“MY NAME!”

John 16:16-24                        (ESV)

“16 "A little while, and you will see ME no longer; and again a little while, and you will SEE ME."

17 So some of his disciples said to one another, "What is this that he says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see ME, and again a little while, and you will SEE ME'; and, 'because I am going to the FATHER'?"

18 So they were saying, "What does HE mean by 'a little while'? We do not know what HE is talking about."

19 JESUS knew that they wanted to ask HIM, so HE said to them, "Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, 'A little while and you will not see ME, and again a little while and you will SEE ME'?

20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.

21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.

22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

23 In that day you will ask nothing of ME. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the FATHER in “MY NAME”name, HE will give it to you.

24 Until now you have asked nothing in “MY NAME”. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

There is much that has been written about the verses above where JESUS instructs HIS disciples to “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”  Most people only want to SEE that which they want to see, and how they want to see what they are looking at!  One commentary puts it in the words, “GOD promises to answer whatever we ask in HIS name ACCORDING TO HIS WILL. This is why WE MUST KNOW THE WILL OF GOD in order to pray with the authority of JESUS.”

Being able to see is an amazing feat in and of itself.  When we turn our eyes to observe an object, generally our eyes reflect what we are observing.  It’s all science.  But when we are able to Spiritually look past the physical, sometimes we can SEE things we previously could not see.  In Luke 24:16 two disciples were walking on the road to Emmaus.  JESUS began taking to them and carried on a lengthy conversation.  However, in Luke 24:31 it is written “And their eyes were opened, and they recognized HIM.  And HE vanished from their sight.”  Their physical eyesight hadn’t changed, but the ONE they were conversing with was no longer with them.  What they were able to SEE was determined by WHO they were observing.  

When we ask for something in “MY NAME”, we need to be careful not to expect a rubber stamp from Heaven because of the words we are using.   “WE MUST KNOW THE WILL OF GOD in order to pray with the authority of JESUS”, according to the commentary used above.  The enemy will use any tool imaginable to distort the WORD OF GOD, and he is a master of deceit.  Only my GOD opening our EYES can we SEE our need for a Savior!  Can you picture praying for something directly in opposition to the WILL OF GOD?  Who could have imagined a HOLY GOD sentencing HIS only SON to a heinously cruel death on a cross just because I was in need of a PERFECT SACRIFICE for my sins?  That doesn’t make sense!  

But GRACE doesn’t make sense. It confounds the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27)!  We can’t explain why a PERFECT GOD would sacrifice HIS PERFECT SON for a wretch like me?  JESUS said “the world will rejoice” at HIS death, but JESUS overcame death, hell, and the grave and now lives victoriously!  Don’t you think that JESUS would have prevented HIS torment and crucifixion had HE could?  HE prayed in Luke 22:42 “...FATHER, if YOU are willing, remove this cup from ME. Nevertheless, not MY will, BUT YOURS, be done."   HE did this so the FATHER would be Glorified, and I would have the sacrifice I needed.  Yes, HE did that in “MY NAME”, and it wasn’t so I could live in wealth, luxury and fame!