This deep conversation with the disciples and the course of correction started with a reminder that they had now been introduced to the Father. They would experience fulness of joy because:
- He, the Lord will certainly return, and they would see Him, but more
- They would be able to ask the Father for whatsoever in His name and their request will be granted.
And indeed because of the physical presence of the Lord, there had been no need to ask the Father. The Lord served as the intermediary for that. Now they could directly approach the Father in the name of the Lord.
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. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. John 16:23-27
Two interesting questions arise from the statement of the Lord in this scripture. What day was He referring to? Secondly what would make this transformation of relationship uniquely different from what they had enjoyed till now?
As a student of the scripture, the first recorded event of the disciples asking for anything based on what the Lord said here was at the temple gate (Acts 3:1-7):
Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
When you ask the Father, not to foster your interests but His, you get what you ask for! James the apostle captured this well in James 4:3:
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Will you begin to ask for the Father’s purpose to be fulfilled, set the prisoners of Satan free, heal the sick just as He did and commanded us to do.
To the second question, the weight of the answer might easily be lost upon us! We take it for granted almost always just reading it without reflection – For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. You are the object of the Father’s love; do you really know that? And that nothing except you can separate you from His love! (Romans 8:38-39 (TPT):
So now I live with the confidence that there is nothing in the universe with the power to separate us from God’s love. I’m convinced that his love will triumph over death, life’s troubles, fallen angels, or dark rulers in the heavens. There is nothing in our present or future circumstances that can weaken his love. There is no power above us or beneath us—no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance us from God’s passionate love, which is lavished upon us through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One! Romans 8:38-39 TPT
Do you believe this? If you do, what more do you need to make you more committed to Him, to love Him as is demanded of each of us in John 15:10. Would you make this commitment as you begin the new year? Selah.
Photo by Pedro Lima on Unsplash
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