John 16:23–28

“And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

“These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”

This passage gives us two more details about the transformation that ascension brings. First, Jesus introduces the idea of praying to the Father in His name. Once Jesus is ascended and seated at the Father’s right hand, that’ll be the way to make petitions—directly to the Father in Jesus’s name.

This is a radical change in how to pray—praying to the Father while invoking the name of the Son. It’s a whole new system.

And notice the contrast with the old system. No altar. No sacrifices. Jesus’s name replaces all that because His death on the cross replaced all that.

Of course, that detail hasn’t been filled in yet for these guys. The substitutionary role of the cross is yet to be fully revealed. They won’t understand why asking in His name makes sense until later.

For now, they’re just memorizing the new system.

The other new detail is about what won’t happen. In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you;

Jesus praying for them won’t be how it works anymore. In other words, by praying in His name, we’ve connected directly with the Father. In a sense, they’ve “eliminated the middleman.”

And notice how this works—for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.

The key word here is “because.” In other words, this is because of faith. Faith is why praying in Jesus’s name works.

We’re familiar with the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. This passage adds another “by faith” clause.

The direct connection to the Father is by faith too.

These Monday—Friday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. The Saturday DEEPs are written by Matt Richardson. To subscribe to all the DEEPs click here:

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The weekly study guides, which include the Monday–Friday devotionals plus related questions for discussion or meditation, are available for download here:

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.