This was written as a response to a question given to me
via YouTube. It moves fast due to the length constraints I was putting it
under. Please read John Chapter 6 through fully and prayerfully prior to
reading this, and then re read the sections listed as they come. I hope this is
helpful and useful to anyone who may read it. Despite length constraints, even
a very brief walkthrough such as this still took up considerable space, so I
created a video from it which can be seen on my YouTube channel or HERE at
Things of Old.
Verses 1-15
When I zoom out to the whole chapter, I see in vs. 1-15,
Jesus feeding the 5000, who followed and gathered around him because they saw
the healings he had done (v2) and for his miracle of multiplying the loves and
fishes, the crowd call him the prophet (v14) and are desirous to make him king
(15).
Jesus is able to get away, and after going up to the
mountain, goes across the sea that night, and walking on the water, meets his
disciples who had left earlier (v15b-20).
Verses 20-26
Then in v20-24, the crowd realizes that he has gone over
the sea, and so begins to seek for him. They find him in v 25, and in v26 Jesus says, that the crowd
of 5000 that he fed before who then came seeking him over the sea, were only
seeking him because they were hungry, not because they desired the person of
Jesus or cared for his signs.
Verses 27-36
In v27, Jesus tells them not to seek physical food for
physical life from him but spiritual food for spiritual life. In v29 Jesus
answers the crowd’s question from v.28, by telling them that the work of God is
to believe in him, that is in Jesus. In v30, they demand a sign, and give an
example of a sign given in the OT, presumably to encourage Jesus to give a sign
like Moses did when manna came from heaven to feed the Israelites. Jesus
corrects their assumption in v32. He says that it was not Moses who gave them
manna, but God the Father, and furthermore that there is a true, more real,
manna that God will give. In v33 Jesus says that the true manna is a person,
and in v 34 the crowd asks Jesus to give them the true bread. Jesus answers
their request in v35 by saying the he himself is the bread of life. And that
whoever comes to him and believes in him will have eternal life. In v36, Jesus
says that they, the crowd of 5000, do not believe in him, as he said earlier in
v26.
Verses 37-44
Jesus then says in v37, that God the Father is giving him
people, and every single person of all those whom God the Father gives him,
will absolutely come to him, not just for physical food like the unbelieving
5000 he is talking to, but those who the Father gives to him will come to him
looking for spiritual food. They will see him and believe, in contrast to the
crowd who sees him but does not believe. Jesus will then keep all those who are
given to him by the Father (v37b), and he will do so because it is the Father’s
will that Jesus should loose no person that the Father gives him, but rather
give them spiritual, everlasting life (v39-40), and Jesus has come for the
express purpose of doing the Father’s will (v38), therefore he will not fail.
In vs. 41-42 they grumble because he says these things, and makes himself the
bread of life. Jesus tells them not to grumble (v43), because, as he says in
v44a, ultimately no person has the ability to come to him and believe unless
the Father draws him. This is like a more specific restatement of what he says
in v37.
So I think that it is clear so far, from Jesus’ own words,
that people must:
a) come
to him in belief (v29)
b) seeking
spiritual food (v27),
c) not
in unbelief seeking merely physical food (v26),
But these things (a, b and c) can only happen if the
Father draws them to Jesus (as Jesus clearly says in v44a). The drawing is a
specific effectual spiritual drawing that results in a different kind of coming
than the crowd that is following Jesus is doing.
Then Jesus goes on to say in v44b, every single person who
the Father gives (from v37) and therefore draws (v44a) to me, he will
certainly, without fail, save eternally.
I take it then that the drawing here in v44 is not a
universal drawing, because every single person who is drawn in v44a is also
saved and raised to eternal life on the last day (v44b). Unless you wand to
concede universal salvation, then you must see that “drawing” in v44a cannot be
universal. If the “drawing” is universal (i.e. done to every person without
distinction) then the “raising up on the last day” is also universal (i.e. done
to every person without distinction) since it is the same group that is drawn
and raised up. Furthermore, the drawing is a powerful drawing, since it
accomplishes what it works to accomplish. That is, it will result in the group
drawn being raised up. It cannot then be “wooing” as some have asserted,
because wooing does not by its own working accomplish what it seeks. This
drawing is like drawing water from a well. If the drawer is strong, the water
will certainly come out, and the water drawn from the well does not assist the
drawer in coming out of the well.
The word used in v44 which is translated
draw, is the word “ἑλκύσῃ” (Helkuse), Helkuo and its cognates are
also used elsewhere in scripture. It is translated “drag” in Acts 16:19, and as
“drag” in Acts 21:30 when Paul and Silas are dragged from the temple. As “draw”
in John 18:10, when Peter draws his sword. As “draw” in John 21:11, when Peter
draws his net out of the water. As “haul” in John 21:6 when the disciples are
unable to haul in their nets. There are other places, where the word is used,
but context determines meaning, and in these examples given as well as the one
directly before us in v44, the action is active, and cannot be thought of as something
as passive as “wooing,” or even “persuading” which while an acceptable
translation of Helkuo, is only acceptable in the right context. No one
persuades water out of a well, or persuades their sword from its sheath, or
persuades fish from the sea into a boat. Neither are those who are spiritually
dead (Eph. 2), be persuaded to spiritual life. Imagine trying to convince a
corpse to let you take him to the hospital.
Verses 45-48.
The chapter continues in vs. 45-48 with Jesus repeating
that every single person, without exception, to whom the Father speaks and
imparts spiritual knowledge, will certainly come to Jesus, NOT in a mere
physical way like the crowd, but in a spiritual, believing way (v47).
Verses 49-59.
In vs. 49-59, Jesus says again that he is the true manna
and that he will give his personal life as the true bread that must be partaken
of for eternal life, which again, no person has the ability to do unless
specifically drawn to Jesus by the power and purpose of the Father (v44a), and
all those drawn will certainly partake of his flesh and blood and be saved
(v44b, v58). Though the body and blood of Jesus are the well of true life and
joy, it is clear that unless particularly drawn by the Father, our broken
world, sons and daughters of Adam as they are, will only come to Jesus seeking
physical food and drink like this crowd, and even like some of Jesus’ own
disciples as will be seen (6:60-65). To come to partake of Jesus’ body and
blood unto salvation requires a supernatural and powerful work of God (6:44a),
and those drawn will certainly, joyfully, partake (6:44b).
Verses 60-65.
In v60 the disciples are troubled by what Jesus says to
the crowd, and say that this teaching of Jesus is hard to listen to. Jesus
questions their offense in vs. 61-62, and says in v63 that it is the Spirit of
God who gives this life, and the flesh is no help at all. This is another
repeat of what he taught the crowd, that physical coming and seeking is
nothing, there must be a spiritual coming and seeking for Jesus. Jesus says in
v63b that his words are life, and in v64 that there are still some of his
disciples who do not believe. And then says that there is a reason why he just
told them that no one can come to him spiritually unless it is granted by the
Father (v65), and the reason is that some of even the disciples were
unbelievers and were only following him for the same unspiritual reasons as the
5000.
Verses 66-70.
This makes some of his disciples angry and many of them
leave him for good (v66). Jesus then asks the 12 disciples who he will name
Apostles, and asks them if they will leave him too (v67). Peter answers for the
12 in v68-69 by confessing that Jesus is exactly who he claims to be and is the
only one with the words of eternal life, and so they, unlike the false
disciples and the 5000, have come to him in belief. Jesus answers Peter, by
saying, “Didn’t I choose you?” (v70b), obviously giving them a personal example
of what he has just been teaching, that it is God the Father, by the power of
the Spirit, and the work of the Son who chooses who will come to Jesus in
saving faith. Not the other way around. This is also directly connected to What
Jesus says in John 10:26, when he says to the Pharisees, “You do not believe
because you are not of my sheep.” Notice that he does NOT say, “You are not of
my sheep because you do not believe.” It is the being sheep, that comes before
believing, it is the being born of the spirit that comes before believing (1
John 5:1), it is the being drawn effectually by the Father that comes before
believing as Jesus is teaching here in John 6. Furthermore, we see in the
conclusion of John 6 that Jesus not only chose the believing of the 12, but also
Judas, the unbeliever who would betray him.
Conclusion and Recap.
I have walked through John 6, and it seems that it is the
Calvinist position that Jesus is teaching. He says in response to the unbelief of the crowd,
a) that
no one is able, that is has the ability, to come to him in faith (44a).
b) But that God graciously draws some to
him in faith (vv. 37 and 44a).
c) Jesus gives his body and blood for
those who the Father has drawn and given to him, (vv. 54-56 and 38-39)
d) These who are given to him will believe
and be raised up as a result of the drawing (v44b).
e) And since Jesus will, without fail,
raise every one of those up whom the Father gives him, and they cannot be cast
out (44b and 37b).
As a result of the clear teaching of such passages as this
one considered, I cannot but confess the Calvinist position as the true and
Biblical position as taught by the words of Jesus himself.
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