Feeding the Lambs - Name of Jesus

 Ask in My Name

"In that day you will no longer ask Me anything. Truly, truly, I tell you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. An hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you this way, but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in My name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world. In turn, I will leave the world and go to the Father.”

His disciples said, “See, now You are speaking plainly and without figures of speech. Now we understand that You know all things and that You have no need for anyone to question You. Because of this, we believe that You came from God.”
-Jesus of Nazareth
John 16:23-30

[15th message of the New Believer Series]

We mentioned in the previous message that new believers have access to Our heavenly Father, through the Name of Jesus of Nazareth.

Normally we would have already referenced why this would have been the case, but this one was an exemption.

When Jesus was still with His followers He had no need to teach them to ask the Father in His name.

He actually didn't even teach them to ask in His name for anything.

But when Jesus knew that He would be leaving them, He had to say His parting words and among the things He had to tell His disciples was to ask the Father in His Name.

Ask the Father, so as to receive and so that their joy may be complete.

Ask

Three things we can see that He said here:
1- you will receive after you've asked,
2 - they already have joy and
3 - when they asked and have received, the joy that they already have will be complete.

Asking the Father in the Name of Jesus and receiving that which has been asked for, will make this gift of joy that they already have complete -- the more times, the more complete.

Most believers came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through an answered prayer. The answer to that prayer brought them joy that the world would know nothing about.

This kind of joy brought about the transformation from unbelief to belief, the very same things that happened to Doubting Thomas, to Persecutor Paul, to Arrogant Peter, to the other scared apostles, to those who Jesus have healed, to His unbelieving siblings and to every new believer.

Plainly Speaking

Lastly, Jesus was telling them that during His time with them, He was speaking through figures of speech. Yes He did, through stories, illustrations, parables and asking them questions about scenarios and situations.

Then before He left them He said He will be speaking plainly and they would understand and that they will ask the Father in His Name.

And that time happened for them. For us, this time is today. Jesus is speaking plainly to all of us through other believers, who are empowered by God's Word and God's Spirit.

New believers can go directly to God's throne of grace, ask our Father in heaven, through the Name of His Son, and He will hear our prayers.

But no, the Name of Jesus is not some password or special codename or secret PIN.

Believers ask the Father in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth because they know Jesus and Jesus knows them. They are His brothers and sisters, they are His family and friends. They are in a relationship (not a religion).

Anyone else can do the same, use the password, but it would lead them nowhere. 

Jesus is the Way but it will only work with those who have been reborn, adopted to the family of God (see 12th message of this series) -- this will only work for God's children.

New Believer Series