Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

John 16:26

ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ. “In that day,” in which I shall tell you plainly of the Father (John 16:25, ἔρχεται ὥρα), “ye shall ask in my name”; this is the natural consequence of their increased knowledge of the Father. καὶ οὐ λέγω … ἐξῆλθον “And I do no say to you that I will ask the Father concerning you” περί, almost equivalent to ὑπέρ, here and in Matthew 26:28; 1 John 4:10, “in relation to,” almost “in behalf of” (John 16:27) “for the Father Himself loves you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from God”. The intention of the statement is to convey fuller assurance that their prayers will be answered. The Father's love needs no prompting. Yet the intercession of Christ, so emphatically presented in the Epistle to the Hebrews and in Romans 8:34, is not ignored. Jesus says: “I do not base the expectation of answer solely on my intercession, but on the Father's love, a love which itself is quickened and evoked by your love for me”. “I do not say that I will ask” means “I do not press this,” “I do not bring this forward as the sole reason why you may expect to be heard”. The mediation of Christ has here its incidence at an earlier stage than in the Apostolic statements. The love of God is represented as intensified towards those who have accepted Christ as the revealer of the Father.

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Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

John 16:26

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