Meditations on John 6

Is Everyone Drawn to Jesus?

Believe me, I do not have this all figured out, but these are some of the thoughts that are running through my head as I wrestle through the passage in John 6.

The entire book of John has some of the strongest language when it comes to "predestination" or "election.” Although these terms are not used in John, the concepts are frequented. Chapter six has some bold statements on understanding who it is that believes in or comes to Jesus. In Reformed terminology this is called irresistible grace (the "I" in TULIP), not that no one can resist God's grace, but that when God chooses, He can overcome all resistance such that it becomes "irresistible.”

Returning to John 6, I believe that "coming to" Jesus and "believing in" Jesus are interchangeable. Notice the parallel in v35:

"I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger,

and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."

Jesus then expounds upon those who do not believe in/come to him v36:

"... you have seen me and yet do not believe ..."

Why have they not believed in Jesus? Why have they not come to Jesus? I think the next verse gives us a subtle clue. They have not come to Jesus, because they were not given to him by the Father v37:

"All that the Father gives me will come to [believe in] me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."

If the Father had given them to Jesus, according to 37a, they will come to Jesus. The later portion of the verse also indicates that if they come to Jesus they will not be cast out or “lost” as v39 states:

"I should lose nothing of all that he has given me ..."

Notice the order. First, the Father gives to the son. Next, those who are given come to Jesus (believe in him). Finally, those who have been given will not be cast out or lost. So why were the particular Jews in chapter six not coming to Jesus? They did not come to Jesus because the Father had not drawn them v44:

"No one can come to [believe in] me unless the Father who sent me draws him."

Now, you may think that I am reading into this, but then in the closing verses of the chapter, John uses Judas as the primary example of this teaching. Follow the logic of Jesus' statements in v60-71:

"When many of his disciples heard it [his teaching on eating his flesh and drinking his blood], they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.”

Here Jesus is now going to give the ground of the previous statement, the reason why some do not believe:

(For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

Why did he tell them that no one can come to him apart from the Father? Why are these disciples not believing in him? Why are they turning away? Answer: They are not coming to him because the Father has not granted it (v65), the Father has not drawn them (v44) But why did the others remain? Was it their own choosing? No, Jesus had chosen them each for a task, even the one who would betray him.

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.

So, why did Jesus tell them that no one can come to him unless the father grants it? Because he wanted to explain the unbelief of those who turned away and the one who would soon betray. For this reason, I cannot say that everyone is drawn to Jesus. Because according to John 6, Judas was not drawn to Jesus, as evidenced by his unbelief, for if he had been drawn, he would have believed and would not have betrayed Jesus.