John 6:37

John 6:37. All that which the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that is coming to me I will in no wise cast out. These words have been understood by some as a reproach: ‘How different are ye from those whom my Father giveth me!' but such an interpretation is quite inconsistent with the context. At present, indeed, those to whom Jesus speaks are not believers; but even in their case His mission may not be a failure, they may be given to Him, and He will not cast them out. Up to this point the only gift spoken of has been a gift to men (John 6:27; John 6:31-34), especially the Father's gift of the Son to be the bread of life. Here the converse is suddenly introduced the Father's gift to the Son. What Jesus brings to men is the Father's gift to them: what Jesus receives in the homage and belief and love of men is the Father's gift to Him. The form of expression is remarkable, ‘all that which the Father giveth me.' A passage closely akin to this we find in chap. 17 (which has many points of contact with this chapter), and in close connection with the gift which (John 6:27) the Son bestows, the gift of eternal life. The passage Isaiah 17:2: ‘As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, in order that all that which Thou hast given Him, He may give to them eternal life.' In both these verses the totality of the Father's gift is presented first, and then the individuals who compose this gift and who themselves receive the gift which the Son bestows. The gift of the Father must not be understood by us in the sense of a predestinating decree. Both here and in the other passages of this Gospel where we read of the Father as giving to the Son His people (chaps. John 6:37; John 6:39; John 10:29; John 17:2; John 17:6; John 17:9; John 17:24; John 18:9), it is the moral and spiritual state of the heart that is thought of under the word. This state of heart by which they are prepared to listen to the voice of Jesus is due to God alone. The truth expressed here by ‘giving' is expressed in John 6:44 by the ‘drawing' of the Father, and in John 6:45 by ‘learning' and ‘hearing' from Him. Such preparation of heart is necessary: as Chrysostom expresses it, faith in Jesus is ‘no chance matter, but one that needs an impulse from above,' from Him who worketh in us both to will and to work (Philippians 2:13). The test, then, of this work in the heart is the coming to Christ. The two words ‘come' in this verse are different: in the first instance the meaning is ‘shall reach me;' in the second we might almost render the words ‘he that is coming towards me.' What was said on the 35 th verse is fully applicable here, for the expression is the same. We cannot read the words without being reminded of the most touching of the Saviour's parables: the prodigal arose and came towards his father, but when he was yet a great way off his father ran to meet him.