Questions, Questions, Questions

And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full (John 16:23-24).

At first the words of Jesus in this text seem contradictory: . . .in that day you will ask Me nothing . . . whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. How are we to understand this? Only once did the disciples ask Jesus a question from the time they completed the Passover meal and left the upper room, to the time they arrived at the Garden of Gethsemane: “What are You saying?” (vv.17-18). Their question was prompted by His dark and mysterious words concerning His going away and them not seeing Him, then seeing Him again, and how their sorrow would be turned to joy.

Now Jesus tells them they will ask Him nothing ‘in that day’. What ‘day’, and why will they ask Him nothing? Certainly the disciples asked Jesus questions in the forty days after the resurrection and before His ascension. So ‘day’ here would not be the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus had already told the disciples (John 14:26; 16:13), But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you . . .  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. After His ascension Jesus would not be present with them, so they would not be able to ask Him any more questions. After the Holy Spirit came, they understood all that Jesus had told them regarding His Messiahship, relationship with the Father, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, coming Holy Spirit, and eventual return. That is the immediate reference to ‘that day’.

What about Christians since the days of the Apostles? One only has to look back on Christian history to realize that many questions have been asked by Christians regarding the mysteries of the Kingdom and Christian life on earth. You and I have questions as well that are yet to be answered. Some have been answered, in part, by the Word of God and by the Holy Spirit. So, for us, the ‘day’ that Jesus spoke of was not the day the Holy Spirit was sent to indwell the disciples. That ‘day’ will be our resurrection day when we receive a perfect mind, body, and spirit.

There also is coming a ‘day’ when all questions will be answered. That ‘day’ is the Day of the Lord spoken of by the Old Testament prophets and by Jesus and the New Testament Apostles. It is the day of our Lord’s return and the establishment of His Kingdom on earth. During the millennial reign of Christ the word of the Lord through Habakkuk (2:14) will be fulfilled, For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Glorified saints will have all the truth necessary to preach and teach and minister the Word of God to those who enter, and are born into the Millennial Kingdom. Whatever questions will be asked will be answered by the saints who will encompass the earth. Amen.

Pastor Martin