EASTER 6, C - May 22, 2022 SCRIPTURES: Acts 16:9-15; Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27; John 16:23-33

' 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 .' John 16:23

Boy, what a promise this is that Jesus gives! ' Whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.' Whatever! I'll bet that a skeptic and unbeliever would love to hear this promise of Jesus. Then, you see, he could hold it up as evidence against you… against Jesus. After all, it would seem easily provable that this promise is not true. Have you received everything you've asked for in the name of Jesus? Has any Christian? Tell me this: would you share this Scripture with a Christian friend who is dying of cancer? Well, you know something? I hope that you would. May we never sin against our Lord and Savior like skeptics and unbelievers by ignoring or avoiding or doubting any promise of His!

' Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.' What a promise! What sticks out to you in this promise? What is Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.' What a promise! What sticks out to you in this promise? What is it that you hear and remember most? It's the word, ' whatever, ' isn't it? I'm sure Jesus did n't speak it with a shrug and a sigh… you know, like you when you're presented with several options for dinner, none of which you really want, and you respond, ' Eh, w hatever.' No, Jesus asserted strongly: ' Whatever you ask…' Ask anything!

Now: did you hear Jesus say, ' whatever you ask in my name …' ? In my name: what does He mean by this? What does this imply?

Jesus: that is the name of the victorious One, the Easter Savior, the mighty Lord whom no opponent could ultimately overcome, no matter how great and violent their hatred - not even Satan himself and all his hosts! Jesus is the name of Him upon whom no sin could remain and hold in death and the grave and, finally, consume with decay. Jesus is the name of the risen and victorious Lord who can never again be threatened by sin and death… who, after His resurrection and before His ascension told His disciples, 'All power in heaven and earth has been given to me.' Yes, Jesus is the victorious Savior at whose name 'every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,' Holy Scripture declares in Phil. 2.

And yet, after He rose from the dead in triumph this mighty Jesus did not go to the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest who declared Him a blasphemer and worthy of death, and say to him, 'What do you think of me now?' He did not show Himself to Pontius Pilate, who scornfully asked him, 'Are you a king?' and prove that He really was king over all. Even after His glorious resurrection Jesus remained the gentle Lamb of God whose greatest desire was to draw people to Himself by His gentle service of them.

For this reason, after He came forth from the grave, Jesus showed himself in his resurrected and eternally living body to His disciples and then said to them, 'As the

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