Jesus said to his disciples, “In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.”
At that time, the Jewish view of God often emphasized his holiness and transcendence in such a way that made him seem distant and unapproachable. The people went to God through rituals, sacrifices, and the mediation of priests. Access to God was restricted, and the idea of coming to God personally and intimately was foreign to most people. The temple system, with its barriers and divisions, reinforced the idea that God was separated from the common person.
Jesus brought a revolutionary message. He presented God as one who desires a close and personal relationship with his people. He taught his disciples to address God as “Father,” a radical departure from the formal and distant ways that they were accustomed to. By teaching his disciples to pray in his name, Jesus gave them direct access to the Father, bypassing the system of sacrifices and intermediaries. This marked a profound shift in how people could relate to God.
The idea of praying in the name of Jesus and knowing that the Father himself loves us was life-changing for the disciples. They had approached God with distance and formality, relying on priests and rituals. But Jesus introduced a new way, a relationship characterized by intimacy and confidence. God was no longer seen as a remote deity to be appeased, but as a loving Father who delights in his children and desires to bless them.
Building on this new understanding of God as a loving Father, Jesus taught his disciples to pray in his name. The name of Jesus is not a mere phrase to end a prayer, but a representation of all he accomplished through his life, death, and resurrection. He lived in perfect obedience to the Father, fulfilled all righteousness, and offered himself as a perfect sacrifice for sin. Because of this, God has highly exalted him and given him the name above every name. When we pray in the name of Jesus, we are invoking the authority and righteousness of the one who has been given all power in heaven and on earth.
Praying in the name of Jesus means that we approach God not based on our own merit, but on the merit of Jesus Christ. Our sins and failures would have disqualified us from coming before a holy God, but the sacrifice of Jesus has opened the way for us to enter his presence. When we pray in the name of Jesus, we affirm that we are accepted by God because of him, not because of anything we have done. This is why we can come before God with boldness and confidence, even when our feelings shift. The Father loves Jesus, and when we come in his name, we carry the full weight of his righteousness.
Moreover, the name of Jesus represents his role as our mediator. Scripture tells us that there is one mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus. This role of mediator is a key reason why we can confidently approach God. When we pray in the name of Jesus, we acknowledge that he is the bridge between us and the Father. He is the one who has reconciled us to God, and it is through him that we have access to the Father. We can approach the throne of grace because of his finished work. His mediation guarantees that our prayers are heard and that we are welcomed into the presence of a holy God.
Nevertheless, there is something we need to clarify. When we think about praying in the name of Jesus, we might assume that God answers us because of Jesus alone, that he cares deeply about Jesus and his obedience, but cares little for us as individuals, especially since we have sinned and failed. It is true that God answers us for Jesus’ sake. But this is not the full picture. Jesus explained that the Father does not merely tolerate us for Jesus’ sake while remaining distant or indifferent. But he declared that the Father himself loves us.
God loves Jesus, and this is why the name of Jesus carries such weight when we pray. But God also loves you as a distinct individual. The Father loves you, not merely because Jesus asked him to or because you use Jesus’ name, but because he has chosen to set his love upon you. Jesus said, “I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you.” He made it clear that God does not need to be persuaded to bless you. The Father himself loves you, and that is why he will answer you.
Yet God has given you the name of Jesus as the basis by which to approach him. Although God loves you, you have sinned, and sin separates humanity from God. His holiness and righteousness demand that sin be judged, and it is through the work of Jesus on the cross that this separation is removed. By his death and resurrection, Jesus opened the way for sinners to approach a holy God. Therefore, you can come before God, even as someone who has sinned, even when you have failed, and pray in the name of Jesus. And God will receive you, not reluctantly but gladly, because of what Jesus has done.
This truth remains even when you feel weak, and even when your self-perception before God wavers. God’s love for you is not based on your performance, but on his sovereign decision, his unchanging character, and the work of Jesus. You should never waver, but even if you struggle to believe that God loves you or that he would answer your prayers, you can still cling to this: God always answers Jesus.
It is easy to believe that God loves Jesus, and easy to believe that God will always answer him. You can apply this same confidence to yourself, because Jesus has given you the right to use his name. The same love God has for Jesus, and the same eagerness he has to answer him, now applies to you. It is as if you say to God, “The Son you love, I am with him. I belong to him.” You can approach God with confidence, knowing he will answer you because of Jesus.
But still, Jesus wants you to go further. He wants you to know that the Father himself loves you individually and personally. It was the Father who sent Jesus to save you. It was his love that initiated your salvation and made a way for you to come to him. Jesus said, “I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you.” He wanted you to understand that the Father’s love for you is so specific and sufficient that he does not need anyone to convince him to bless you.
The Father himself loves you, and he will give to you simply because it is you who ask. This is a direct and personal love. It was this love that established the mediation of Jesus. It was this love that sent his Son to die for you, so that you could come home to him. And as Paul said, if God did not spare his own Son, how will he not also give you all things?