6

The people speak of works in the plural. This reflects a mindset of earning God’s favor through multiple deeds. As Paul later explains, Israel trusted in their own law-keeping as a means of righteousness:

1. “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." Romans 10:3

Jesus deliberately responds using their terminology, but He shifts from the plural (works) to the singular (work). By doing so, He undermines their false works-based understanding of salvation using their own language. The one “work” God requires is faith, believing in the One whom He has sent.

1. Without works:

   “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Romans 4:5

2. Singular:

   “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ...” 1 John 3:23

They couldn’t even see He just did a miracle proving He was the Messiah. As Jesus says in verse 26 above “Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles”. They wanted what they could get from Jesus, physical food and a full stomach.

Jesus says they “believe not”and the question is why don’t they believe. There are two reasons Jesus tells us here in the context of John 6

1. They didn’t want Jesus but rather what He could give them physically

   The people here may have heard the words the Father spoke through Jesus but they didn’t really hear. Jesus words it like this “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” in Matthew 11:15, 13:9, Mark 4:9 and Luke 8:8. They heard but they didn’t do the second step of John 6:45 and that is to learn.

   Jesus tells us why they didn’t above, because they were focused on what Jesus gave them physically, food and a full stomach. He was trying to shift their focus to the spiritual (which He promised would be for them) but they refused:

   1. John 6:26 ”Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”

2. But most importantly, they were temporarily blinded to bring about the plan of Salvation:

   1. John 12:37-40 “Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.”

   2. Their blindness was not permanent. later Peter both condemns them for crucifying Christ (Acts 2:23, 36) and immediately offers them salvation (Acts 2:21, 38; 4:10).

Jesus intends for all His audience to receive eternal life

We must first establish what Jesus intends for salvation by not forgetting what John told us in context. The people seeking Him for physical bread are the same ones Jesus tells He wants to be saved and is giving Himself for:

1. John 6:27 ”...meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you”

The entire book of John was written so that we may believe (John 20:30–31); this purpose statement must be kept in mind when reading anything in the book. Secondly, its central theme emphasizes that salvation is offered to all people, not just a select group (John 3:16-17; 4:42; 6:33; 6:51; 8:12; 8:26; 9:5; 12:46-47; 14:31; 16:8; 17:21).

“All that the Father giveth me”

Many expositors teach that the term “giveth” is applicable to believers today. However, it is important to remember that the immediate audience in the Gospel of John is still situated within the Old Covenant setting. As we will see, much of the “given” language refers to those who already belonged to God by faith prior to Jesus Christ’ earthly ministry, such as the disciples and others who were already responding to the Father.

Notably, later New Testament writers do not describe believers using this same Johannine formulation that “the Father gives them to the Son.” The language appears tied to the historical transition taking place during Jesus’ earthly mission.

First, the Father begins a comprehensive giving to the Son, entrusting Him with all things — including people — which unfolds progressively as Jesus encounters those already faithful to God:

1. All things are given into the Son’s hands

   Matthew 11:27 – “All things are delivered unto me of my Father”

   John 3:35 – “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.”

   John 13:3 – “The Father had given all things into his hands”

2. Authority is given

   John 5:27 – ”And hath given him authority to execute judgment”

   Matthew 28:18 – “All authority is given unto me”

3. Judgment is committed to the Son

   John 5:27 – ”And hath given him authority to execute judgment”

   John 5:22 – “The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son”

4. The twelve disciples were given

   John 17:6 “the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me;”

5. Sheep are given to the Son

   John 10:27-29 – ”My sheep hear my voice...My Father, which gave them me”

6. Future: The role of drawing will soon be exercised by the Son

   John 12:32 – “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto me.”

Secondly, before Jesus’ coming, there were already men and women who believed God and lived in expectation of the Messiah (Luke 2:25–26). The disciples were among these, people already belonging to the Father (“thine they were,” John 17:6). Such people are described as those who hear and learn from God (John 6:45), not merely those within the covenant community. As Jesus states, “He who is of God hears God’s words” (John 8:47). Many within Israel refused to hear (Zechariah 7:11–12) and therefore did not respond in faith.

Because faithful people were scattered throughout Israel, the Father’s giving is described in ongoing terms. Jesus was continually encountering those who already belonged to God and entrusting them to Himself as the Messianic Shepherd. The giving was therefore not limited to a single past moment but unfolded progressively as they “come to” Jesus throughout His earthly ministry.

In summary, the Father had a people who already believed Him, and these He gave to the Son during Jesus’ earthly ministry. The disciples formed one clearly defined group among those given (John 6:39; 17:6), but others were also encountered and entrusted to Him over time. This giving temporarily functioned within the historical framework of Jesus’ mission and reaches its turning point after His resurrection, when He is the one that now draws (John 12:32), bringing people into Himself (John 10:16) and is the way to the Father (John 14:6).

Examples of more believers after John 6 that the Father will give to Jesus:

1. John 7:40–43 — Some Jews recognize Jesus as the Prophet/Messiah. Indicates that hearing and learning from the Father’s words (John 6:45) led to belief in the Son.

2. John 9:35–38 — The man born blind

3. John 11:21–27 — Martha of Bethany believes

4. John 11:45–46 — Some Jews believe after Lazarus is raised.

“shall come to me”

John 6:45 clearly answers how a person comes to Jesus, by doing two things, hearing and learning from the Father. Hearing and learning from the Father naturally produces coming to the Son (cf. John 17:6, 8, where the disciples 'kept thy word' and ‘believed’).

Jesus is speaking under the Old Covenant, this is vital not to miss. The ones that the Father gives to Jesus are the Israelite’s that not only heard but they learned of the Father. These people were walking by faith with the Father and were then given to Jesus. Since Jesus has the same voice as the Father (John 14:24), it was a guarantee they would come to Him. They “shall come to me” Jesus says.

Those that heard and didn’t reject God’s word He sent through Moses (John 5:46) and the prophets, were the ones that would eventually come to Jesus. Most Jews rejected:

1. John 6:45 “It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”

2. John 5:24“...He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life”

“him that cometh to me”

It is important to note that the second clause of John 6:37 is grammatically and syntactically connected to the first, rather than introducing a separate group as follows:

1. One group = “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me”

2. Second group = “and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out”

The singular participle τὸν ἐρχόμενον with the article τὸν refers back to the same group given by the Father. There is no Greek syntactical marker or break that would naturally indicate a distinct or separate group. In English, this is reflected as well: the phrase “him that cometh to me” naturally continues the thought of those “all that the Father gives me,” emphasizing that the coming and the promise of preservation belong to the same individuals.

Thus, the text does not grammatically support a reading that separates the promise for ‘him that cometh’ from those given by the Father. This reinforces that John 6:37 is speaking about the same historically defined people whom the Father had drawn, rather than introducing an open-ended universal category.

This is not referring to the disciples

Jesus doesn’t seem to be speaking here about the 12 disciples. At this point in John 6, the disciples were already with Him, and other passages (John 6:39; 17:6, 9, 11, 12) describe them as being “given” in the past tense. In contrast, the verb “giveth” here is in the present tense, indicating an ongoing action during Jesus’ earthly ministry as people heard, learned from the Father, and responded in faith—not a specific group already entrusted to Him in the past.

At the same time, the disciples themselves were given to Jesus and did come to Him, as John 17:6 states, so in that sense this verse could have included them at one point as they were also part of the believing Jewish remnant, as John 17:8 makes clear.

Salvation security

When Jesus says, I will in no wise cast out, He is speaking to His audience at hand but this applies to us today as Jesus is the same today, yesterday and forever (Hebrews 13:8). It gives the believer great security in their salvation. There is no reason He will ever cast us out from Himself once we are His and He can’t lie or break His promises:

1. He prays for us:

   “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;” John 17:20

2. It’s impossible to perish:

   “...they shall never perish...” John 10:27-28

3. Nothing can separate us:

   “Nothing…will be able to separate us“ Romans 8:38-39

4. He won’t stop working in us:

   “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

5. Never will leave us:

   ”Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you...” Hebrews 13:5-6

6. He finishes our faith:

   “...Jesus, the author and perfecter [or finisher] of faith” Hebrews 12:2

“all which he hath given me”

In this verse, Jesus refers to a group described as already having been given to Him. The verb is in the Greek perfect tense, which presents an action completed in the past with continuing present results. The emphasis is that this group now stands in the settled condition of having been given to Jesus.

At the time of John 6, the disciples are already with Him and can properly be spoken of as those who have been given. Later passages in the Gospel of John consistently use this same perfect-tense language for the disciples entrusted to Him:

1. John 17:6 ”I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me”

2. John 17:9 “...for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.”

3. John 17:11 “...Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me...”

4. John 17:12 “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept...”

5. John 18:9 “Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.”

This repeated pattern identifies the “given ones” not as an undefined future category, but as a specific group historically present and entrusted to Jesus during His earthly ministry. This corporate identity is reinforced by Jesus’ own description of His disciples as a flock, a defined body under divine care. In the Gospel of Luke He tells them:

1. Luke 12:32 — “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

The imagery is consistent: a distinct flock belonging to the Father and entrusted to the Son. The language of giving, keeping, and not losing operates within this corporate shepherd–flock framework.

“I should lose nothing”

It is worth noting that Jesus also speaks of people being given to Him in the past tense in John 10:29. However, the specific expression “lose nothing” is not used there. When this language does appear later in the Gospel of John (John 17 and 18), it is consistently connected with the preservation of the disciples during Jesus’ earthly ministry, particularly their protection from harm or arrest.

We therefore see that this statement, “I should lose nothing,” is applied in John’s narrative to the physical protection of the disciples entrusted to Him. Judas is the clear exception, as explicitly noted in John 17:12. This consistent usage further supports the conclusion that Jesus is likewise speaking about the disciples here in verse 39.

1. Jesus notes that not every promise applies to Judas

   John 13:18 ”I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled,”

2. Judas is identified and separated from the group in John 13.

   John 13:27-31 ”Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly...Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said”

3. After Judas departs, he is explicitly described as the one who was lost.

   John 17:12 ”While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.”

4. The narrative shows that this “loss” refers to physical preservation during Jesus’ earthly ministry.

   John 18:8-9 “Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.”

“raise it up again at the last day”

1. Don’t miss the word “it” (v. 39) vs “him” (v. 40)

   In verse 39, Jesus says “it,” treating what was given to Him as a collective whole. The group is viewed corporately rather than individually. In verse 40, however, the language shifts to “him,” referring to the individual believer. This movement from collective to individual language suggests that verse 39 concerns a defined entrusted group — the disciples who believe — while verse 40 extends the promise to each person who believes.

2. Only believers (the disciples) will be raised up on the last day

   Resurrection to life is consistently tied to belief. Judas does not meet this condition, because he never truly believed (John 6:64) and is explicitly distinguished from the believing disciples as a devil (John 6:70). By contrast, the disciples are repeatedly described as believing and receiving what Jesus revealed to them qualifies them for the eternal resurrection promised to all who truly believe:

   1. Keeping is indicative of good soil, a believer (Luke 8:25)

      John 17:6 “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world...and they have kept thy word.”

   2. The disciples clearly believed

      John 17:8 ”For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.”

In summary

This verse does not apply to modern believers but rather to a historically defined group. Jesus is speaking within a first-century setting to a people group while His disciples — who had already been given to Him — were present with Him. The language consistently refers to those given to Jesus in the past, preserved during His earthly ministry, and viewed collectively as a body entrusted to His care.

Within the Gospel of John, this group is repeatedly identified as the disciples whom He kept and did not lose (except Judas). John 6:39 therefore describes the Father entrusting this specific group, the little flock, to the Son, the Son preserving them, and the Son raising them in eternal life because they believed.

The verse speaks of a defined group already given and preserved, not an open-ended category extending to or having any meaning for future believers.

The audience and time in history

It is very easy to read a verse like this and gloss over some important words such as “seeth the Son” then interpret the language spiritually. However, Jesus was speaking to a specific group of people who were still living under the Old Covenant, before His ascension, who could physically see Him and respond in belief. Sound hermeneutics requires that this historical setting be considered first when interpreting the text.

While believers today do, in a real sense, “see” Christ spiritually in order to receive Him, the immediate context indicates that physical sight is primarily in view. Most clearly, earlier in the discourse, Jesus refers directly to His audience’s literal observation of Him:

1. ”But I said unto you,That ye also have seen me, and believe not.” (v. 36)

Instead, later in John 17, Jesus explicitly addresses future believers as those who would come to faith not referring to sight in any manor but instead through the testimony, the word of the disciples:

1. John 17:20 “...for them also which shall believe on me through their word”

This distinction reinforces that, in John 6, Jesus is addressing those who could directly see Him during His earthly ministry, whereas later believers would come to faith through witness rather than sight.

Some Jews are temporarily blind

Not everyone present had equal ability to perceive or respond. Scripture indicates that a judicial or temporary hardening was taking place, preventing some from truly seeing and understanding what was before them. This helps explain why physical sight alone did not guarantee belief:

1. Matthew 13:13 “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.”

Here, Jesus explains that His use of parables was not merely illustrative but also concealing. Though they physically saw and heard Him, many were prevented from perceiving the truth, a condition that ultimately contributed to His rejection and crucifixion. But their blindness was not permanent. later Peter both condemns them for crucifying Christ (Acts 2:23, 36) and immediately offers them salvation (Acts 2:21, 38).

Examples of people seeing and then believing

Scripture records multiple instances where individuals physically encountered Christ and responded in belief or recognition. This shows that physical sight, when joined with revelation and response, did lead to faith for some. This verse shows the gospel is open to not only Israelites but Gentiles alike, “every one” that not only sees but believes like the centurion and thief:

1. The Roman centurion

   Matthew 27:54 “Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”

2. The thief on the cross

   Luke 23:42-43 “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

3. The disciple Thomas

   John 20:28-29 “And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed…”

4. The man born blind

   John 9:35-38 “He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.”

“l raise him up at the last day”

1. Don’t miss the word “him” (v. 40) vs “it” (v. 39)

   In verse 39, Jesus says “it,” treating what was given to Him as a collective whole. The group is viewed corporately rather than individually. Here in verse 40, however, the language shifts to “him,” referring to the individual believer. This movement from collective to individual language suggests that verse 39 concerns a defined entrusted group — the disciples who believe — while verse 40 extends the promise to each person who saw and then believed.

2. Only believers will be raised up on the last day

   Resurrection to life is consistently tied to belief. Those who physically saw Jesus and believed — such as the Roman centurion at the cross (Matthew 27:54), the thief on the cross (Luke 23:42–43), Thomas after the resurrection (John 20:28–29), and the man born blind (John 9:35–38) — are the examples of individuals “raised” through faith. Each of these persons responded personally to Jesus, showing that the promise of resurrection is extended to all who believe upon Him.

In summary

These examples show that physical sight of Jesus did, in fact, lead some individuals to genuine belief when they responded rightly to what they witnessed. This stands in contrast to those who saw yet remained blind due to divine concealment or hardened hearts.

Therefore, within the historical setting of Jesus’ earthly ministry, “seeing” and “believing” were often directly connected realities for those present. This reinforces that the language of seeing the Son in this context naturally refers to those who physically encountered Him, rather than to later believers who come to faith without such sight.

Only the ability to come is given

The word “can” in “no man can come to me” is crucial. Can speaks of ability, not certainty. This is a capacity statement, not a decree of outcome. The Father’s drawing enables what was previously impossible. Jesus does not say “no man comes,” which would imply that everyone the Father draws will inevitably come. Instead, He says no one has the ability to come unless the Father draws. The drawing enables; it does not guarantee.

Jesus says the same in John 6:65:

“And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.”

But in the previous chapter (John 5:39–40), Jesus tells the Jews:

“And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”

The Jews had the ability to come (the Father had drawn them), yet they refused. This matches Jesus’ lament in Luke 19:41–42, Matthew 23:37, and Paul’s summary in Romans 10:21, God continually invited and enabled Israel for it was His will that they come, but they hardened themselves and then God hardens them. See commentary on John 6:65 for more on this.

Thus a man must be enabled (or invited) by the Father, but not all who are enabled choose to come. Jesus illustrates this in the parable of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:1–14): those who were first invited (Israel) rejected the call, showing that the Father’s drawing does not override human response.

The “draw” of the Father can be rejected.

The Father’s drawing does not make faith inevitable, it supplies opportunity and ability, not compulsion. Grammatically, the conditional clause (ἐὰν μὴ = “except”) establishes a necessary condition for coming, not an irresistible outcome once drawn.

The verb ἑλκύω (“to draw, attract”) does not inherently mean coercion or forced dragging to salvation. This is evident from its use in John 12:32, where Christ says He will draw (ἑλκύσω) all people, yet not all come. Without this understanding you end up with universalism. Jesus is speaking to the Jews in John 6, the very people whom the Father had been drawing for centuries in the Old Testament. Yet they repeatedly resisted His call:

1. God drew Israel repeatedly:

   1. “I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.” Hosea 11:4

   2. “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3

2. But they refused His drawing:

   1. “He shall not return into the land of Egypt, and the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.” Hosea 11:5

   2. Zechariah 7:11-12 “But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.”

   3. Nehemiah 9:29 “...they...withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.”

These passages form a unified biblical pattern: God drew Israel, but Israel resisted. This shows clearly that the Father’s drawing is not irresistible, His love and invitation can be rejected.

Is the “draw” of the Father here, only for the Jews?

Jesus is speaking to Jews in John 6, but salvation is not limited to them. John 12:32 shows that all peoples will be drawn after the cross, yet Gentiles like Rahab were saved long before that, though their people group had not yet been drawn in that sense. This shows that being drawn does not guarantee salvation, nor does not being drawn prevent coming to God. Drawing is necessary but not irresistible, and God’s mercy can operate beyond the scope of John 12:32.

How does the Father “draw” so a man “can come”?

This drawing is not done by the Holy Spirit as He was not yet given. The Spirit’s ministry is a future one (John 7:39, John 16:8–11). The text specifically states the person head of God doing the drawing, the Father which changes to Jesus in the New Covenant (John 12:32).

Jesus explains the mechanism of the Father’s drawing in John 6:45: “Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me”

According to Jesus, two things precede coming to Him:

A person hears from the Father, and

2. He learns from the Father.

This tells us what “draw” means in context. The Father “draws” by teaching, giving something to hear. The one who comes is the one who not only hears, but also learns (receives, accepts, and internalizes what the Father teaches). Jesus links the drawing directly to the result: the one who hears and learns comes.

Under the Old Covenant, the Father drew Israel by sending His prophets and His word. That was the drawing, providing revelation to hear (cf. Romans 10:14). But drawing does not guarantee coming. The ability to come is given, but unless they hear and learn, they will not come to Jesus. Faith comes by hearing, hearing what? The word of God (Romans 10:17). What is required to come to God? Faith (Hebrews 11:6).

The progression is as follows:

The Father speaks / teaches (the drawing) - John 6:44-45.

A person hears and learns (their response) - Romans 10:14,17, Acts 2:37.

Faith comes - Romans 10:17.

They come to Christ - John 6:45, Hebrews 11:6.

The Father drew in the Old Covenant but in the New Covenant God uses Jesus to draw

Jesus tells us in John 12:32 that He will draw:

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

Then Hebrews 1:1-2 says the same thing, notice again drawing is done by speech:

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son...”

In summary, in the Old Covenant God the Father was drawing men so that they could come to Jesus the Messiah. Even though a man was drawn and had they ability to come, they could still refuse like the Jewish people did. In the New Covenant, Jesus is now said to be drawing all men in John 12:32 including the Gentiles. The wedding feast in Matthew 22:1–14 is the perfect parable showing this dichotomy between Gods call to the Jew (who rejected) and so now He turns to the Gentile.

The verbs are in the active voice

Both “heard” and “hath learned” are in the Greek active voice, meaning the person performs the action themselves. God is not granting these actions in the sense of irresistibly causing them; rather, the individual must choose to hear and learn. If God were granting or producing these actions directly, the verbs would be in the passive voice. Instead, the active voice presents hearing and learning as human responses to God’s teaching.

They were taught but didn’t come

The Father was drawing the Jewish people all throughout the Old Testament and they were taught of God through the prophets and scripture they had. He gave them the ability to come, and if they had done two things: 1. “heard” and 2. “learned of the Father”. The end result would have caused them to come “unto me” and accept Jesus.

Instead, they refused the Father’s drawing by refusing to hear. They did not believe Moses (John 5:45–46), and killed God’s servants the prophets sent to them (Matthew 23:37, Hebrews 1:1–2). We can see from the Old Testament scriptures to “hear” is not referring to just a physical action but rather a humble position of the heart for a person to actually receive what is spoken as true. This is how it can be rejected.

1. They refused to hear

   1. He drew them:

      Hosea 11:4, Jeremiah 31:3, Hebrews 1:1, John 5:37-38

   2. They refused to hear his word, refusing his drawing:

      Jeremiah 6:10; 7:13; 11:10; 17:23; 25:4; 44:5, Hosea 11:5, Zechariah 7:11-12, Nehemiah 9:29, John 5:38; 46-47, Luke 16:31

   3. Jesus says we need to be careful to hear, or else we lose what little truth we did hear:

      Luke 8:18

2. Refusing to hear, they refused to learn

   1. God taught them through Moses, but they didn’t believe what he wrote so they didn’t hear and learn =

      John 5:46-47 “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

      Luke 16:31 ”If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”

   2. The Father’s words are not in them since they refused to hear, thus they don’t believe - John 5:38 “And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.”

3. Thus they didn’t come

   1. They rejected and killed God’s servants = Matthew 23:29-37 “Therefore I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify…O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!”

Why do some hear and others don’t? Humility

Throughout the Bible, God repeatedly commands us to humble ourselves, promising grace to the humble:

1. Old Testament:

   ”Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD” 2 Kings 22:19

   See also: 2 Cor 7:14; 12:6-7; 32:26; 34:17; Isa 57:15; Dan 10:12

2. New Testament:

   ”God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5

   See also: Jas. 4:10; 1 Pet. 5:6; Matt. 18:4; Matt. 23:12; Luke 14:11

We are the ones that need to prepare our hearts so that we have good soil:

1. “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." Hosea 10:12.

2. “Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.” Jeremiah 4:3

It all boils down to pride. In the parable of the sower, we read that only one soil had an “honest and good heart.” This soil not only heard the word but also kept it, just as John 6:45 describes two things that must happen: hearing and learning from the Father. We see a similar pattern in the disciples, who received the word Jesus gave them (John 17:8) and kept it (John 17:6):

1. “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” Luke 8:15

Those who hear and learn, then believe

Throughout the book of John we see this same pattern of when a person believes or comes to Jesus:

1. Samaritan woman — hears Jesus speak, learns He is the Messiah, and believes (John 4:10–26, 28–29)

2. Nobleman and his household — hears Jesus’ word, his son is healed, and his whole family believes (John 4:46–53)

3. Many who saw His signs — witness Jesus’ miracles and believe (John 7:31)

4. Man born blind — healed, hears Jesus’ testimony, and believes (John 9:35–38)

5. Many who heard John the Baptist’s testimony — come to Jesus and believe (John 10:41–42)

How many can come to Jesus?

The text says “Every man”. The Father drew; they only had to hear and learn and they could have come to Jesus. But sadly most refused the Father’s drawing and so then they didn’t not come to Jesus, rejected and ultimately killed Him (1 Thessalonians 2:15). Just like Pharaoh, they were not initially hardened; rather, God later used their own free-will choice to rebel in order to bring about His redemptive work on the cross. See commentary on John 6:65 for more on this.

In summary

The Father gave them the ability to come to Jesus through hearing and learning from the Father. He is not describing a special mystical act on only a few people, He is describing God’s teaching ministry through Scripture, prophets, and His dealings with Israel. If they denied this, then, just like the Pharisees and scribes did, they missed Jesus. Today, under the New Covenant, we are included in the “all men” Jesus speaks of in Gospel of John 12:32, and now God draws all men through Jesus, if they only again, just listen.

1. Hebrews 1:1 tells us how God used to draw as John 6:45 states, again by hearing:

   “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

   And now in Hebrews 1:2, notice the method, He again draws through speech.

   ”Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

2. Men perish because they refuse as Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 2:10 “...in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

Jesus says this on the back of “they shall be all taught of God” from the previous verse. They didn’t see the Father physically but they heard His teaching through the prophets and thus were taught of God.

The verb is in the Greek active voice and present tense

The verb “believeth” is in the Greek active voice, meaning the person performs the action themselves. God is not granting this action in the sense of irresistibly causing it; rather, the individual chooses to keep the word. If God were granting or producing this action directly, the verb would be in the passive voice. Instead, the active voice presents keeping as a human responsibility. Being in the present tense indicates that the action occurs now, in the moment.

The grammatical point is simply that Jesus describes the person as believing in Him and says that this person has eternal life (ἔχει), also in the present tense.

There are some here that “believed not”and the question is, well why not? There are two reasons Jesus tells us here in the context of John 6

1. They didn’t want Jesus but rather what He could give them physically

   The people here may have heard the words the Father spoke through Jesus but they didn’t really hear. Jesus words it like this “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” in Matthew 11:15, 13:9, Mark 4:9 and Luke 8:8. They heard but they didn’t do the second step of John 6:45 and that is to learn.

   Jesus tells us why they didn’t above, because they were focused on what Jesus gave them physically, food and a full stomach. He was trying to shift their focus to the spiritual (which He promised would be for them, the ones that don’t believe) but they refused:

   1. John 6:26 ”Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”

2. But most importantly, they were temporarily blinded as the next verse 65 explains and as Jesus tells us:

   1. John 12:37-40 “Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.”

Jesus knew from the beginning the ones God was hardening to betray Him. But remember, they already rejected Him as we learn in the Old Testament and as discussed in John 6:65 they will be given a chance after His resurrection to believe and receive salvation.

To understand this verse, note the audience: Jesus is speaking to the Jews (v. 52) under the Old Covenant. This context means it cannot be applied blanketly to Christians today. The Father enabled people to come to Him by drawing them, giving them the capacity to respond, but this did not guarantee that all would accept, as many Jews resisted His call.

The ability to come is not given here

Jesus repeats the principle from John 6:44–45: a person “can come” only if the Father gives the ability by drawing them (John 6:44) through His word that they need to listen to and understand (John 6:45). The key word is can. God’s drawing enables the opportunity, but it does not automatically force a response. The Father gives the ability; the person must act on it.

John 6:44: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

In John 5:39–40, some refused to come despite hearing God’s word: “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”

Historically, the Jews were called repeatedly through prophets and Scripture, yet many rejected the invitation, illustrating that God’s drawing is not coercive.

The meaning of “except it were given unto him of my Father”

The context is key for understanding this, so we must keep both the audience and the historical moment in view: Jews living under the Old Covenant. When Jesus says, “no man can come… except it were given unto him of my Father”, Scripture shows that at this time in history God did temporarily withhold understanding, not as permanent reprobation, but to accomplish His redemptive plan through the exact audience He is speaking to in John 6 the Jewish people.

1. First the people choose not to see and hear

   They hardened their hearts by choosing not to hear as Jesus tells us quoting from Isaiah 6:9. He also tells us the responsibility of hearing is up to us.

   1. Matthew 13:15 “For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them”

   2. Luke 8:18 “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given;.

2. Then, the Jews were blinded by God to fulfill the crucifixion.

   Jesus’ audience in John 6 included those whom God had blinded (John 12:39–40). Their blindness was purposeful and temporary, ensuring that the Messiah would be rejected and crucified. Jesus spoke in parables so that they couldn’t come, i.e. not given of the Father.

   1. The key verse directly paralleling the word given: Matthew 13:11 “ it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.”

      The disciples had good soil hearts as John 17:6 tell us they kept the word (Luke 8:15) unlike most Jews who refused to hear and learn in order that they might come (John 6:45).

   2. Paul confirms that if they had understood, they would not have crucified Him in 1 Corinthians 2:8 “..., they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

   3. Acts 4:27–28 says Jew and Gentile alike did what God had predestined to occur. “For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”

   4. Mark 4:10–12 shows that without this blindness of using parables, they would have been converted by hearing. “lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.”

3. But their blindness was not permanent.

   Peter both condemns them for crucifying Christ (Acts 2:23, 36) and immediately offers them salvation (Acts 2:21, 38; 4:10). The very ones once hardened were now given the opportunity to hear, believe, and come. This shows that when Jesus says a man cannot come unless “given,” He is speaking to a historically blinded group, those not being drawn at that moment.

4. After the resurrection, a shift occurs: Jesus becomes the universal drawer.

   In the New Covenant, Jesus says, “And I, if I be lifted up… will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32). Whatever the Father’s prior role in drawing, Jesus’ role is explicitly universal.

   This fits the consistent testimony of Scripture:

   • God desires all men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4).

   • The grace of God has appeared to all men (Titus 2:11).

5. How do you become given by the Father?

   Jesus tells us in verse 44 and 45 above that in order to come to Him you must be drawn by the Father and this drawing is accomplished by hearing and learning. God tells us He was blocking them from this to bring about His plan of redemption. In other words, this does not apply to humans today as the ability to come is not blocked.

   1. Mark 4:11–12 “...all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.”

In conclusion, “no man can come” here does not describe a permanently limited individual or group, but reflects God’s timing in salvation history. Some were temporarily not “given” the ability to come by not being draw by the Father and Son because they were being used to fulfill God’s redemptive purpose, but afterward, the call becomes universal through Christ to all men (Acts 17:30).

Why did they leave Him? They left because they did not truly hear or understand the words of Jesus. Their leaving highlights the distinction between hearing superficially and receiving the message fully. Peter’s response in John 6:68 sheds more light on this.

The people here my have heard the words the Father spoke through Jesus but they didn’t really hear. Jesus words it like this “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” in Matthew 11:15, 13:9, Mark 4:9 and Luke 8:8.

Hearing alone is insufficient. The second step is learning as John 6:45 tells us. It must be taken to heart, those who merely listened without engaging with the truth ultimately walked away because it was just words to them, they didn’t believe what they heard. But as we see looking at Mark 4:11–12 they simply could not believe as God was temporarily using their unbelief to bring about His redemption plan.

Why didn’t they leave Jesus? Notice Peter answers specifically “the words”. Peter did what is required to come “hear and learn” the words of the Father as Jesus tells us in verse 45 above. Therefore, he came or as verse 45 says “cometh unto me” and won’t leave as the other disciples in verse 66 did.

1. John 6:45 ”It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”

   1. And where do the words of Jesus come from? The Father:

   2. John 14:10 “The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.”

   3. John 7:16 “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.”

   4. John 8:28 “…as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.”

   5. John 17:8 ““For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me…”

Peter speaks for the group and he says “we believe,” but clearly, each disciple’s heart is not identical. John also seems to make this blanket statement in John 2:11 “... and his disciples believed on him.” but as we will see below, this is not distinctive of all disciples, in fact Jesus Himself says “some of you that believe not”.

We can see that Peter’s statement is not true of every disciple at this time, because verse 64 highlights two distinct groups of non-believers:

1. “there are some of you that believe not”

   1. Some disciples did not believe Jesus rose:

      ”...who told this to the apostles. But their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.” Luke 24:10-11

   2. Thomas specifically mentioned as unbelieving

      ”Except I shall...I will not believe.” John 20:25

2. “who should betray him”

   1. Jesus knew the heart of Judas and that he would betray Him, that is why He chose Him:

      “...I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept… and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition” John 17:12

   2. “He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him” John 6:71

In other passages, Jesus indicates that the others had not yet come to full resurrection faith:

1. “...that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.” John 13:19

2. “...that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.” John 14:29

3. “Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?...ye shall be scattered ” John 16:31-32

Some disciples believed savingly (Peter, perhaps others), while others had not yet fully grasped the truth (Thomas, others at the tomb), and Judas never did.

Judas later is sent out with power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 10). But here Jesus calls Judas a “devil” before the disciples are sent out with power (most likely the Holy Spirit). The disciples and Judas were chosen for a task but this did not grant them eternal life. They still had to believe. Here it seems clear that Jesus is telling His disciples what He said in verse 64 above. No, not all of you believe, one of you is a devil, when Peter said "we believe".

By saying "one of you is a devil", he undercuts Peter’s collective claim. It’s not a gentle correction ("Well, not quite, Peter") but a stark contrast: you all may believe, yet one among you is fundamentally opposed to me. Calling Judas "a devil" (diabolos), in the present tense, suggests a current state, not just a future act. This isn’t "he’ll become a devil when he betrays me"; it’s "he is one now." That clashes with Peter’s "we believe," implying Judas doesn’t share the faith Peter professes. It nails Judas as something antithetical to belief right then. It’s not about what he’ll do later; it’s who he is now. If Peter’s "we believe" includes Judas, Jesus’s reply effectively says, “Not so fast, one’s a devil, not a believer.”

Compare this to the Pharisees, whom Jesus calls "children of the devil" (John 8:44) for their unbelief and opposition. There’s a parallel: both Judas and the Pharisees get harsh, present-tense labels tied to their actions or hearts.

Why did Judas not abandon Jesus right away like the disciples did in verse 66, why would he follow if he truly didn't believe? It could be due to mixed motives, hoping for power, wealth (he pilfered the moneybag, John 12:6), or a triumphant Messiah who’d overthrow Rome.