“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 ChurchOccasion: AM Service

Introduction

In Roman Catholic tradition, prayer often involves seeking intercession from intermediaries like saints, the Virgin Mary, or priests. Catholics believe these figures, being closer to God, can present requests on behalf of believers. For example, the “Hail Mary” prayer asks for Mary’s intercession, and Catholic priests act as mediators in confession to the Heavenly Father and even to Jesus Himself.

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:

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). 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.” 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.” 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. 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:

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.

Jesus came to reveal the Father, and Jesus plans to do that plainly. This indicates that He desires His disciples to grow in their understanding of God. This is a path we should all be on as believers — our knowledge of God should be growing. This is something you gain through the work of the Holy Spirit as you read Scripture. If you are not growing in new insights about God over time, there is something wrong in your Christian life. We should all desire deeper knowledge of God and to grow through the power of the Holy Spirit.

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.

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.