In That Day

In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.  Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.  I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.

In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf.
-John 14:20 & 16:23-26 (ESV)


"In that day", that Jesus spoke of, is today.  It is the time after Jesus went to the cross and died there, was buried and rose from the dead.  It is after the Holy Spirit came.  We are in that time now.

These words were personal words from Jesus, to his disciples.  They are also personal words for us, if we receive them, if we walk in them,  The Bible is full of, "if you will, this will happen", words.  We have God's will and testament in our hands, but the question is, will we execute it; will we carry it out?

If you hear God say, "in that day", then look at what he says will happen in that day, and realize you are not quite there, then you realize that God is giving you an invitation!  You just saw something on the menu that you have not experienced and you want to order it.  Or, it's like I found a page from my father's will, and I realize I don't have what my dad wanted to give me, so I am going to set about getting it.

So, I want to be in that day.  This is what I understand it to be:  It is the day when our Risen Savior and Ascended Lord makes us one with the Father as Jesus is.  Jesus' resurrection life is manifested in me so much, that I have no more questions. It is the day when I am living in Jesus name, and everything I could ask for is provided for in Christ in me.

The price has already been paid and the way has already been made for me to have this relationship with God, by Jesus.  The power or the help has already been sent by Jesus in the Holy Spirit.

Jesus also promises that "in that day", you will no longer have questions.  Have you noticed that the same people who had lots of questions in the gospels, seem to not have questions in Acts?  They now know it and do it.  It's a human thing to say, "I'm trying to figure this thing out".  We also come to conclusions, based on our limited knowledge, take action on them, and make mistakes.

God's way is to ask us to trust him with more of our hearts and let him guide and provide. (Proverbs 3:5-10)

The questions and the mysteries; the things that don't make sense no longer will bother us.  They don't matter anymore, because God has all of your heart.  When God has all of your heart, you understand everything.  It does not work the opposite way.  You can not give God more of your heart through understanding.  Understanding comes as we give God more of our hearts.  Critical, judgmental, condemning, negative, fearful, carnal, proud, and deluded; these are all failures in understanding from a heart that needs to trust God more.

Each one of us must not only receive Jesus' saving work on the cross into our hearts to be saved, but each one of us must go through the cross and receive resurrection life in our lives to live the life of Christ.  You might be able to get saved, by looking to Jesus on the cross and believing in him for saving you, and then not take it any further.  I say "might", because the Bible does not really teach this.  We are supposed to go on to maturity.  God's plan is for an abundant life for each Christian, but many do not want it.


We read Jesus' words about praying in his name and we do that, but we are not sure if it is working, because we are using his name more as a magic phrase than as he intended.  "In Jesus name", is about authority and relationship.  Maybe we should pause and say his name slower and let it come form our spirit man?  The authority of that name come from with God, in Christ. You are applying the power of the name above all names.

We must go to the cross and through the cross. 

Through the cross and your cross, you have identification with your savior and Lord.  The cross is not just the way on, but the way in.  The cross is a bridge, the way on.  The cross is also the way in to God.  Jesus made the new and living way, but we have to follow and be like our savior, taking up our own crosses.  We, of course, don't save our selves, but we must die to our selves to live to Him.

There is more to life than getting your prayers answered, there is more to life than getting answers to life's most vexing questions.  The Christian life is about God getting his way with a people and having them look like his son all over the world.  God is after having a people who will display his grace in the earth today.
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Footnote:  Some of my thoughts here were gleaned from Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, May 28th, 29th, and August 6th entries on John 14:20, 16:23, & 26.