John 16:23, commentary and pictures

After His departure and ascension His followers were to bring their requests directly to the Father in His name, and after Pentecost He would dwell in them by the Spirit in even closer union than when He was bodily present with them. To ask in His name is to use His name as the passport to the Father's heart and to all the riches of grace, since nothing of wealth or position avails but for His sake sins are washed away. Such petitions prevail because as Advocate clothed in humanity He places His righteousness on the suppliant's side and presents the plea before the Father as His own request. The Father Himself loves those who love Christ and believe He came from God, receiving them through the Son and laying open to them all the treasures of His grace. Yet the promise is given only on conditions of loving obedience, abiding in His love and keeping His commandments, and of asking according to His will in unwavering faith.

Setting in Farewell Discourse

The words were spoken privately to the faithful disciples in the upper room after Judas withdrew, when the peace of heaven returned and the oppressive shadow was lifted, because the multitude could not understand such sacred truths. Even the disciples could not fully understand them at the time, but they repeated them again and again to stay their sinking hearts in great disappointment and trial. Only after the resurrection were they fully understood and appreciated, and from the testimony of the disciples those truths have spread over all lands and will live through all ages to comfort the hearts of the desponding and give peace and hope to thousands who believe.

They belong to Christ's instruction before His separation from the disciples to prepare them for their future work. That work would fail if divine power were left out of their efforts, for they were to depend on a divine Christ in their ministry. They were spoken with knowledge of the trials that would come to the church through unconverted believers, as encouragement and hope to comfort and strengthen disciples whose faith and courage would be severely tried, that they might endure without failing, imparting courage to stand fast in the most trying hour and bringing strength and assurance to the true believer as long as time shall last.

They are part of His plain words in John 15 and 16 about the difficulties they would meet in the world, for He knew every phase of experience and every conflict they would meet and grieved that they must pass through manifold afflictions from the world. He plainly presented their future trials of hatred, trouble, and temptation to lose faith, and He mingled the dark future with the bright hopeful lines of the future so that through faith they should not fail nor be discouraged. These lessons were meant to assure them that He would not leave them ignorant of His purposes and to help them remember His love in their work and councils, and with John 14, 15, and 17 they are of highest value for every soul consecrating his life to the service of God.

The chapter expresses God's will for His people, its setting the Gospel's divine remedy for sin and its teaching that believers receive eternal life and are made one with Christ. With John 14-17 it shows what God desires to do for the human race and the provision the Father has made for obedience to the teaching of the great Teacher to make the race different and present a new world bearing the impress of heaven. It holds the words Christ commanded His followers to give to the people, whose message is to be shared in every home. Studying its lesson and being willing to speak it gives knowledge of the Word and its converting power, so that the works and words of Christ become the sure evidence behind a Thus saith the Lord, bringing Christ's promised presence with His workers even to the end of the world and leading to conversions like the three thousand brought to faith at Pentecost, and young people especially are to arise to this work.

Meaning of Asking Father

In that day means after departure and ascension, when followers would bring requests directly to the Father in Jesus' name. After Pentecost Christ would abide in them through the Spirit in closer union than when He was bodily with them. His enthronement was marked by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, faithfully imparting His fullness to them as their representative and advocate at God's throne.

While waiting in Jerusalem during the ten days before the outpouring of the Spirit and descent of the Holy Ghost, the disciples claimed the promise. Meeting together and bowing in solemn awe, they presented requests to the Father in Jesus' name with prayer and praise. They relied on Christ's death, resurrection, and intercession and knew He remained their Friend at God's throne whose sympathies were still with them and who continues to sympathize with humanity through the merits of His blood. Asking in His name means coming with a Representative in heaven and an Advocate at the throne of God, with Christ risen and at the right hand of God making intercession, and that intercession is the mighty argument by which the hand of faith reaches higher and still higher for the answer, so that asking brings receiving and joy made full.

The disciples did not comprehend the promise at first and did not fully understand it at the time it was spoken. Afterward in their religious experience they cherished it and presented their petitions and prayers to the Father in Jesus' name. They trusted that Jesus would in no case forsake them but, clothed with power, would serve as their Advocate at the Father's right hand to present their petitions as chosen depositaries and witnesses appointed to carry forward His work and bring forth fruit that remains.

Using Jesus' name is a passport to the heart of the Father and to all the riches of His grace. He is substitute and surety and has given His name for use, so prayer is to be offered without ceasing in the name of Christ and not in the name of any human being. Wealth or position cannot avail, but Jesus' name is the believer's appeal, and for His sake sins are washed away. Jesus receives and welcomes the one who asks as His friend, loves him, and has pledged to open before him all the treasures of His grace, so that asking in faith without faltering brings receiving and full joy and going forward from strength to strength and from victory to victory.

Carrying the work forward in His name means centering faith in Him as the source of mercy and power whose name possesses vital power by which sinners may be saved. His name was to be watchword, badge of distinction, bond of union, authority for course of action, and source of success and power. Every word and act was to fasten attention on His name, since nothing is recognized in His kingdom that does not bear His name and superscription.

Christ's Mediation Gives Efficacy

Petitions offered in the name of Christ ascend to the Father with efficiency and power because Christ intercedes as Advocate clothed with human nature and places His righteousness on the side of the suppliant. Asking in His name gives prayer its effectiveness because He applies the merit of His righteousness and relies on His intercession, presenting the believer's plea before the Father as His own request. Such prayer is earnest and confident, lays hold of the gifts and power provided, accords with the divine will, and enables seekers to find peace with God and to influence others.

Jesus, risen and at the right hand of God, serves as great High Priest and as Representative and Advocate at the throne, and that intercession is the mighty argument by which the hand of faith reaches higher and still higher for the answer. He accepts the repentance of His people, presents them to the Father through the merits of His righteousness, and pleads for their pardon through His blood-bought sacrifice. His wounded hands are the memorial of His suffering and secure for the church access to the best gifts of God.

Prayers ascend with Christ's merits because He is Intercessor and Substitute, and also Substitute and Surety whose name has been given for use and is to be used and not the name of any human being. Through the value of His sacrifice for them believers have value in the divine sight, and because of His imputed righteousness they are accounted precious. For His sake those who fear Him are pardoned, for the vileness of the sinner is not seen but the likeness of the Son in whom they believe is recognized.

The Father Himself loves those who love Christ and believe He came from God, receives them through the Son, lays open for them all the treasures of His grace, and gives its riches. The Father to be asked is to be called Father and regarded as the fountain of paternal affection, the source of the love flowing through the human heart from century to century. All pity, compassion, and love manifested on earth have emanated from the throne, and compared to the love in His heart are as a fountain to an ocean, perpetually flowing forth to make the weak strong, to make the faint-hearted firm, and to give moral courage to the wavering.

Christ is the medium of prayer and blessing between God and man, and He urges continual asking so He can satisfy His desire to help and bring believers into close touch with God. Asking in His name and receiving from the Father brings fullness of joy.

The promise applies while Jesus is in heaven interceding and atoning for His people as His church continues His work on earth. Having removed His personal presence, He stands by the Father as Advocate and Friend to plead for men and to present every petition offered in His name, that the Father might be glorified in the Son. It is a precious promise to the needy and sorrowful, bringing mighty victories through prayer and wonderful results through the gifts of the Spirit afterward poured out.

Conditions for Receiving Answers

The promise is conditional, requiring loving connection with God in prayer and humble obedience to His commandments and abiding in His love, with loving Christ and keeping His commandments showing love and faith, and merely invoking Christ's name does not entitle a disobedient person to receive. It is given that the Father may be glorified in the Son through the prayers of obedient children, bringing mighty victories and wonderful results through the gifts of the Spirit, while God's power and ways remain hidden from the unbelieving world that knows Him not.

Requests must be according to His will and asked in faith without faltering, meeting the conditions of salvation, for Jesus gives the assurance as Advocate with all power in heaven and earth and with the door of mercy wide open. Those who take refuge in Him, enter a firm covenant to love and serve Him, and plead His name receive from unlimited treasures of grace, and are left without excuse if they neglect the conditions. Prayer is to be offered without ceasing in Christ's name and not in the name of any human being, because He is Substitute and Surety and has given His name for use as passport to the heart of the Father and to all the riches of His grace. Asking in faith means going forward from strength to strength and from victory to victory, waiting trustingly for God's help and acting as though His power is sufficient, rather than trying to bring about the desired result by one's own strength. Jesus receives and welcomes the one who asks as His friend, loves him, and has pledged to open before him all the treasures of His grace, so that asking brings receiving and full joy, and the Father hears the prayers of His contrite children whose prayers join Christ's intercession in heaven.

Fervent prayer offered to God in the name of Christ is surely received by the Father when joined with sincere complete surrender of all to God. The promise belongs to those who, fallen and helpless under suffering conviction of the sinfulness of sin, humble themselves before God and afflict their souls in true repentance and contrition. Christ is the perfect and holy Pattern given to follow, never to be equaled but to be imitated and resembled according to ability, and His name is the only ground of acceptance and victory, for all human effort in and of itself is utterly worthless and men overcome only in the name and strength of the Conqueror.

Jesus is to be believed in as a personal Saviour who saves to the uttermost all who come to God by Him. Every request made known to God in the name of Jesus is always acceptable to the heavenly Father. Those who come asking in faith have a right to appropriate the promises they present to God in the name of Jesus, because the Father has committed to His Son the bounties of His grace to be dispensed to those who come to Him.

The promise applies to seeking precious spiritual gifts with belief, including the bread of life and a meek and quiet spirit, rather than devoting oneself to earthly possessions. Believers may still ask simply and directly for spiritual blessings and for temporal necessities, including food and clothing, with God's promises giving assurance and the basis for prayer. Every favor is received through Jesus' name, which God honors by supplying needs from His abundance.

Claiming the promise requires walking carefully before God, which causes fellow believers to respect them for Christ's sake, and requires educating the soul to have implicit trust in God with more faith, asking so that joy may be full.

Pentecost Fulfilment and Ministry

After the ascension the disciples knew Christ remained their friend and their representative and advocate at God's throne, with His sympathies still with them, and therefore they brought their requests to the Father in His name with confidence in His promise. Their confidence rested on His death and resurrection and His continuing intercession as the ground on which their petitions would be granted and their joy made full. At Pentecost they received the promised Comforter and the fullness of joy, for Christ exalted in heaven faithfully imparted His fullness to them and His enthronement was marked by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. After Pentecost Christ would abide in His followers through the Spirit in a union closer than when He was bodily present with them.

Asking the Father in Jesus' name brings what is asked and makes joy complete, including the heavenly unction and grace needed for the work of preparing the way of the Lord. This is grounded in Christ's continuing love and His pleading before the Father at God's right hand as the church's intercessor. That future work would fail if divine power were left out of human effort, so workers are to depend on a divine Christ in ministry and carry the work forward in His name. His name possesses vital power by which sinners are saved, and is to be the watchword, badge of distinction, bond of union, authority for action, and source of success, with every word and act fastening attention on His name and nothing recognized in His kingdom that does not bear His name and superscription.

After Christ's departure the disciples relied on His intercession and guidance as they carried out their work, trusting His promise that the Father would grant their petitions presented in Jesus' name. His own prayers to the Father for strength and grace as representative of the human race, tempted as believers are, show His sympathy, while communion with God strengthens and refreshes people for helping others. Prayer in Christ's name presents the merit of His righteousness and relies on His intercession, laying hold by faith of the gifts and power God provides. Such prayer is earnest and confident, accords with God's will, and enables believers to seek peace with God and influence others, praying with implicit faith that prayers offered in His name will not be in vain.

Daily Life and Practice

John 16:23 is part of God's plainly expressed will for His people found in John 6 and 13-17, and it gives instruction to be lived out in practical life to cure dissension and seeking the highest place. Lived out, it brings unity with one another and with Christ, and that unity and love withstands Satan's assaults. Only those who so live will stand the shaking-time test, while where it is not lived there is weakness instead of strength and souls remain sick while thinking themselves whole.

The verse belongs with John 14-17 in showing what God desires to do for the human race and the provision the Father has made for obedience to the teaching of the great Teacher to make the race different and present a new world bearing the impress of heaven. The blessing of the verse comes when the Holy Spirit comes upon believers as it came upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost, opening eyes now blinded and causing the scales to fall from them. The promise calls for faith in Christ's instruction and shows that God's power and help are available to the institution and its workers. They are to believe it and rely on God for blessing and health rather than make up for lack of faith by using drugs.

Believers may bring their requests and difficulties directly to God in Jesus' name with unwavering trust that He hears and answers. This gives them direct access to God, and they are to humble themselves before Him and seek His counsel rather than depend chiefly on human help or guidance. Relying chiefly on human help instead weakens faith and allows unbelief to take hold. The verse's instruction is a call to pray earnestly and sincerely for oneself in the name of Christ. Prayers offered to Jesus Christ and to the Father in His name bring angels present to give the Spirit needed for laboring for souls and for daily work.

Those who are buried in the world, in making money and planning fields and harvests, and who do not stop to pray in the family and become acquainted with their sons and daughters, miss this help. Without taking firm hold of Christ's hand to be led and taught and guided in whatever business they are engaged, they make mistakes and lose much. Those who seek the blessings of Christ's grace need only ask in the name of Jesus, pouring forth the heart's desire in penitential prayer. This asking takes the place of any repeated sacrifice, because Christ as the smitten rock was once offered to bear sins and is not to be sacrificed a second time. Such prayer brings before the Lord the wounds of Jesus, and then the life-giving blood flows forth afresh, symbolized by the flowing of living water for Israel.