What does the name represent in the OT?
Biblically, names have significance. When the Bible says that people called upon the name of the LORD (Gen 4:26; 12:8; 13:4, 21:33; 26:25), this indicates that they took the LORD as their God and prayed to him rather than praying to and worshipping another god. The LORD made his name known to Moses (Exod 3:15). His name distinguishes him from all the other so-called gods. His name means “I am who I am, I will be who I will be” (3:14), indicating that he alone is God. The name indicates who God is.
Israel was commanded to not take the name of the LORD in vain (Exod 20:7). This means far more than a prohibition against using God’s name as a swear word. His name must not be profaned by using it in an oath to swear falsely (Lev 19:12), since this would associate the name with falsehood, but God is true (Ps 33:4). The name of the LORD must be kept holy by his priests (Lev 21:6), and priests must respect sacrifices and offerings so they will not profane the name (22:2). When people who belong to the LORD worship idols and offer pagan sacrifices, like offering their sons in the fire, they profane his name (Ezek 20:30-39). The sinful actions of the people of God profane the name of the LORD (36:21-22), since their actions malign his holy character.
Some are chosen to minister in the name of the LORD (Deut 18:5, 7; 21:5), that is, they represented the LORD as they minister. Prophets speak in the name of the LORD (Deut 18:22) since they speak words which claim to come from him. Israel was called by the name of the LORD (Deut 28:10) because they belong to him. Because of his name the LORD will not forsake the people he chose for himself (1 Sam 12:22). The temple was called by the name of the LORD (Jer 7:11), which implies that it is his and he is present there.
The LORD proclaimed his name to Moses (Exod 33:19; 34:5). This proclamation appears to be a statement about who the LORD is as a God of mercy and goodness. “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation’” (34:6-7). Proclaiming his name here means declaring who he is and his character.
When people do things in the name of the LORD this represents the authority which flows from the true God. David blesses the people in the name of the LORD (2 Sam 6:18). Elijah called upon the name of the LORD in his battle with the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:24). Elisha used the authority that comes in the name of the LORD to curse some youths who jeered at him (2 Kings 2:24).
Call on the name of the LORD and be saved (Joel 2:32), which must involve trusting him because of his character and strength. The shepherd of Israel, who comes from Bethlehem, will lead “in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God” (Mic 5:4). The majesty of the name is tied to the God who is holy and righteous and glorious. The name represents the attributes of the God with that name.
NT use of the name
In the Synoptics (Matthew, Mark and Luke) the name of Jesus is used in multiple ways. If someone receives a child in the name of Jesus, it is like receiving Jesus (Matt 18:5; Mark 9:37; Luke 9:48). In this case “the name of Jesus” means on behalf of Jesus or because of who Jesus is. People may gather in the name of Jesus (Matt 18:20), implying that they gather because of Jesus. Some do mighty works in the name of Jesus (Mark 9:39). The name of Jesus implies the authority of Jesus. Those who believe in his name (Mark 16:17) believe in who he is. However, some will come in Jesus’ name, claiming to be the Christ (Matt 24:5; Mar 13:6; Luke 21:8). These falsely lay claim to the authority of Jesus and even claim to be him. Those who follow Jesus will be hated on account of his name (Matt 10:22; 24:9; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17), which means hated because they are followers of Jesus or hated because Jesus is who he is, his holiness, his lordship and his claims on the human person. Believers are hated on account of his name when they speak and act as if Jesus were speaking and acting.
In John’s Gospel the expression “my name” and “in my name” are frequent. Those who believe in the name of Jesus are able to be children of God (John 1:12). Name is an expression of his person and work. The same concept of believing in the name of Jesus is found in 2:23, 3:18 and 20:31. Jesus came in the name of the Father (5:43) and did works in the name of the Father (10:25). Here, name means on behalf of the Father or with the authority of the Father. He faithfully represented the Father by doing his will and doing what the Father is doing (5:19). As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, the people blessed him as the one “who comes in the name of the Lord” since he was the one sent by God (12:13). Jesus asked the Father, “Glorify your name” (12:28), which is the equivalent of having your name held in high esteem. To glorify a name is to esteem the character of the person. Just as Jesus came in the Father’s name, so too the Father sends the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name (14:26). The Spirit comes as a representative of Jesus. Jesus manifested the name of the Father to his disciples (17:6; 26). In other words he revealed the nature and character of the Father. He prayed that they would be kept in the name of the Father (17:11-12), that is, kept in a place where they belong to the Father and not fall away from him.
What does it mean to ask in the name of Jesus?
The biblical usage of “name” or “in the name” thus far indicates that these imply several things. The name is indicative of the person and his/her character. Doing something in the name of another implies as a representative of that person, with his/her authority and on behalf of the person. When it comes to asking in the name of Jesus, these things must also apply. We ask in the name of Jesus on the basis of his person and his character. We pray to the Father as if we represent Jesus, are sent by him and have his authority.
There are three passages in which believers are told to ask the Father in the name of Jesus. These are all found in John. These passages need to be considered one at a time and interpreted in light of what we have discovered so far about “in the name”. All three appear in Jesus’ final discourse before he went to the cross.
Passage 1
“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14). The context of this saying is a discussion about the relationship between Jesus and the Father. “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father,” said Jesus (14:9). Father and Son indwell one another (14:11). Just as Jesus came to do the Father’s works, so Jesus sends out his disciples to do his works. This means that they can ask him whatever they want and he will do it. There is the same relationship of sending and doing on behalf of Jesus as existed between Father and Son. And the same relationship of bringing glory also exists. We ask and Jesus will grant our prayer because he desires to bring glory to the Father.
This asking and being granted hinges on relationship and parallels what happened in the life of Jesus. Asking in Jesus’ name is not a magical formula for us to use to get what we want. It is an invitation to come to the Father so that we can do the work that Jesus was doing on earth. This includes works of righteousness and miracles (see http://cross-connect.net.au/works-in-johns-gospel/). We ask that the Father might receive glory through Jesus. And in this instance it is Jesus who grants us the request. He is the equipper of those who do his will just as the Father equipped Jesus to do his will.
Passage 2
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you” (John 15:16). The context of this saying is a discussion about bearing fruit as part of the vine. Jesus is the vine, we are the branches, and the Father is the gardener. The fruit we bear must be understood through Isa 5. “The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress” (5:7). Jesus is the one who truly bears fruit in God’s vineyard. The fruit that he desires is justice and righteousness. We bear this fruit because we are chosen and appointed by Jesus. By the same token we can ask the Father in Jesus’ name because we are chosen and appointed by Jesus. Jesus is the one who makes possible both bearing fruit and being heard by the Father. If we can only bear fruit by abiding in the vine (15:4), then we can only receive from the Father by abiding in the vine. Relationship with Jesus means asking and receiving whatever we want. Relationship with Jesus surely grows as we deliberately stay close to him. Receiving from the Father also requires relationship. But those in the vine are pruned so that they produce more fruit. Without pruning we are not able to receive. As we are pruned we grow in fruitfulness and grow in relationship so that we ask in accordance with the will of God.
Passage 3
“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 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father” (John 16:23-28).
Jesus spoke here of going back to the Father. Up to this point the disciples had asked him directly for whatever they needed or desired. But Jesus was going away so that would not be possible any more. But they should not despair because the Father loves them and would answer them. Therefore this passage is about access to the Father because of Jesus. We can ask the Father anything while we remain in his love. We remain in his love while we trust that Jesus came from God and set our affections upon him. So asking in the name of Jesus is like asking Jesus himself as you would do if he were physically present here.
What can we ask for?
The Bible says that we can ask anything. Jesus said, “Whatever you ask in my name” will be done for you by Jesus (John 14:13) or the Father (15:16; 16:23). But surely if we are to ask with the authority of Jesus and as people sent by him then we must pay attention to what Jesus himself asked the Father for. I will begin with the prayers of Jesus in John’s Gospel, since this is where the sayings about asking in Jesus’ name are recorded.
The first prayer of Jesus I found is in John 6 when Jesus fed five thousand. “Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish” (6:11). Surely giving thanks for food is a normal Jewish prayer. According to my internet search, there is a blessing for bread: “Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.” And a blessing for fish: “Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, at whose word all came to be.” I do not know how ancient these prayers are. However, if Jesus prayed these blessings over the five loaves and two fish, then they were prayers of faith.
The next recorded prayer is in John 11, when Jesus was at the tomb of Lazarus. “So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me’” (11:41-42). Jesus did not ask for anything in this prayer, but he thanked the Father for what was about to happen. It is a statement of confidence in God, confidence that the prayers of Jesus are always heard.
A short while before his death, Jesus prayed, “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” (12:27-28a). This is a prayer of submission. The prayer, “Father, glorify your name” will always be answered, but the answer will often involve suffering. This prayer was immediately answered in that the Father responded aloud, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again” (12:28b).
Jesus promised his disciples, “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (14:15-17a). “I will ask the Father” indicates that Jesus will pray some time after this discourse, but we know that this was not until he had been resurrected. He is now seated at the right hand of the Father and still praying for the church.
The whole of John 17 is a prayer of Jesus. This prayer is prayed just before Jesus is arrested, tried and crucified. Jesus knew that “the time had come” (17:1a). His prayer was not that the trial be taken away, but rather “Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you” (17:1b). This prayer about his imminent death was in keeping with his life. Glory is a theme of John’s Gospel. Jesus has his own glory (1:14), which was revealed through his signs (2:11). He refused the glory that comes from humans (5:41) and sought only glory from the Father (5:44; 7:17). Jesus did not seek his own glory but the glory of the Father (8:50, 54). The miracles of Jesus were done to display God’s glory (11:4, 40). The act of submitting to death brought glory to Jesus and to the Father as well (13:31-32). Jesus’ disciples also bring glory to God by bearing fruit (15:8). The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus by passing the words of Jesus to his disciples (16:14).
Jesus’ desire to bring glory to the Father is evidenced throughout the prayer of John 17 and each of the requests he makes is connected to glory. Jesus brought glory to the Father through completing God’s work on earth, and he asked for a return to glory with the Father (vv 4-5). His prayer is based on the clear relationship between Father and Son. The Father’s glory is all that he ever sought and will seek.
The disciples of Jesus are gifts to him from the Father and gifts from the Jesus to the Father. Because Jesus made the Father known to them, they know that Jesus came from God (17:6-9). “All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them” (17:10). Jesus prayed for those who accepted his message and came to the Father through him. He asked that the Father would protect them in the world through his name. The believers must stay in the world while Jesus returns to the Father and therefore they need the Father’s protection so that they will not be lost. Then Jesus asked that his followers would be protected from the evil one. They must stay in the world but not be of the world. He asked for their sanctification through the word (vv 13-19).
Jesus prayed for all those who would believe in him through the apostolic message of the gospel. His prayer is for unity that is like the unity of Father and Son, so the world may believe in him (vv 20-21). “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one” (17:22). The glory of Jesus is shared with his people so that they can share his relationship with the Father and be in unity with one another. God’s glory is about relationships of mutual love. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world” (17:24). This is a prayer for those who believe in Jesus to experience and see Jesus in his place of eternal glory. His focus is on the church.
The prayers of Jesus recorded in John suggest that the primary prayer in the name of Jesus is “Father, glorify your name.” Jesus was confident that the Father always heard him. He could trust in God’s provision of physical needs. He prayed for his church, since they are his primary concern. He continues to pray for the church at the right hand of the Father even now. His prayers for the church were for protection from the evil one, protection against falling away from him, for sanctification so that the church can be in the world and not of it, for unity and love. All these things enable the church to be a witness to Jesus and thus bring glory to the Father.
In the other Gospels we find Jesus praying in other situations. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35). The surrounding context suggests that Jesus prayed about what he should be doing in regard to ministry.
He taught his disciples to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matt 6:9-13; See also Luke 11:1-4). The kingdom focus of this prayer is not that different to the prayer, “Father, glorify your name.” “Deliver us from the evil one” is also very similar to Jesus’ prayer of John 17:15 asking the Father to “protect them [disciples] from the evil one”. Jesus had no need to pray for his own forgiveness, but this is certainly something we can ask for in the name of Jesus and be sure that God will forgive us. “Give us today our daily bread” seems to be a request for physical needs that recur. So this prayer is in keeping with Jesus’ prayer over the loaves and fish (John 6 etc.). Asking for physical needs in the name of Jesus is expected and good, since God desires us to rely on him for these.
Luke’s Gospel mentions Jesus praying many times. Jesus was praying when he was baptized (Luke 3:21). This was a significant event that marked the beginning of his ministry and his journey of vicarious suffering for sinful humanity (which ended in his death on the cross). We must assume that Jesus was praying about these things and his need for God’s equipping for his task. He was encouraged by the voice of the Father and anointed by the Spirit. His prayer was answered there and repeatedly throughout his ministry. The demands of ministry were such that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (5:16). His decision regarding the choice of apostles was preceded by prayer all night (Luke 6:12). He must have asked for wisdom in this choice and to be clear about the will of God. (It is not clear whether Jesus knew at this point that he was choosing a traitor or whether he knew it was Judas Iscariot.)
“Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’” (Luke 9:18). The time that Jesus spent praying in private seems to have prompted him to ask his disciples this question. There is no statement of what Jesus prayed, but it seems that he asked for directions and wisdom. He needed to know how to direct his disciples to understand who he is.
Jesus went up a mountain to pray. “As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning” (Luke 9:29). Again we do not know what he prayed, but after this time of prayer Jesus was strengthened for his passion by Moses and Elijah. Jesus also prayed for his disciples so that they would not fall away because of the cross. “‘Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers’” (Luke 22:32). His own strength and the strength of the disciples were important subjects of prayer.
The prayers of Jesus related to his ministry: his choice of apostles, his life of service ending in his death on a cross, direction for where and who to minister to, the strength to carry out his mission, and the strengthening of his disciples. I am certain that Jesus prayed with confidence about many other things which are not recorded in the Gospels. However, we can also say with certainty that what Jesus asked for was guided by his absolute desire to do the will of the Father and to give him glory.
What about prayer in Jesus’ name that seems unanswered?
Sometimes we pray in the name of Jesus and do not receive what we ask for. This feels like a problem, since the promises of God are surely true. So what is the problem? Why would prayer in Jesus’ name be unanswered or seem to be unanswered? I can conceive of two possible reasons. The first has to do with misuse of the name of Jesus and the second has to do with the cross.
Christians are not immune from using the name of Jesus as a magical set of words to try to get what they want from God. This is not what Jesus meant when he said that we could ask whatever we want in his name. There is an example of this kind of magical thinking in Acts. When the gospel had been preached in Ephesus, the name of Jesus became known. Ephesus was a city where magical practices were common and people called on the name of various spirits and gods to deal with evil spirits. “Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, ‘In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.’ Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?’ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding” (Acts 19:13-16). The use of Jesus’ name by these Jewish exorcists was simply a form of magic. Jesus will not be “used” in this way. The name of Jesus cannot be used to get everything we want. Jesus is not a genie who responds when we call his name.
The second reason why prayer appears unanswered is because if we are following Jesus we must take up the cross. Jesus’ repeated prayer that the Father would be glorified meant that he had to go to the cross and die. His prayer in the Synoptics, “If it is possible, take this cup from me” (Matt 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42) was heard. “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission” (Heb. 5:7). However, it was necessary for Jesus to die and he knew that doing the Father’s will was most important. Thus although Jesus asked, and “everything is possible for” God (Mark 14:36), Jesus’ prayer to be spared the cup of God’s wrath upon the cross was “not answered”, that is, answered negatively.
There are prayers that we ask in the name of Jesus and which seem unanswered. But they are not actually unheard. The Father knows that we must go through experiences of “crucifixion”, difficult things which give him glory. If our primary prayer is “Father, glorify your name” then we can accept this with joy, knowing that God is not ignoring what we ask for. Instead he has given up what is necessary for our maturity and our sanctification.
Conclusion
Praying in the name of Jesus acknowledges that we have no right to go to the Father directly. We can, however, come with confidence when we come in Jesus’ name. When we use his name we are affirming that he is God and his name is holy. We affirm that we have been chosen by Jesus to share in glorifying the Father with him. The name of Jesus represents all that Jesus is, his character and his authority. So praying in his name means that we call upon him to exercise his authority on our behalf because of his character. This can only be done if we trust him. It implies a desire to be like Jesus and to seek what he seeks. Praying in the name of Jesus is the natural outworking of a life lived as Jesus lived his life. Just as Jesus came in the name of the Father, his disciples go out in Jesus’ name to do his work in the world. We are heard by the Father because Jesus has shared with us his relationship with his Father. Fruitfulness is linked with that relationship. Our affections must be continually set on that relationship with the Father.
Jesus asked for many things in his life. He trusted the Father for his physical needs and knew that the Father would enable him to conduct his ministry to the world. Before his death, Jesus prayed that the church would share his glory. His concern for the church was that she would continue to trust him when he had returned to the Father. But the primary prayer of Jesus was always, “Father, glorify your name.” Glorifying the name of the Father meant yielding to the call to die on the cross. The fact that praying in the name of Jesus is about relationship with the Father through Christ means that we cannot use Jesus’ name as a magic charm. It also means that “Father, glorify your name” must be the primary prayer we pray in Jesus’ name. Consequently, there are some prayers that seem to go unanswered.