John 14:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

NIV: And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

NASB: And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

CSB: Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

NLT: You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.

KJV: And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

NKJV: And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Jesus makes a promise in verses 13 and 14 which is routinely abused by well-meaning believers, ignorant critics, and cynical abusers. Key to understanding this statement is the context of Jesus' other comments about prayer and the will of God. It's also crucial to note the actual words stated, and not the mutations seen in pop culture. These remarks come in the middle of reassurances given to the disciples (John 14:1–11). They are especially tied to the comment Jesus made about His followers doing "greater" works that He did (John 14:12).

The cornerstone of interpreting this verse is the qualifier Jesus provides: that requests must be made "in my name." This implies someone who is acting according to the will and authority of someone else. A cliché from old movies involves police officers shouting "Stop, in the name of the law!" The implication is they are speaking with the approval of a greater power. When a foreign ambassador says, "I agree to these terms in the name of the king," it means his ruler has given him the authority to make such a bargain.

On the other hand, people would probably laugh if a police officer said, "buy me coffee, in the name of the law!" Merely using that phrase does not guarantee the person to get whatever they want. They can only use that authority—and expect results—when they act according to the will of the law. And the law does not demand that random people purchase food for the officer. Anyone who says differently is either sadly mistaken, or an abusive fraud.

In exactly that sense, Jesus does not say, "I will give you anything you ask for." Nor does He say, "as long as you include the magic words 'in Jesus' name,' I will grant your request." Christ promises He will do anything that is asked "in my name." That implies that the person is asking something consistent with the will and nature of Christ. This, in turn, means such a request is consistent with the will and nature of God (John 14:10).

Likewise, Jesus notes the purpose for this promise, which is to glorify God. That also implies that requests which dishonor Him, or defy His will, are not expected to be granted. The following verse adds critical context to the situation: those who love God obey God (John 14:15). It stands to reason that those who love God will seek to ask according to His will, not in defiance of it.

Among the worst diseases infecting the church are those who preach God as a genie or wish-granting robot. Christ promises to meet our needs, and to grant requests that are legitimately "in His name." That does not mean we can redefine what we want as if it was something we need. Nor does it mean Christ vows to do as we tell Him, or as we see fit.

John 14:1–14 continues Jesus' discourse with the disciples at the last supper. He has recently mentioned a traitor in their midst and predicted Peter's denials. That leads Jesus to reassure these men—reminding them that He has told them the truth and has all things in hand. In this passage, Christ famously refers to Himself as ''the way, and the truth, and the life.'' That is the sixth of seven such ''I Am'' statements included in John's gospel. This section includes Jesus' words, personal experience, and evidence of His miracles as reasons to maintain trust.

Christ reassures His followers that faith in Him is faith in God. To know Christ is to know ''the way, and the truth, and the life'' (John 14:6). The words, actions, and miracles of Jesus should give Christians confidence to trust that He will make good on His promises. Among those are His guarantee that He is preparing to come for us, so we can be where He is. Jesus also predicts the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is only available to believers, and this Helper acts to guide, teach, and remind us. Both for the disciples, and for future Christians, these words are meant to be comforting during hard times. Since Christ knew, in advance, what would happen, we can be even more confident to trust Him.

After completing His public ministry in Jerusalem (John 12:36–38), Jesus has washed the feet of the disciples (John 13:3–5), predicted His betrayal (John 13:21), and foreseen Peter's denial (John 13:37–38). Chapter 14 begins a series of remarks meant to encourage the disciples, in the face of dire warnings. Among these are reminders that Jesus is planning to bring them to be where He is, assurance that He is ''the way,'' and the first explicit promises of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Chapter 15 will continue this address, beginning with Jesus' claim to be ''the true vine.''

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.