What does “In that day you will ask nothing of me” mean (John 16:23)?

In John 16:23, Jesus says, “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” (ESV). Here, the word day refers to the period following Jesus’ resurrection (cf. 1 John 2:18). After His resurrection, the disciples will no longer ask Jesus for anything. Instead, they will “ask of the Father” in Jesus’ name (John 16:23).

In Greek, the verb for “to ask” (erotao) can sometimes mean “to ask a question,” as in John 1:19. Other times, it can mean “to ask for something,” as in John 4:31.

In John 16:23, erotao is used in the first clause (“In that day you will ask nothing of me”). But in the second clause, another Greek word (aiteo) is used (“Whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you”). In both cases, the meaning of ask seems to be “to ask for something.” During Jesus’ public ministry, the disciples could ask Him for things directly (e.g., Luke 11:1–4). But in the period following His resurrection and ascension, the disciples will have to ask the Father for things in Jesus’ name. This is the focus of John 16:23.

John 16:23 is not the first time that Jesus communicates the significance of praying in His name. For example, in John 14:12–14, Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 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” (ESV).

Additionally, the word erotao in John 16:23 (“In that day you will ask nothing of me”) may address an immediate concern: the disciples’ confusion about Jesus’ imminent departure (see verses 17–18). The disciples were confused about where Jesus was going and when He would return. For this reason, they continued to ask for clarity (see John 13:36). While they could understand right then, they would know and understand “in that day”—that is, the day of Jesus’ resurrection.

In the context of the Upper Room Discourse, Jesus encourages His disciples to wait a little longer for knowledge and understanding. Jesus would die, rise again, and then return to the Father (see Luke 9:22). He would not be on earth anymore, but He would still be present with His disciples through the Holy Spirit: “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 that I have said to you” (John 14:26, ESV).

Through the Holy Spirit, we, too, can pray to the Father in Jesus’ name: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14–15).