Now You Can Pray Directly to the Father!
The Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted
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· 14 viewsNow, the disciples can pray directly to God the Father.
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Introduction
Introduction
Adam and Eve had unhindered access to the Father.
15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.
16 The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;
17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.
22 The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.
Then, there is a very different interaction after the fall.:
8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
9 Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—
23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.
24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.
At the end of the judgment, the man and woman were sent away from God and access to God is protected, never to be entered into again…until now!
Now, in Christ, those who were in Adam and are now in Christ, can move past the angel with the flaming sword and traverse the distance by the One who has passed through the heavens.
A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament προσ-έρχομαι
προσ-έρχομαι, [in LXX for קרב, נגשׁ, etc.;] to approach, draw near: absol., Mt 4:11, Lk 9:42, al.; c. infin., Mt 24:1, al.; c. dat. loc., He 12:18, 22; dat. pers., Mt 5:1, and freq., Jo 12:21, al.; ptcp., προσελθών, c. indic., Mt 8:2, and freq., Mk 1:31, Lk 7:14, al.; π. αὐτῷ, c. indic., Mt 4:3, Mk 6:35, al. Metaph., (a) of approaching God: absol. (Le 21:17, De 21:5, al.), He 10:1, 22; τ. θεῷ, He 7:25; 11:6; τ. θρόνῳ τ. χάριτος, He 4:16; πρὸς Χριστόν, 1 Pe 2:4; (b) in sense not found elsewhere (Field, Notes, 211), to consent to: ὑγιαίνουσι λόγοις, 1 Ti 6:3.
16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
1 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.
22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,
The act of drawing near is that act of fellowship through personal access to the Father in Jesus Christ.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.
Therefore, we need to understand that our access to the Father is free, available, and unending…under the right conditions, conditions which He made.
Jesus is Leaving; vv. 23-25
The Father is Listening: vv. 26-28
Jesus is Leaving: vv. 23-25
Jesus is Leaving: vv. 23-25
23 “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.
23 καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἐρωτήσετε οὐδέν. ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἄν τι αἰτήσητε τὸν πατέρα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου δώσει ὑμῖν.
“In that day...”
“In that day...”
= the day that Jesus is resurrected and returns to the Father.
They “behold” Him now.
In some future day, they will “lay eyes on Him.”
What day, though?
Follow:
v.16 - “a little while”
v.17 - “because I go to the Father.”
v.19 - Jesus questions their deliberation.
v.20 - they will weep and grieve “for a little while” (v.16).
v.21 - but, like a woman delivering a child, they appearing of the child removes the anguish of the delivery. Likewise, the presence (“laying eyes on Him”) of Jesus will remove the grief of the suffering.
v.22 - “I will see you again…” = post resurrection...
Then:
v.23 - “In that day…”
What will happen “in that day”?
“You will not question me about anything.”
Remember, they were deliberating about His leaving and coming again.
They were deliberating out of ignorance.
And, ignorance is based upon not being able to receive more revelation (cf. v.12).
In other words, they will not be in the dark concerning the will of the Father.
“In that day” = the day that they will “see” Him again.
Then, they will not need to intermediate with Jesus.
They will be able to ask the Father directly.
The normal ministry of the kingdom of God involves a devotion to prayer.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
4 “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
“…you will not question Me about anything...”
“…you will not question Me about anything...”
Indicates that Jesus will not be there to question.
19 Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, “Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’?
Remember, they often questioned Jesus about what He meant.
15 When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”
16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!”
17 They said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”
15 Peter said to Him, “Explain the parable to us.”
10 As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables.
13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables?
33 With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it;
34 and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.
The idea is that the disciples had access to Jesus Christ easily while He was with them.
But, now He is leaving them.
The means of getting their questions answered, is prayer to the Father.
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.
Paul taught these things as well:
17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near;
18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
But, what will they ask?
The idea of “ask” must be something related to requesting something from God.
Otherwise, why would Jesus have said that “He will give it to you all.”?
Therefore, these men must learn to rely upon the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, in His absence.
Further, all disciples from the Ascension until the Rapture will be able to access the Father directly about those things that are vital to them for ministry.
“Truly, truly, I say. to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.”
“Truly, truly, I say. to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.”
“…in My name...”
“…in My name...”
There is a very important point to make here.
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.
13 “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
The context of asking is that of ministry.
These men are going to continue Jesus’ work (Acts 1:1).
They must learn, as Jesus demonstrated, that they will need to depend upon the Father for everything.
Their ministries will demand of them to rely upon the Father to the uttermost.
Illustrations:
24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen
6 And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.
3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;
It is vital to understand that the idea is that the environment in which God answers prayers is the environment of working in the ministry.
“He will give it to you...”
“He will give it to you...”
= δώσει ὑμῖν
What does this mean?
Is there a record anywhere of unanswered prayer in ministry from the apostles?
See the list above.
There does not appear to be.
This assertion helps us to make sense of John 17.
The intimacy and unity of the Father and the Son can be the shared intimacy of the Father and the Son and the disciples! δώσει ὑμῖν
18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;
21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
v.24
v.24
24 “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.
24 ἕως ἄρτι οὐκ ᾐτήσατε οὐδὲν ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου· αἰτεῖτε καὶ λήμψεσθε, ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν ᾖ πεπληρωμένη.
The disciples have never prayed to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ up to this point.
Now, they are simply to “ask” and they will receive.
This assumes 2 things:
1) ask in the name, up to this point not used (see v.26).
2) ask the Father.
It seems that Jesus is saying that these men can ask the Father the way that the Son asks the Father, or sons as of their fathers.
This is so that their joy, and our joy, might be made full.
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
Where does the joy come from?
“He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full.
“But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.
Since it comes from God and is manifest inside of th faithful disciple, the question now is, “Does God have joy?”
“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
“In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
“So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;
and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;
for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.
for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and bjoy in the Holy Spirit.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
=Have the Lord’s joy in you!
This joy is a powerful motivator for faithful service to Christ, no matter the cost:
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
V.25
V.25
“These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in 1figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father.
Ταῦτα ἐν παροιμίαις λελάληκα ὑμῖν· ἔρχεται ὥρα ὅτε οὐκέτι ἐν παροιμίαις λαλήσω ὑμῖν, ἀλλὰ παρρησίᾳ περὶ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀπαγγελῶ ὑμῖν.
“These things”
“These things”
= the things beforehand which He has been speaking. He is admitting that He is using “figurative” language.
“Figurative language” = somewhat veiled language that requires explanation.
This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.
“…an hour is coming…’
“…an hour is coming…’
Notice the reference to time again: “the hour is coming.”
This s a reference to the future of more revelation, revelation which He wishes He could have told them at that moment, but couldn’t.
Remember, this revelation ministry will be the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Father is Listening-vv.26-28
The Father is Listening-vv.26-28
V.26
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;
ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου αἰτήσεσθε, καὶ οὐ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐρωτήσω τὸν πατέρα περὶ ὑμῶν
“…In that day….”
“…In that day….”
= that time frame when the disciples are ministering on behalf of Jesus.
It is the day when He is in heaven seated at the right hand of the Father (His Session).
“After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.
“In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
During that time period, the disciples will ask requests indirectly through Jesus Christ.
“…in my name…”
“…in my name…”
= according to the name of…
= by means of the authority of Jesus Christ.
= by means of the accomplishment of Jesus Christ.
= contra. Their own name, authority, accomplishment.
POINT: Jesus is telling these men that there is no need for Jesus to mediate your prayers from an unworthy subject to a worthy deity.
Jesus is saying that these men, and the subsequent disciples, can approach (Hebrews = “draw near”) the Father directly and He will hear them!!!
This is completely different from the way that prayers used to be in the O.T.
Illustration:
See Matthew 5-7 !!
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
“Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?
“Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
V.27
V.27
for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father.
αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ φιλεῖ ὑμᾶς, ὅτι ὑμεῖς ἐμὲ πεφιλήκατε καὶ πεπιστεύκατε ὅτι ἐγὼ παρὰ [τοῦ] θεοῦ9 ἐξῆλθον.
“For” = explanation for the reason why they can approach the Father directly and not through a Mediator.
The reason they can do that is because of the Father’s love for them (not their love for Him).
This kind of love does not reject the needs of the object of love.
This kind of love is the “intra-trinitarian” love of God.
That kind of love is the same love that the Father had when He said to the Son:
‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
FOOTNOTE: this kind of love is not shared with the world.
The love that God shows the world is the love of kindness, but does not require relationship.
In fact, that love is a love that is gracious, kind and generous, especially in light of the world’s rejection of the relationship that is available.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
“If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
But, for us, it is the love of relationship and with God, the Father, Himself DIRECTLY!!
Let me remind you of Paul again:
And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were cnear;
for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
v.28
v.28
“I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.”
ἐξῆλθον παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς10 καὶ ἐλήλυθα εἰς τὸν κόσμον· πάλιν ἀφίημι τὸν κόσμον καὶ πορεύομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα.
“I came forth from the Father…”
“I came forth from the Father…”
Massive.
He came and the father sent…
“Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You;
for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.
“…and have come into the world…”
“…and have come into the world…”
Jesus came into the world the way any other child comes into the world.
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
“I am leaving the world again and going to the Father…”
“I am leaving the world again and going to the Father…”
But, His entrance back into heaven will be unlike His exit from heaven.
He will have accomplished the work of atonement, resurrection, ascension to authority.
He will have preached the Word from the Father.
He will have performed the miracles of the Messiah.
He will have fulfilled all the word of the OT pertaining to this coming.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Conclusion
Conclusion
This ends the chapter, but the greatest part of this discourse is coming: the prayer of the Son to the Father, a pattern for believers.