Glorious Answer
According to the apostle John, Jesus had many things to say to His disciples at the Last Supper. One of these things is found in chapter 14 of John's gospel. Jesus is quoted as saying, "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." If you are like me, you look at the word "whatever" and think it needs to be qualified. Did Jesus really mean "whatever"? Does asking in Jesus' name require something special, or is it just adding "in the name of Jesus" at the end of the prayer? It must be more complex. Right?
We would put hundreds, if not thousands, of qualifiers in the pages following this quote. The need to qualify Jesus' statement is likely due to experiences in our Christian walk. We have firsthand insight that suggests it cannot be that simple. You can't just ask in Jesus' name, and it will be done. If you have been a believer for more than a few hours, you have prayed to God for assistance. And even though you finished the prayer in Jesus' name, those prayers were not answered in the manner you desired. So, experience dictates that simply praying in Jesus' name does not mean it will be done. There must be some secret heavenly code Jesus is using in this statement. Let's see if we can crack it.
We begin with "whatever". That means whatever. It means anything. The dictionary literally uses the phrase "lack of restriction" to define "whatever."
Ask based on your faith in Jesus Christ, and He will do it, so that the Father may be Glorified in the Son.
Then there is "you". In the context of John's account, the word refers to the disciples listening to Jesus. But we can also infer from John 14:12, where Jesus references "whoever believes in me," that the subject of "you" was expanded to anyone who believes in Jesus. That would include me, and I hope it includes you, too!
"Ask" is to make a request, petition, or prayer. "In my name" specifies the basis of the request rather than the type of request made. We are still in the "whatever" realm. But the request is made in faith based on the Son of God. "This" refers back to the request. "I" refers to the speaker of the statement, Jesus Christ.
"Will do" is interesting. The word "will" is defined as expressing "inevitable future events." To "do" is to complete or achieve something. So the statement "will do" means the inevitable completion of "this."
I will hold off on dissecting the other half of the statement at the moment. We have enough right here on which to work. So, let's break down the heavenly code Jesus is using. Just before He went to die on the cross for us, the Son of God said anything we petition based on faith in His name, He will inevitably complete. Where exactly does the qualifier go? No additional requirement is given. We don't have to sacrifice a ram and pigeon before asking. We don't have to hide in a closet or fast for days. It is as simple as it sounds. Ask based on your faith in Jesus Christ, and He will do it.
Now, let's get to the good part. The second part of the statement goes like this, "that the Father may be glorified in the Son." Jesus included this part so that we might understand why He will do what we ask. Jesus does not answer our prayers solely for our sake. Our sake is secondary. Jesus' primary purpose in all He does is to glorify Father God. We can now understand that when Jesus answers our prayers, it is not because we deserve the answer or even because of our needs. Jesus answers our prayers so that the Father may be glorified!
This is important because we often feel undeserving of the answer when we pray. We may urgently need what we are petitioning for, but deep down, we understand, as sinners, we have no claim to the answer. Christian, Jesus is not answering your prayers because of you. The Son answers your prayers to glorify the Father. Our Savior inevitably accomplishes whatever we request so that Almighty God may receive glory through His Son.