The Father Himself loves you - a great promise

On By In Bible, Spiritual Life

About asking, praying, trusting and the hidden dealings with God.

There is a text in John 16 that we struggle with because we don't know if the promise it contains is true. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye shall pray the Father in my name, he will give unto you.” (John 16:23).

The context is the Lord Jesus‘ conversation with His disciples before He - having spoken to His Father in chapter 17 - sets out for the Cross (John 16:16-28/33). They are the last words to the group of disciples and therefore must be incredibly important. Not for nothing does the Lord begin the text with ’verily, verily ..." to underscore the importance.

And yet we find it difficult to interpret the text. Because what we do sense is that it's not that with this you can ask all kinds of things of the Father, which He would then give you. It must be something else. But what?

Meaning, intent and imagery

This section is about things the Lord says to His disciples that they do not understand. In verse 17 some say among themselves, ‘what does this mean?’ and the follow-up question in verse 18 is ‘what does He mean by it?.
Further on, the Lord Himself still says that He spoke to them now ‘in imagery,’ but later He will no longer speak to them in imagery, but openly. 

One thing is clear here: this section is about the fact that they could not understand, or could not understand properly, the things the Lord Jesus was saying to them. As such, the things mentioned here are also relevant to us when we read the Bible, the Word of God. It is like a short course on ‘How to Read the Bible.’1. The first three lessons we should always ask when reading the Bible are the following:

  • The first is: what is the meaning or ‘what does the text say. This indicates that we should not let the text say things that the text does not say. We must stay close to the text (see also 1 Corinthians 4:6). That is the first lesson from the course.
  • The next thing to ask is ‘what is the purpose of the text’ ? The words of the Lord Jesus always have a purpose and often it is not always immediately obvious. When we read the Bible the second thing we should ask is the purpose of the text. Often the purpose becomes clear when you look at the context in which the text is stated. But sometimes you find the purpose further on or in another place in the Word.
  • Finally, the third lesson is that of imagery. Imagery - also known as ‘metaphors’2 - does not describe the direct meaning, but above all points to another reality. Then it is a reference to something else and we must include that other in the consideration.

Imagery and the need to ask questions

The entire Bible is full of metaphors, and it is important to always ask ourselves when reading the Bible whether it is a metaphor and to what reality it refers.
In the Gospel to John, we find several examples that the Lord Jesus speaks in metaphors, but the hearers - the disciples or the Jews - did not understand.

Then it also becomes immediately clear that the Lord uses metaphors with the goal that the hearers think about them, are honest in noting that they do not understand the meaning and/or intent, and then from there start asking questions. They could put those questions to the Lord; sometimes they got an answer immediately, sometimes later. Often they did not understand what the Lord had actually said until much later.

We cite the following examples that the Lord used imagery and it was not understood.

  • “Break down this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19-22). The Jews literally think of the temple of stones. Only later (John 20:9) do the disciples understand that it is about His body.
  • “He who is not born again cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:3-4). Nicodemus literally understands this as being born physically. Whereas the Lord Jesus tells him that as a teacher of Israel, he could have known this from the Old Testament.
  • “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life.” (John 6:53-56). Many imitators drop out because they take it literally.
  • “Verily, verily, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24). The disciples often did not understand announcements about the Lord's suffering and the fruits it will have. The Jews did not understand either, it appears later in the same chapter (verse 47-50).

This brings us to the fact that the Lord often spoke in metaphors and ‘hidden language. This was because it is necessary for everyone to ask about the meaning and intent of His words. For only in this way does a person find out the truth.
For the Jews who would not do so, the Lord had a hard message: then that same word they had rejected would judge them on the last day. “He who rejects Me and does not accept My words has something that condemns him, namely the word I have spoken; it will condemn him on the last day.” (John 12:48).

The need to think and ask questions

The word of the Lord Jesus and the Word of God - the Bible - are words that often cannot be understood immediately in terms of meaning and intent. It is God's intention that through this, man is prompted to think honestly and ask questions in an open manner so that God can make the meaning and intent clear to him. 

The texts below further emphasize this:

  • “It is the honor of God to conceal a matter, but the honor of kings to fathom a matter.” (Proverbs 25:2). → Here you see that God sometimes conceals things to invite man to examine and reflect.
  • “Open my eyes, that I may see the wonders of Your law.” (Psalm 119:18 EBV).
    → God's Word is not self-evidently clear; the psalmist asks for God's help to understand the meaning.
  • “When He was alone, those who were around Him, with the twelve, asked Him about the parables.” (Mark 4:10-12). So the Lord Jesus did not reveal everything right away, but called his followers to ask and seek the meaning.
  • “And He explained to them what was written about Him in all the Scriptures ... And they said, “Did not our hearts burn when He spoke to us on the way and opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:27,32). → Only by explanation from the Lord Jesus Himself did the meaning become clear.
  • “What no eye has seen and no ear has heard ... that God has prepared ... but to us God has revealed it by the Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). → It requires openness and the working of the Spirit to understand God's intention.
  • “Consider what I say, but let the Lord give you insight into all things.” (2 Timothy 2:7).
    → Paul expects reflection + God's guidance to unlock meaning together.
  • “I heard, but did not understand. Then I said, ‘My lord, what will be the end of these things?’ He said, Go, Daniel, for these words remain hidden and sealed until the end times.” (Daniel 12:8-9). → Not everything is immediately clear, even for prophets; questioning and waiting for God's revelation is part of it.
    Peter also describes this in his first letter (1 Peter 1:11-13).

Among other things, the Bible shows in these texts that God sometimes veils His Word to prompt us to think and question. Only through searching, contemplation and the guidance of God's Spirit does the meaning become clear.

Asking questions is part of believing

Very generally speaking, asking questions is something that belongs to human beings and is typically a human ability. For example, when you search the Internet for the meaning of ‘asking questions’ I get the following:

“Asking questions is a special human ability. It shows that we are aware of what we do not yet know and want to understand. By asking questions we learn, grow in knowledge and discover new possibilities. They also help us better understand ourselves and truly meet others because questions create connection. Questions give us the freedom to think beyond what seems obvious and open the way to creativity, wisdom and meaning. This is why questions are so important to our humanity.”

These are just ‘ordinary’ human insights3, but the Bible affirms and reflects the deep value of asking questions. It is not only permitted in the Bible, but often essential to the growth of faith and relationship with the Lord.

The Bible also shows that asking questions is part of being human. Both God and people ask questions in the Bible, and those questions always have a purpose: they open the way to relationship, to understanding and to trust.

God asks questions of man.
From the beginning of the Bible, God speaks to people through questions. In paradise, God says to Adam, “Adam, where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). God obviously knew where Adam was, but with this question He wanted Adam to think about what had happened.
God also asks Job questions, to show him how great His power is: “Where were you when I founded the earth?” (Job 38:4).
These questions are not designed to get information, but to bring people to awareness and confidence.

People ask questions of God.
In Psalm 119, the psalmist asks nine times for insight into the words of God. “Give me insight into the way of Your commands” (verse 27) is the first time and it ends with “Give me insight according to Your word” (verse 169). In between it is seven more times.
In this Psalm, knowing God's Word is closely linked to life with the Lord and the joy it gives. But the difficulties of life also raise questions with which we may go to the Lord. The psalm poets and prophets in the Old Testament testify to this. David, for example, exclaims: “How long, LORD? Do You forget me forever?” (Psalm 13:2). And also, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:2). These questions show that we may also go to the Lord with all our feelings.

 The Lord Jesus asks questions of people.
The Lord Jesus also often used questions to bring people closer to the truth. He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” (Mark 8:27).
And to a blind beggar He asked, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Luke 18:41).

Of course, the Lord already knew what was in their hearts, but the question invited people to make up their own minds and express their faith.

Asking questions is part of it.
In all these examples, we see that asking questions is part of faith. It shows that we seek God, that we long for truth and that we may come to Him with anything. We would like to know how He thinks about things and what is in His heart. Questions are not a sign of unbelief, but rather of relationship: we are counting on God to hear us. It means that we trust Him.

The Bible shows that:

  • God himself asks questions to make us think.
  • Asking people to place their pain, doubt and hope with Him.
  • The Lord Jesus asks questions to open our hearts and grow our faith.

In the Bible, asking questions is not a weakness, but an essential part of being human before God. To put it very ‘posh’: questions are the space in which faith can mature, in which truth reveals itself, and in which the relationship with the Lord is deepened.

Faith that does not ask becomes superficial.
Faith that dares to ask becomes alive.

The conversation with Nicodemus

As I wrote these things down, I was reminded of the conversation the Lord Jesus had with Nicodemus. Read up on it in John 3.

Throughout the Bible, we see that questions have a place in the dealings between God and man. The Lord God asks questions to bring people to reflection and repentance, people ask questions to lay their pain or desire before God, and the Lord Jesus asks questions to open hearts and awaken faith.

Nicodemus’ conversation with the Lord Jesus fits this pattern exactly. Nicodemus comes to the Lord at night in a searching attitude. His first words are more of an observation than a question: “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher.”

But actually this is the introduction to his real questions: who are You, and what does Your coming mean?
The Lord Jesus answers not with a direct explanation, but with a statement that itself raises another question: “If a person is not born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:3). In doing so, the Lord Jesus does what God always does: He asks man a question that invites further thought. Nicodemus responds with his own questions: “How can a person be born when he is old?” (John 3:4), and later: “How can that be?” (John 3:9).

In this back-and-forth of questions, we see how faith often grows: not by immediately understanding everything, but by seeking, asking and staying in conversation. Nicodemus does not yet understand, but his questions open the way for the Lord Jesus' explanation of the birth from the Spirit and of God's love in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

With Nicodemus, things turned out well. He continued his journey and sided with the Lord Jesus (John 7:50). Together with Joseph of Arimathea, he buried the Lord Jesus in a tomb close to where He had been crucified (John 19:39). In both events Nicodemus is referred to as the one who sought the Lord Jesus by night. It may be evidence that this was a decisive step. He wanted to know who this Jesus was anyway. He could have asked his colleagues and others, but he decided to ask the Lord Himself and enter into conversation with Him. That was a crucial and decisive choice. It was the best step he could have taken!

The Lord leaving, where were the disciples to go next?

It was exactly what the disciples also did all the time: to ask the Lord Jesus Himself when they did not understand things.
But the Lord would leave them: “I leave the world again and go to the Father” (John 16:28). Then they could no longer walk with Him or ask Him for things. How were they to go on then?

The Lord confirms that they can then ask Him nothing more and says:

“And on that day you shall ask Me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye shall pray the Father in My Name, He will give unto you. Hitherto you have prayed nothing in My Name; pray, and you shall receive, that your joy may be complete.” (John 16:23,24).

This is incredible: they may pray to the Father themselves when the Lord Jesus is no longer with them.
The promise is a double one:
- The Father will give the requested to you (verse 23)
- Whatever you pray you will receive from the Father (verse 24)

They were allowed to go to the Father and put all their questions to Him. They did not have to be timid because ‘the Father Himself loves you’.

“On that day you will pray in My name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father for you, for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and believed that I came forth from God.” (John 16:26,27)

That had to be a great encouragement to them: the Father of the Lord Jesus, was also their Father and loved them. The word ‘love’ used here4 indicates a dealing like friends have. This is how the disciples loved the Lord and this is how the Father will also treat them: as friends.

In friendly intercourse there is trust and room to ask for anything. This hidden intercourse with the Father is also the intercourse the Old Testament believers had with the Lord. Just as it says about Moses: “The LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” (Exodus 33:11). And David calls it ‘the sanctuary’ in the psalms (cf. here).

Where the Old Testament believers had a hidden fellowship with the Lord, we too may have that fellowship with our heavenly Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What can we ask for?

In a confidential relationship with our Father, we may of course ask Him anything. But I actually want to reflect again on the questions of the disciples. They had questions about the meaning and intent of what the Lord Jesus had just said. What does it mean and what does He mean by it? This was very explicitly about the words of the Lord Jesus. It was not about certain things that were happening or problems they were facing. No, their questions in this chapter were about the meaning and intent of the Lord's word.

Therefore, we just have to make it very direct for ourselves. Doesn't reading the Bible - the Word of God - raise questions for us? When we read it and think about it we notice things, things we don't know what it means and what its purpose is. Why is this text here? It doesn't seem to fit the context, how can this be? Things like that. Or you read something that seems to conflict with other texts. So how are you supposed to understand them?
Questions, questions, questions and it could just be that you get stuck in them and your courage sinks in.

But how wonderful that we then have the promise of the Lord Jesus in the words He spoke to the disciples:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, All that ye shall pray the Father in My Name, He will give unto you. Hitherto you have prayed nothing in My Name; pray, and you shall receive, that your joy may be complete. (…) On that day you will pray in My name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father for you, for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and believed that I came forth from God.” (John 16:23-27)

That is an incredible privilege that we can ask God our Father all things from His Word. The Lord Jesus said it to all His disciples and did not reserve it for a few who would be a little more important.

God's Word, all his plans and thoughts

Do we realize that it is a great privilege that we have the whole Word of God, the Bible, and can read in it? So that every one can read in it what God's thoughts are; we can read and ponder them. Everything that the Most High God - who in Christ also became our Father - saw fit to reveal is in that Word.
And when we do not understand something we can very simply ask the Father. The promise given by the Lord Jesus is that the Father will make the answer, meaning and purpose clear to us.

I don't know how to put it into words how great this is. The awesome privilege that the great God, the Creator of all things and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, longs to reveal to you and me what is in His heart.

Since I have no words, I'll just quote an old song.

Lord, the Word given by You, full of treasures new and old,
speaks of eternal, blissful life, is worth more than the finest gold.
All your plans and thoughts, precious and exalted t'eights,
All Your heart where love dwells, You have shown me in the Word.

Only one thing is needed, Lord, no, You are not asking much from me:
To covet above all things ’the everlasting good portion.
Yes, the Word, given by You, is truth, spirit and life:
A lamp is my foot, light for the path I must walk.

Father, thank you for this gift: life-food, heavenly bread,
cool drink to refresh me, soul refreshment in need.
Thank you for this strength of courage, wisdom of God to raise up.
Thank you for this pilgrim's staff, for the support the Word gave me.

Proud mountains will give way, all that is visible will perish;
but - whatever faltering may appear - eternally Your Word endures.
Your thoughts wondrous treasures, are beyond human comprehension,
But Your Spirit teaches us to understand. Lord, faith silently prays.

Related articles
The faith of the ancients - on the hidden dealings with God - Hebrews 11. https://goddienen.nu/het-geloof-van-de-ouden/
On a few other aspects of dealing with the Word - Bible reading. https://goddienen.nu/de-bijbel-lezen-in-de-eindtijd/

Footnotes

  1. With a difficult word, this is called hermeneutics. Simply put: the art and science of understanding and explaining texts. Applied to the Bible: it is thinking about how we should read, understand and explain the Bible, considering language, context, intent and application. ↩︎
  2. Imagery is also called ‘metaphor,’ which is “imagery that relies on comparison” (Metaphor, 2022). In other words, a metaphor describes one thing or situation in terms of another thing or situation. A metaphor consists of two domains: the target domain and the source domain. The target domain is the subject you want to say something about. The source domain is the domain from which you draw to describe the target domain. A characteristic of a metaphor is that the two domains differ from each other, but at the same time have similarities.  ↩︎
  3. By the way, we live in a time when questioning is less and less tolerated in society. With dire consequences. ↩︎
  4. The Greek word here is ‘phileō’ and is thus clearly different from the word ‘agape’ which refers to unconditional divine love. ↩︎

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