's Word, reflecting the openness and boldness exemplified
by Christ.
This tells us that
we should be rest on the Holy Spirit’s guidance in understanding
Scripture. Recognizing that divine
revelation is essential for spiritual growth can encourage a more prayerful and
reflective approach to reading the Bible.
We must also trust in God’s timing.
The assurance that a new way of teaching is coming encourages believers
to trust in God's timing. Spiritual insight often unfolds gradually, and
patience is necessary as one seeks to comprehend God’s truth.
Jesus says in v.
26, “In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will
request of the Father on your behalf.” Again,
Jesus emphasizes that they will pray in His name. The repetition emphasizes that this is a new
method of making requests to the Father through the authority and character of
Jesus. They can know that their prayers
will be heard by God by praying in Jesus’s name.
This is also telling
them exactly how they are to pray.
They are to use words. They do
not need to engage in tongues-speaking to be heard by God. They are to ask in Jesus’s name. They already have direct access to the Father
which they can exercise in the priesthood of all believers.
In fact, Jesus
clarifies that it’s not as though we have to pray to Him and He then repeats
those prayers to the Father. He
emphasizes the intimate relationship believers have with the Father, ensuring
that their prayers are grounded in His merit and aligned with the purposes of
God. This understanding enriches the
practice of prayer, encouraging believers to approach God confidently and in
unity, reflecting the deep love He has for them. This encourages believers to pray confidently
and recognize the importance of spiritual maturity in their relationship with
God.
That brings us to
the next verse. Jesus reminds us that “the
Father Himself loves you.” Here is a
wonderful revelation of God! Now, this
isn’t just agape love (which is affirmed elsewhere, like John 14:21, 23);
God demonstrates phileo, showing affection toward us. Believers should be emboldened by the
knowledge that the Father loves them personally. This encourages a deeper engagement in
prayer, knowing that their requests are not met with indifference but with a
loving response.
Jesus emphasizes
the deep, affectionate bond between Jesus and His disciples, characterized by
an ongoing love that is both a response to God’s love and a testament to their
faith. The perfect tense of the verb
here suggests their love is not fleeting but a characteristic that defines
their relationship with Christ.
This ongoing love
is a testament to their faith and commitment, for Jesus also says they believed
in Him. This relationship is
foundational to their understanding of prayer and access to the Father. It
highlights the continuity of their faith journey, affirming that genuine love
for Christ is a hallmark of their identity as His followers. This belief is foundational to their
understanding of who Jesus is and why He came.
He said in John
8:42, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and
have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent
Me.” Their relationship with Him and
their understanding of God, encouraging believers to deepen their commitment to
Christ, who reveals the Father through His presence and mission. Believers are called to acknowledge the
divine authority of Christ, recognizing that His teachings and actions are
rooted in His relationship with the Father. This understanding deepens faith
and encourages obedience.
In v. 28, Jesus
again affirms His divine origin. This
goes back to John 1:1. Jesus is
pre-existent.
He also affirms His
incarnation. This is where Jesus enters
humanity and creation. This highlights
the centrality of redemptive history, Jesus’s death and resurrection He was to
perform.
Jesus then
announces His departure once more. Of
course, this reflects His imminent departure.
This foreshadows His crucifixion as well as subsequent ascension.
As we contemplate these truths, we are reminded that prayer
is not just about making requests; it is about entering into a loving
relationship with our Heavenly Father. When
we pray, we express our dependence on Him, acknowledge His authority, and
cultivate our relationship with Him. We
also see the essence of Jesus’s
mission, highlighting the key events of His Incarnation, earthly ministry, and
ascension. This understanding encourages
believers to deepen their faith, engage in the mission of sharing the Gospel,
and find comfort in God’s sovereign plan.
IV.
Conclusion
Let’s remember that through prayer, we know the joy of the
Father, who delights to answer our requests according to His will. We also
experience the love of the Father, who invites us into a close relationship
because of our faith in His Son.
Brothers and sisters, let’s cultivate a vibrant prayer life. Let’s approach the Father with confidence,
knowing that He hears us, loves us, and desires to fill our hearts with joy. May we be faithful in prayer, and may our
prayers reflect the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[1] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word
Pub., 1997), 1618.
[2] John Calvin and William Pringle, Commentary on the Gospel according to John, (Bellingham, WA: Logos
Bible Software, 2010), 2:151–152.
[3] Edwin A. Blum, The
Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 2, 329.
[4] Calvin, 2:154.
