First, we see that Jesus was going to prepare a place for us, and He promised to come again. Secondly, we know that He is the only mediator and He is the way and the truth and the life. Thirdly, Lord says clearly Himself that seeing Him is the same as seeing the Father. And He says that we’ll do greater things then Him. What does it mean? Actually, we can see the reason why from a verse. Finally, in John 14 to 16, He said seven times that something like, “whatever you ask in Jesus’ name, He will do it.” This is absolutely not a blank check. There are sufficient conditions for such granted prayers. We will briefly explain it. Also, we mention why Bible says that if a prayer is not immediately answered, it doesn’t imply that it is not granted by presenting an example in the Old Testament.
1. Preparing a place and the promise of coming again
In John 14:1-3, it says clearly, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
This is the promise. Where He is, we may be also. Lord Jesus Christ is one of Holy Trinity. Of course, if we believe in God, we also believe in Him.
2. Lord is the way, and the truth, and the life
It continuously says in John 14:4-7, “”And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.””
He and the Father are united as one. Therefore, He said, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.” He is indeed the only way as said in 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” He is the truth, since it says clearly in John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” He is the life as said in John 1:4, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of me.” As it is said in Hebrews 10:20, “by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh.” “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”(John 17:17) “…It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”(John 6:63)
3. Seeing Lord Jesus being the same as seeing Father
In John 14:8-12, it says, “Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.”
Indeed, no one can see the face of the Father as in Exodus 33:20, “But He said, “You (Moses) cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!”” But the Father can be seen as said in Exodus 33:23, “Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” He and the Father is in perfect oneness. Thus, in the era of the New Testament, Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” Regarding “otherwise believe because of the works themselves,” even a Pharisees can see this point as described in John 3:1-2, “Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.””
Apparently, Christians have the abiding Holy Spirit. We are now united with Holy Trinity, by Holy Spirit, through Jesus, and in oneness with Father. Whatever we do is in the name of Lord, ” …Christ is all, and in all.”(Colossians 3:11)
What is then the greater works mentioned? Apparently, they are both miracles and signs. There is no way that we’ll do something greater than Jesus along this line. In fact, the verse says clearly, “because I go to the Father.” What is the result because of His going? The Holy Spirit came. When Jesus was restricted in the human body, His preaching the Gospel is limited to the around the Sea of Galilee and Jerusalem. It is impossible for Him to perform the great missions. Just like a grain of wheat, “…if it dies, it bears much fruit.”(John 12:24) Jesus was nailed on the cross to die for us, and nowadays we have the abiding Spirit. We can preach the Gospel to the end of the world without any restrictions. This is what Jesus cannot do when Word became flesh. Therefore, it says, “because I go to the Father.”
4. Seven times saying to pray in Jesus’ name
We first take a look where it repeats something seven times like, “whatever you ask in Jesus’ name, He will do it.” Since I wasn’t aware of this before, we may as well list all seven verses. Notice also that this is not a blank check. For example, if we pray for an unnecessary but expensive racing car, such a prayer will not be granted to our best knowledge even if God has absolute authority and can do it. Then, there are sufficient conditions for such granted prayers. We will briefly explain it.
The first one is in John 14:13, “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” In the next verse, it comes the second one, “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”(John 14:14) In chapter 15, the third time is said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”(John 15:7) And also the fourth time, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”(John 15:16) It is followed by the fifth time in chapter 16, “In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.”(John 16:23) The last two times are in John 16:24, “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full,” and in John 16:26, “In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf.”
Talking about these seven times, the verses are not the exact same wording. The sufficient conditions are to fulfill all seven descriptions. In other words, we need to take intersection in this case. It is different from the event that Paul saw the big light, which is described three times. As we discussed before, all three descriptions are based on the same fact but in different situations. If we want to know the truth, we have to fulfill all of them. In other words, we need to combine all of the situations in order to understand it.
Here, we see a sufficient condition is to be in oneness with Christ to achieve the so-called vertical union as described in ‘1019 Vertical and horizontal love and union’ [1], and in the name of Lord Jesus Christ. In this case, what we pray is the same as what Jesus asks. How can such prayers not be granted? Please notice that this is not saying it that our prayer cannot be granted if we cannot reach the perfect oneness vertically. Maybe we don’t even know that we are indeed in union with Christ in a particular issue. On top of that, He has absolute authority!
We want you to notice in particular the fourth time, “You did not choose Me but I chose you.” Indeed, Jesus chose Himself the apostles, not the other way around. Thus, we see once again that the way of sanctification is passive. This is because life comes from God as described in 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.”
We might often ask why my prayer isn’t answered? Maybe the answer is ‘no’ and we cannot accept it. In fact, Bible says clearly that a prayer is not implemented right away doesn’t imply that it is not already answered. Let us give you an example in the Old Testament as described in Daniel 10:12-14, “Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future.”
Apparently, his prayer was granted at the beginning once he prayed. But being granted doesn’t imply that he got it immediately, Satan tried every effort to prevent it but only delayed twenty-one days. God is omniscient and omnipotent. He knows that with the delay of twenty-one days, there is no change in Daniel’s faith, who can absolutely bear such a delay.
Related knowledge
[1] ‘1019 Vertical and horizontal love and union’ is in ‘https://a-christian-voice.com,’ then under ‘On spiritual understanding about life.’
(Verses refer to those in NASB unless otherwise specified.)
(You can get all articles in “https://a-christian-voice.com/” under “On spiritual understanding about life.”)
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