Ask And You Shall Receive

Jesus said, "Ask and you shall receive ..."

JOHN 16 COMMENTARY ◄
John 16:16-23 A Little While

John 16:24-27 Ask And You Shall Receive

JOHN 16:24 24 “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Why didn't Jesus' qualify, "Ask, and you shall receive" with conditions?
Having dispatched Judas Iscariot already (see one of you will betray Me), Jesus said, "Ask, and you shall receive" to the eleven disciples whom He knew wouldn't ask amiss. He knew their "joy" will "be full" (John 16:24) by serving and glorifying God, not by enriching themselves. His statement didn't need to be qualified because the audience had been qualified.

Why do some preach today, 'Ask, and you shall receive earthly riches'?
John 16:24's "Ask, and you shall receive" is one of the most abused phrases in the Bible today, and the wolves who abuse it typically couple it with some form of solicitation for money. Their equation tends to be, "Give me your money. Once you have done that, you can then ask God for whatever you want, and He will give it to you."

What happens?
The unsaved sinner hands over his money but doesn't receive the reward he asked for, concludes that the preacher and God are fraudsters, and becomes resistant to hearing the true Gospel.

What happens to the preacher?
God struck dead Ananias and Sapphira, not for abusing God's name to steal from people, but for giving their money to church with deceit. How much worse punishment in hell await those who abuse God's name to steal?

JOHN 16:25 25 “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.

When will Jesus "no longer speak to" them "in figurative language, but... plainly" (John 16:25)?
When the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in them fifty-three days later (fifty days after Jesus' resurrection), He will help them understand all things about Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension to heaven, all of which will have taken place by then, so there will be no need for figurative language.

JOHN 16:26-27 26 “In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.

To whom does Jesus instruct prayers to be directed?
God "the Father" (John 16:27).

Is the right to pray directly to God the Father given only to the eleven apostles or church leaders today?
The right to pray directly to God the Father isn't vested in a human being or their status but in the name of Jesus. Everyone who loves Jesus and believes that He "came forth from God... the Father" (John 16:28) is to pray directly to God the Father in Jesus' name.

What about praying to dead Christians or Biblical figures like Mary and asking them to pray to God for us?
Praying to anyone else besides God - even to respected dead Christians and Biblical figures - is idolatry that contradicts Jesus' instruction above.