Prayer to the Father

May 19, 2021

15:18 – 16:33 Sent into the world, just as Jesus was sent

Read John 16:23-27

The resurrection of Jesus would not only result in the disciples’ grief being turned to joy (16:20-22) but also in them having a new understanding. At last, they will see the answers to the many questions that they have had about Jesus and the Father (23a,25). In particular, they will then begin to experience the new prayer relationship with the Father which Jesus had spoken about that evening. He had told them, “I will do whatever you ask in my name” (14:13-14) and then, “If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you” (15:7).

In each case, the condition which goes with the promise is essentially the same – it is about being in Jesus, so much so that the prayers we pray are the prayers which he would pray. Now he repeated the promise, telling them that it is his resurrection (“in that day”) which will make that relationship possible (23-24a). In this way, “your joy will be complete” (24b), not because we receive what we ask for but because we have been brought into such a close relationship of love with the Father that we are able to pray directly to him.

Christians do not pray to Jesus who then conveys those requests to the Father on their behalf (26), for the Father himself loves them and is able to accept them through their relationship with Jesus (27) i.e. Christian prayer is prayer to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit (Eph.2:18; 6:18). Once again, we are brought back to the importance of remaining in Jesus. This is the basis of our joy being complete (15:11), of our fruitfulness (15:5,16a), and of the wonderful promise “that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you” (15:16b).