Have you ever wondered why we do some of the things we do? (Why do we… say bless you when someone sneezes? Yell at ballgames? At a concert reply to the person on stage with screams?…)
There’s things in life that we don’t always know why we do them, but we just do. It’s also true with our faith. There are a lot of things we do, and we always have done them, but we probably don’t know why. We’re going to be looking at one of those tonight.
Why do we pray in Jesus’ name?
John 14:13-14 – 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
John 16:24 – 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
What exactly is Jesus saying here? Is he saying that if you add his name to the end of a prayer, like it’s the magic potion that makes your prayer come true? It’s saying the name of Jesus is like rubbing the magic lamp to make the Jesus genie come out to grant you your wishes.
Well, that can’t be what it is meaning. I would be a billionaire, there would be world peace, and my sister would still be alive if that was the case. That’s not what Jesus is saying. We don’t pray in his name as a tack on to get what we want. So, what does he mean?
We’re going to see two things here about Jesus and prayer.
First, we’re going to see that we pray in Jesus’ name, because He has authority.
Tell me what comes next… *sing* “Stop! In the name of _____________.” In the name of love is the phrase. A similar phrase is…if you are running from the cops, they might yell out something… “Stop! In the name of ____________.” In the name of the law. You see, even if you can’t see the officer, the offender understands who is telling them to stop—and by whose authority. This officer is there to enforce the law not under his own authority, but under the authorization of the law and government.
It’s very similar to the experience that Peter and John have before the rulers, elders, and scribes in Jerusalem.
Acts 4:5–10 – 5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well.
In the days when powerful people couldn’t send an email or make a phone call, they sent their orders through people who were given the authority to speak in their name. When those ambassadors gave orders, they did so with the authority of the person in charge.
When Jesus gave the disciples the Great Commission, He began by establishing his authority.
Matthew 28:18-20 – “18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Why is it important for Jesus to let the disciples know that universal authority now belongs to Him? Because He has come back from the dead and established that He is God. He’s now transferring that authority to them as they’re being sent around the world to speak on His behalf. They are now ambassadors empowered to speak for Christ (2 Cor 5:20).
But remember, he points out that he has authority on earth and in heaven. And he invites us to use that a
