26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.
Jesus here tells His disciples when He returns to the Father – “In that day” – their love and faith relationship with God would be restored. Access and intimacy with the great “I AM” would then be the privilege of the saint because of their love and belief in the Lord Jesus. Furthermore, they would have His holy ear. The Father would willingly hear their petitions in Jesus’ Name – this being not a magical chant rather prayer offered according to His will and His Word. Christ would no longer have to ask on their behalf – though He continues to intercede for the saints both day and night – grace bestowed upon grace. The writer of Hebrews tells us:
25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Heb 7:25 (NIV)
Jesus had already spoken to His guys earlier in John regarding the restoration of their love relationship with the Father. This would come to them because of their love for Christ and their belief in Him:
21 “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” John 14:21 (NIV)
23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." John 14:23 (NIV)
No longer would the disciples have to live in fear of the One whom they had once forfeited – they had now found favor restored with the Father. They were graciously and abundantly loved. There was no need to doubt that God would certainly do for them what they asked in Jesus’ Name. Because the disciples loved Christ and believed in His divine mission they stood restored and cleansed and as a child of the King. They could now approach the unapproachable “I AM” as their Abba Father, their Daddy. What encouragement this gave them in prayer as perfect love always drives out fear:
16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:15-18 (NIV)
“We came into this world wretched, miserable, and undone creatures, in cruel bondage to sin and Satan, under guilt and under wrath, hostile toward God—the fountain of blessedness—and in a state of condemnation leading to everlasting destruction. But when a man is converted, he is brought out of that state of woe and misery into a sure title to glory, honor, and peace forever. When once a man is converted, all this blessedness that we have heard of is his; he has an absolute right to it. God’s work is accomplished for it; His faithful promise is given.” Jonathan Edwards
We can rejoice in the fact that what was true for the original disciples of our Lord Jesus is true for the modern day believer and lover of our Lord as well. We are loved, we are forgiven, we have access 24/7 to the throne of God, and we are children of the King. Certainly we should be permeated by joy – we know Whose we are. It is no wonder Paul writes in Romans:
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:33-39 (NIV)
“Behold, the Heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, and thou sayest, ‘Come ye all unto me.’” Thomas a Kempis
17 “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zeph 3:17 (NIV)