And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:39-40 (ESV)
These two verses express the same thing from two different perspectives. Both of them deal with the will of God. And both of them focus on those who will obtain eternal life.
The first verse is from God’s perspective. Jesus says here that God’s will is that He lose nothing of all that God has given to Him. Instead, He will raise it up on the last day. The terms here would point to this being corporate in nature rather than individual. God had given the body of believers to Christ. And it will not be lost.
The second verse tells us the same thing, but from the perspective of the individual believer. Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life and be raised on the last day.
Given the parallel nature of these two verses, it is logical to believe that those whom the Father gives to the Son are the same as those who see and believe. But do they see and believe because the Father has given them to the Son? Or does the Father give them to the Son because they see and believe? Who does the Father give to Jesus?
The Importance of Believing
The extended passage repeatedly stressed the importance of believing (John 6:29, 35, 47, 69) or eating the bread of life (John 6:48-58). But apart from the necessity of the Father’s drawing (John 6:44, 65), there is no hint that the belief the Father requires is something that is given to us.
The drawing of the Father is described as essential. We will not come to Christ (or believe) apart from that drawing. But there is nothing in the passages to suggest that all who are drawn will come to Christ. Instead, it seems most logical to me that the Father’s drawing enables belief on our part. And all who then see and believe will be given to Christ, will experience eternal life, and will be raised on the last day.
