The Lessons of Lent: The Name of Jesus

The Lessons of Lent: The Name of Jesus

[My Offline Bible] John  16
23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. 26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: 27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

We have learnt in past lessons how Jesus Christ, our Lord left His name among others to represent Him in His physical absence to the disciples.

In John chapter 14:13&14, He had said the believer can demand anything in His name and He would do it.

In the passage above from John chapter 16 which actually is a continuation of the same speech, He said we should ask Him nothing!

He even said  He didn't promise to ask the Father on our behalf!

Taking on face value, He sounds contradictory but that is where the lesson is.

The chapter 14 instruction didn't involve the Father directly. Jesus was giving us the right to the use of the authority in His name. His office as the One who is enthroned with God at the Father's right hand in majesty above all powers, positions and authorities, His position as the One under whose feet the Father had put all things in the heavens, on the earth and underneath the earth. The power of the highly exalted position God gave Him, He gave to us. Whatever we demand with that awesome authority, His power will bring to pass.
The only Person not subject to that authority is God, the Father who had put all things under His feet. 1 Corinthians 15:27&28

Man's original position at creation and even more was returned to man through the name of Jesus Christ. We become the extension of the executive arm of the kingdom of God just as a federal minister, who wasn't voted for uses the authority of the President in carrying out his duties...and the name of the doer remains that of the president.

Here, in chapter 16 , Jesus now speaks concerning the Father. We can't command the Father as we would the creations that have been put under the feet of man through Christ. He didn't put Himself under the feet of Jesus.

But we have unhindered access to the Father through the name of Jesus. This is because Jesus had paid the price of access. The veil that had separated the Holiest of Holies where God dwells from mankind has been torn, we can now be born again to see and to enter with boldness into the throne of grace. The swords that went hither and thither separating man from Eden have been removed, man can now have undisturbed relationship and fellowship with the Father anyday and anywhere by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Now we need no intermediary outside of what Christ has done for us. Jesus doesn't have to pray for us because the Father Himself loves us and His eternal plan to relate with us has been achieved through Christ. The Father Himself wants our joy to be full in the place of prayer! Isaiah 56:7

Jesus doesn't have to pray to the Father for us because through His name we can access the Father. Thinking that He would have to pray for us before God can answer us is saying His work as our mediator was not complete and God may not have accepted it which is a mark of unbelief!

Now we can ask whatever in His name and expect the Father to respond positively. We can see that the name of Jesus isn't just a suffix or a prefix to our prayers, it is the access key loaded with all the work of reconciliation and all the authority that Jesus got through His sacrifice on the cross.

Our thoughts must always be on the value that name has, as we continue the work of Jesus and as we relate with our Father in fellowship, enjoying our sonship inheritance!

Let's remember that we don't have to pray to Jesus but we have no choice than to pray to the Father in His name...one of the lessons we learn from what Jesus taught His disciples as He prepared for His exit...

Good morning!

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