A lot of wild theology has come from this statement of Jesus, but does he mean? Based on context?
He has just told them that he is the bread of life. He is the one who came down from heaven.
They were irritated and grumbling. Like any person that is accused, they tried to put him down and put him in a place. Who does he think he is? Then Jesus says this:
“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day (John 6:43-44).
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them? Some have interpreted this verse to mean that a person has to have some supernatural, light-bulb kind of moment to come to Jesus. They have to wait until they have this special, supernatural experience. If they don’t have it, they are not real Christians.
For others, it is interpreted as “irresistable grace.” It comes down that God saves who he wants to save. This is a basic tenet of Calvinism.
Another offshoot teaching of the doctrine of irresistible grace is saying that those whom God draws to himself cannot resist or refuse. But this is not consistent with the rest of Scripture. He gives free-will. He does not drag people to Himself. He draws them. And this fits the context. It is “he who believes” (v. 47) that comes to Jesus.
Irresistible grace is also defined in a lot of other ways as well. But this is one of the main components.
But is this what Jesus actually meant? Let’s look at the context.
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me (vv. 44-45).
There is a two-fold truth here. No one can to Jesus unless the Father draws. AND, everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to Jesus.
What Jesus is saying that if someone is seeking God, learning from Him and responding to Him, they will come to Jesus. Why? Because the Father is pointing to the Son.
Just look at all the prophecies that point to Jesus. Look at the Father himself affirming Jesus at His baptism as His Son. And look at the truths of Scripture such as Daniel 7:13-14. Let’s just go ahead and see what the Father, the Ancient of Days, says of the Son in Daniel 7.
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Throughout the Scripture, those who seek the Father will be pointed to the Son. And those who go to the Son will also glorify the Father. There is a selfless, loving honoring of each part of the Godhead.
The problem is that those who were not truly seeking the Father and seeking to know God, they would not see the Son. Their hearts were corrupt, hard and looking to Scriptures not for truth, but to justify their behaviors.
But the true seekers, those who have heard the Father and learn from Him, they will naturally be open to Jesus, the Messiah that the Scriptures have promised. So indeed, the Father draws them to the Son through His Word.
It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me (v. 45).
There is also a spiritual level. It isn’t all compartmentalized like Hellenistic, Greek thinking. As God draws people to himself that are seeking him in His Word, He is drawing them spiritually. It is a work of God through His Spirit as well. He draws the believing heart to himself, revealing Jesus.
He emphasizes these things by saying it is the one who believes who has eternal life. The one who believes the Father, and in turn, believes the Son.
Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life (v. 47)
Jesus again will say that He is the bread of life. He will go back to their original question of asking Jesus to show them a miracle, like Moses in the desert.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (vv. 49-51).
He is telling them that something better than the manna in the wilderness is here. And it is Him. Those who ate the bread in the desert still died. But those who believe in Jesus will live forever. For he is is the eternal bread.
Will they believe?
John 6:41-51
At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’[a] Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”