Ben Musclow

Greetings Cheryl… I think we need to back up here a bit, because my listing of verses has sent us on a bit of a tangent (a valuable one), and we need to stick with the context of John 6… You stated in your article: “The consistent message of the Scripture is that those who fear God will come to Jesus and they will continue to come to Jesus as the “coming ones”.” The problem with this statement, is that is does not discuss just how people come to fear God. Hence my efforts to point to the panoply of Scripture in the discussion of the state of humanity, while in an unregenerate state, justly under the wrath of God, following Satan and the desires of the flesh, unable to submit to the law of God, etc. There are two key verses that explain why Jesus began this whole discussion with the crowd who were listening to Him. John 6:36; “But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.” John 6:64-65; “But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” Jesus is clearly explaining, first to the crowd, and then to His disciples (the only ones who remained after this “hard” teaching), why some people can see Jesus, see His works, and yet not truly believe in Him – the Father must first grant it to a person before he or she can come to Jesus, or as the verse 44 says “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” The same person is being discussed throughout this passage – the one who comes to Jesus will be raised up on the last day, and the only way that same person can come to Jesus is if it is granted by the Father, which is synonymous with being drawn by the Father. Jesus’ main point is that the crowd doesn’t believe in Jesus, they simply wanted more signs and more food, and this is ultimately because they have not been given the ability to come to Jesus by the Father. Jesus later discusses Judas (second half of verse 64, see above), and again points to the reason why “some of you do not believe”. This passage is discussing man’s lack of ability to come to Jesus, and then God’s ability to save completely. You really cannot discuss anything else in this passage until you step back and discuss why Jesus is talking this way, especially in light of the fact that the crowd left!