The Privilege

John 16:²³ “At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name.” (emphasis added).

Jesus changes gear here and introduces us to another privilege of Him going away. Jesus says you and I can go straight to the Father in His Name just as He does. Just as the disciples saw Him do the tomb of Lazarus in John 11 and as they will still see Him do in John 17. Jesus goes directly to the Father; up until now the disciples do not go directly to the Father, they go to Jesus. Jesus says the first benefit of Him going to the Father, is the Holy Spirit coming, that is, the power from on high. Jesus says, the second benefit is, we now have access to God the Father, directly. After Jesus was crucified on the cross, you will notice that when He gave up the ghost, one of the things that happened was the curtain of the temple tore from top to bottom. That is huge because that is what separated the inner court from the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies was where the Ark of the Covenant was, where the presence of God was supposed to have been.

So, when Jesus died on the cross, they tore the veil, so that man can come directly without a high priest because He has entered as our eternal high priest. Beautiful! Am I trying to run ‘Prophets and Prophetesses’ out of business? No, it is not me, Jesus already ran them out of business. It is only foolish people that are giving them business. Jesus already ran them out of business. Jesus went courageously to the cross so that we can go boldly to the throne. When He got up from His place of intense prayer at Gethsemane, He went courageously to the cross so that you and I can come boldly to the throne of grace. You do not need to go through a prophet to hear from God or to speak to God. You do not need to go to Mary to hear from God. Mary does not need to pray for you. You do not need to go through a Pastor to hear from God or to pray to God. You can come to God directly in the Name of Jesus. That is totally exciting, and we need to just appreciate God because it is a huge privilege. You can come to God the Father in the Name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. And He will hear you and answer you. Wow! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.

Heb.4:^14-16 “So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (emphasis added). Is it when we are strongest that we need grace to help us? We need grace to help us when we need it most. Sadly, that is when we do not want to come to the throne. Most people do not want to come to God because they feel unworthy. God says that is when you need it most. Do not come sheepishly, come boldly. It is only God that can say this.

Prayer [hymn]: What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and griefs to bear. And what a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer. Amen!