The expression " what shall we do? " would be more literally rendered, "what do we?" or "what must we do?" or "what are we to do?"
The expression " that we might wc>rk," might have been rendered " that we might labour." It is the same Greek word that is translated in the previous verse "labour." The expression, " the works of God," cannot of course mean " the same works thit God works." It means "the works that please God, that are agreeable to God's mind, and in accordance with God's will." Thus 1 Cor. xv. 58, and xvi. 10. This is the view of Glassius.
This question, "what shall we do?" we must remember, ought never to be despised. Though it may often be the lazy expression of languid religious feeling, just half awakened, it is at any rate much better than having no feeling at all. The worst part of many persons' spiritual condition lies heie, that they are quite indifferent about their salvation; they never ask "what shall we do?" — Many no doubt content themselves with saying "what shall we do?" and like those of whom we are reading, never get any further. But, on the other liand, in many cases, "what shall I do?" is the beginning of eternal life, the first step toward heaven, the first breath of grace, the first spiritual pulsation. The Jews on the day of pentecost said, " what must we do?" Saul, when the Lord met him near Damascus, said, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" The Philippian jailor said, " What must I do to be saved?" Whenever therefore we hear a person ask the question about his soul, " what shall I do?" we must try to help him and put him in the right way. We never know what it may lead to. It may perhaps end in nothing, and prove a mere temporary feeling. But it may also come to something, and end in the conversion of a soul.
29. — {Jesus ansivered...this....worJcMUeve... sent] In this verse our Lord takes hold of the expression used by the Jews about " work," and answers them according to their state of mind, Did they ask what work they should do? Let them know that the first thing God called them to do, was to believe in His Son, the Messiah whom He had sent, and whom they saw before them.
When our Lord calls faith " the work of God," we must not suppose He means here, that it is the work of His Spirit, and His gift. This is undoubtedly true, but not the truth of the text. He only means that believing is '' the work that pleases God," and is most agreeable to God's will and mind.
Of course every well-instructed Bible-reader will remember, that, strictly speaking, believing is so far from being a " work," that it is the very opposite of workiag. '' To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted to him for righteousness." (Eom. iv. 5.) But it is evident that our Lord accommodates His manner of speaking to the ignorant minds with which He had to deal. Thus St. Paul calls the doctrine of faith the '' law of faith," (Eom. iii. 27.) It is much the same as if we said to an ignorant but awakened inquirer after salvation, Avho fancies he can do great things for his soul, — " You talk of doing. But know that the first thing to be done, is to believe on Christ. This is the first step toward heaven. You have done nothing until you believe. This is the thing that pleases God most. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. This is the hardest thing after all. Nothing will test the reality of your feelings so much as a wilKngness to believe on Christ, and cease from your own works. Begin therefore by believing." The very attempt to believe, in such a case, might prove useful.
Let us note in this verse the marvellous wisdom with which our Lord suited His language to the minds of those He spoke to. It should be the constant aim of a religious teacher, not merely to teach truth, but to teach truth wisely and with tact, so as to arrest the attention of those he teaches. Half the religious teaching in the churches and schools of our day, is entirely thrown away for want of tact and power of adaptation in imparting it. To profess truth is one thing: to be able to impart it wisely, quite another.
Let us note in this verse the high honour our Lord puts upon faith in Himself. He makes it the root of all religion, the foundation-stone of His kingdom, the very first step toward heave... Christians sometimes talk ignorantly about faith and works, ag if they were things that could be compared with one another as equals, or opposed to one another as enemies. But let them observe here that fiiitli in Christ is so immeasurably the first tiling in Christianity, that in a certain sense it is the great work of works. In a certain sense it is the seed and root of all religion, and we can do nothing until we believe. In short the right answer to '' what must 1 do?" is " believe.'
30. — {They said tlierefore unto him.] The secret unbelief of the Jews begins to come out in this verse. Nothing so thoroughly reveals the hearts of men as a summons to believe on Chri.^t. Exhortations to work excite no prejudice and enmity. It is the exhortation to believe that offends.
[What sign showest thou then.] The word "thou," in this sentence is^emphatic in the Greek. It is as though the Jews said, " Who art thou indeed to talk in this way?" " What miraculous evidence of thy Messiahship hast thou got to show?" There is an evident sneer or sarcasm in the question.
[That we may see and believe thee.] This seems to mean, " that we may see in the miracle wrought unanswerable proof that Thou art the Messiah, and seeing the miracle may thus be able to believe Thee." This is the common language of many unconverted hearts. They Avant to see first, and then to believe. But this is inverting God's order. Faith must come first, and sight will follow.
There is a difference that ought to be marked between the ''believing thee" of this verse, and the "believing on him whom he hath sent," of the preceding verse. "Believing on" is saving faith. " Believing " alone, is merely believing a person to speak the truth. The devils " believe Christ," but do not believe " on Christ." We beheve John, but do not believe " on him."
f What dost thou worh] It seems at first most extraordinary that men who had seen such a miracle as that of feeding the five thousand with five loaves, and had been themselves of the nuaiber fed, and this only tw^enty-four hours before, could ask such a question as this! Our first thought is, that no greater sign or miracle could have been shown. But th^j speak as if it was forgotten! Surely when we see such proofs of the extreme dulness and deadness of man's heart, we have no reason to be surprised at what we see among professing Christians.
Bucer and Grotius suggest, that the speakers here can hardly be those who were witnesses of the miracle of feeding the five thousand. But I see no need for the suggestion, when we look round us and observe what human nature is capable of, or even look at the book of Exodus, and see how soon Israel in the wilderness forgot the miracles they had seen.
Let us remember that this demand for " a sign," or great miracle, was common during our Lord's ministry. It seems to have been a habit of mind among the Jews. St. Paul says, " The Jews require a sign." (1 Cor. i. 22.) They were always deceiving themselves with the idea, that they wanted more evidence, and pretending that if they had this evidence they would believe. Thousands in every age do just the same. They five on waiting for something to convince them, and fancying that if they were convinced, they would be different men in reliorion. The plain truth is, that it is want of heart, not want of evidence, that keeps people back from Christ. The Jews had signs, and evidences, and proofs of Christ's Messiahship in abundance, but they would not see them. Just so, many a professed unbeliever of our day has plenty of evidence around him, but he will neither look at it nor examine it. So true it is that " none are so blind as those that will not see."
Quesnel remarks, " The atheist is still seeking after proofs of a Deity, though he walks every day amidst apparent miracles."
We should observe that the Jews were willing enough to honour Christ as " a prophet." It was the doctrine of faith in Him that they could not receive. Christ the "teacher," is always more popular than Christ the " sacrifice and substitute."
31. — [Our fathers....manna....iuriUen.... to eat] The intention of the Jews in saying what they do in this verse is plain. They evidently implied a disparaging comparison between our Lord and Moses, and our Lord's miracle of feeding the multitude, and the feeding of Israel with manna. It is as though they said, "Although Thou didst work a miracle yesterday. Thou hast done nothing greater than the thing that happened in the days when our fathers were fed with manna in the wilderness. The sign Thou hast given is not so great a sign as that which Moses gave our fathers when he gave them bread from heaven to eat. Why then should we be called on to beheve Thee? What proof have we that Thou art a prophet greater than Moses?"
The word " manna " would have been more correctly rendered " the manna," i. e., " the well-known and famous manna."
Let us note in this verse how prone men are to refer back at once to things done in the days of their " fathers," when saving religion is pressed home on their consciences. The woman of Samaria began talking about "our father Jacob." — "Art thou greater than our father Jacob?" (John iv. 12.) The Pharisees "built the sepulchres of the prophets." (Luke xi. 47.) Dead teachers have always more authority than hving ones.
Let U9 mark that the miraculous feeding of Israel in the wilderness with manna is spoken of by the Jews as a notorious historical fact. Our Lord moreover in the following verse entirely assumes the truth of the miracle. The modern attempts to deny or explain away the miraculous facts recorded in tl^ Old Testament, are here, as well as elsewhere, entirely irreconcileable with the manner in which they are always spoken of in the New Testament. He that denies old Testament miracles, is a&saulting the knowledge and veracity of Christ and the Apos- lies. They believed them, and spoke of tnem, as historical facts. We never need be ashamed of being on their side.
Let us observe the acquaintance with Scripture which the Jews exhibit. They quote the seventy-eighth Psalm (ver. 24, 25), as a sujBQcient proof of tfhe fact they had just mentioned. A certain knowledge of Scripture, unhappily, may often be found in a very unbelieving heart. Knowledge of the letter of Scripture at any rate seems to have been very common among the Jews. (See Deut. vi. 6, 7.)
Whether or not they apphed the sentence they quoted to Moses, rather than God, 1 think, admits of a question. Our Lord's words, in the following verse, would rather lead one to think that they meant that "Moses gave them bread from heaven."
32. — l^Then Jesns....verily....Moses gave you not that hreadi] The object of our Lord in this verse is very plain. He replies to the argument of the Jews, that the miracle of the manna was a greater miracle than any He had come into the world to work, and that Moses w^as consequently a greater prophet than He was. Yet in the words he uses, it is not very easy to settle where the stress should be laid, and what is the precise word on which the point of the answer rests.
(a.) Some think that it means, — " It was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but God." They lay the stress on Moses.
(b.) Some think that it means, — "Moses did not give you bread from the real heaven of heavens, where God the Father dwells, but only a material food from the upper part of that atmosphere which surrounds this earth." They lay the stress on heaven.
(c.) Some think that it means, — '' Moses did not give the true spiritual bread from heaven, though he gave you bread." They lay the stress on " that bread."
The second of these opinions seems to me quite inadmissible. The distinction between the heaven where God dwells and the upper region of our atmosphere was not, I beheve, in our Lord's mind, when He used the language He uses here. Moreover it cannot be denied that the manna, though only material food, was heavenly food, i. e., food supplied by God's miraculous interposition.
The true view seems to me to be contained in the first and third opinions taken together. The Greek bears it out by putting the word " not" in the very forefront of the sentence. "It was not Moses who gave you that bread from heaven, and even the bread that was given you was not that true bread which endures to everlasting hfe."
[Bui my Father giveth you the true hread from heaven.'] The use of the present tense should be noticed in this sentence. The idea seems to be, '' What Moses could not give you, even the true bread which feeds the soul, my Father does givTi you, and is actually giving you at this moment, in that He gives yoi: myself."
The expression, " giveth you," must not be supposed to im^' ply actual reception on the part of the Jews. It rather means "giving" in the sense of "offering" for acceptance a thing which those to whom it is offered may not receive. — It is a very remarkable saying, and one of those which seems to me to prove unanswerably that Christ is Grod's gift to the whole world, — that His redemption was made for all mankind, — that He died for all, — and is offered to all. It is like the famous texts, " God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son " (John iii. 16); and, "' God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." (1 John v. 11.) It is a gift no doubt which is utterly thrown away, like many other gifts of God to man, and is profitable to none but those that beheve. But that God nevertheless does in a certain sense actually " give " His Son, as the true bread from heaven, even to the wicked and unbelieving, appears to me incontrovertibly proved by the words before us. It is a remarkable fact that Erskine, the famous Scotch seceder, based his right to offer Christ to all, on these very words, and defended himself before the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland on the strength of them. He asked the Moderator to tell him what Christ meant when He said, " My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven," — and* got no answer. The truth is, I venture to think, that the text cannot be answered by the advocates of an extreme view of particular redemption. Fairly interpreted, the words mean that in some sense or another the Father does actually " give " the Son to those who are not believers. They warrant preachers and teachers in making a wide, broad, full, free, unlimited offer >f Christ to all mankind without exception.
Even Hutcheson, the Scotch divine, though a strong advocate of particular redemption, remai-ks, — " Even such as are, at present, but carnal and unsound, are not secluded from the offer of Christ; but upon right terms may expect that He will be gifted to them."
The expression " true," in this place, when applied to bread, means " true " as opposed to that which is only typical, emblematical, and temporal. The manna was undoubtedly real true food for tl e body. But it was a type of a iar better food, and was itself a thing which could not bene£t the soul. Christ waa the true spiritual food of which the manna was the type. Examples of " true " in this sense may be seen in John i. 9; xv. 1; Heb. viii. 2; ix. 24.
33. — [The hreacl of God is that, etc.] At first sigiit, this verse seems to mean, that '' Ciirist coming down from heaven, and giving life unto the world, is the true bread of God, — the Divine food of man's soul." But it may well be doubted whether this is the precise meaning of tlie Greek words. I thin]?: with Rollock, Bengel, Scholefield, Alford, and others, they would be more correctly rendered, — " The bread of God is that bread which cometh down from heaven."
(a.) For one thing, the Jews do not appear to have understood our Lord as yet to speak directly of Himself, or of any person. Else why should they have said, — " Lord, give us this bread." Moreover, they did not CQurmur, when they heard these words.
(&.) For anoth-er thing, our Lord does not appear as yet to reveal fully that He was the bread of God. He reserves this till the thirty-fifth verse, and then declares it. At present He only gives a general intimation of a certain Divine fife-giving bread.
(c.) For another thing, it is more in keeping with the gradual unfolding of truth, — which appears so strikingly in this chapter, — to suppose that our Lord begins with a general statement, than to suppose that He speaks at once of Himself personally. First, (1.) the bread generally, — then, (2.) I am the bread, — then, (3.) the bread is My flesh, — then, (4.) except ye eat the flesh, and drink the blood, no life, etc.,— such seem the gradual steps by which our Lord leads on His hearers in this wonderful chapter. I freely admit that the point is doubtful. Happily, whether we read, *^ the bread of God is He," or " the bread of God iis that bread," the doctrine is sound, and Scriptural, and edifying.
The expression, " the bread of God," seems equivalent to the expression of the preceding verse, "the true bread." It is that real satisfying food for the soul which God has provided.
The expression, which " cometh down from heaven," is an assertion of the Divine origin of that spiritual food which God had provided. Like the manna, it came down from heaven, but in a iar higher, fuller, and deeper sense, than the manna did. It waa '' that personal bread," of which they would soon hear more distinctly.
The expression, " giveth fife to the world " implies a contrast between the "bread of God," and the manna. The manna only supplied the hunger of the twelve tribes of Israel, — viz., 600,000 men and their families. The bread of God was for the whole world, and provided eternal life for every member of Adaiil*a family who would eat of it, whether Jew or Gentile.
We should mark, again, what a strong argumenf these worda supply in favour of the doctrine of Christ being God's gift to alL That all the world has not life from Christ, and does not believe in Him, is undoubtedly true. But that life is provided in Christ, and salvation sufiBcient for all the world, appears to be the natural interpretation of the text. ♦ 24, — [Then said they...Lord... give us this bread.] There is a striking resemblance between the thought expressed in this verse, and the thought of the Samaritan woman, when she heard of the living water that Christ could give: — " Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither conae hither to draw." (John iv. 15.) In both cases we see desire called forth and excited by our Lord's words. There is a vague sense of something great and good being close at hand, and a vague wish expressed to have it. In the case of the Samaritan woman, the wish proved the first spark in a thorough conversion to God. In the case of the Jews before us, the wish seems to have been nothing more than the " desire of the slothful," and to have gone no further. Wishing and admiring are not conversion.
Let us note, carefully, that there is nothing hitherto to show that the Jews understood our Lord to call Simself the "bread of God," or " the true bread." That there was such a thing as the true and satisfying bread, — that it must be the same as that *' meat which endureth to everlasting life," they seem to have concluded; — and that it was something which our Lord could give, they inferred. But there is not a word to make us think they saw it at present to mean Christ himself This is a weighty argument in favour of that view of the preceding verse which I have tried to support, viz., — that it ought to be translated " the bread of God is that bread," not " He."
There is some probabihty in Lightfoot's remark, that our Lord's hearers, like most Jews, had their minds stuffed with foolish and superstitious notions about great banquets and feasts, which they expected Messiah to give them, whenever He appeared. They had a tradition that Leviathan and Behemoth were to be slain, and their flesh made into a great feast for Israel when Mtssiah came. Our Lord, possibly, had this tradition in His mind, and desired to turn the minds of the Jews to the true food vhich Messiah had come to give.
35 And J 3SUS said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that beheveth on me shall never thirst.
36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
not to do mine own will, but the will of liim that sent me.
39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this^is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and beheveth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Three of our Lord Jesus Christ's great sayings are strung together, like pearls, in this passage. Each of them ought to be precious to every true Christian. All taken together, they form a mine of truth, into which he that searches need never search in vain.
We have, first, in these verses, a saying of Christ about Himself. We read that Jesus said, — " I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
Our Lord would have us know that He himself is the appointed food of man's soul. The soul of every man is naturally starving and famishing through sin. Christ is given by God the Father, to be the Satisfier, the Reliever, and the Physician of man's spiritual need. In Him and His mediatorial office, — in Him and His atoning death, — in Him and His priesthood, — in Him and His grace, love, and power, — in Him alone will empty souls find their wants supplied. In Him there is life. He is " the bread of life."
With what divine and perfect wisdom this name ia chosen! Bread is necessary food. We can manage tolerably well without many things on our table, but not without bread. So is it with Christ. We must have Christ, or die in our own sins. — Bread is food that suits all. Some cannot eat meat, and some cannot eat vegetables. But all like bread. It is food both for the Queen and the paujier. So is it with Christ. He is just the Saviour that meets the wants of every class. — Bread is food that we need daily. Other kinds of food we take, perhaps, only occasionally. But we want bread every morning and evening in our lives. So is it with Christ. There is no day in our lives but w^e need His blood. His righteousness, His intercession, and His grace. — Well may He be called, " The bread of life!"
Do we know anything of spiritual hunger? Do we feel anything of craving and emptiness in conscience, heart, and affections? Let us distinctly understand that Christ alone can relieve and supply us, and that it is His office to relieve. We must come to Him by faith. We must believe on Him, and commit our souls into His hands. So coming. He pledges His royal word we shall find lasting satisfaction both for time and eternity. — It is Avritten, — " He that cometh unto me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
We have, secondly, in these verses, a saying of Christ about those loho come to Him. We read that Jesus said, — " Hira that cometh to me I will in nowise cast out."
What does "coming" mean? It means that movement of the soul which takes place when a man, feeling his sins, and finding out that he cannot save himself, hears of Christ, applies to Christ, trusts in Christ, lays hold on Christ, and leans all his weight on Christ for salvation. When this happens, a man is said, in Scripture language, to " come" to Christ.
What did our Lord mean by saying, — " I will in nowise cast him out"? He meant that He will not refuse to save any on6 who comes to Hira, no matter what he may have been. His past sins may have been very great. His present weakness and infirmity may be very great. But does he come to Christ by faith? Then Christ ^^'ill receive him graciously, pardon him freely,
These are golden words indeed! They have smoothed down many a dying pillow, and calmed many a troubled conscience. Let them sink down deeply into our memories, and abide there continually. A day w^ill come when flesh and heart shall fail, and the world can help us no more. Happy shall we be in that day, if the Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we have really come to Christ!
We have, lastly, in these verses, a saying of Christ about the will of Sis Father. Twice over come the solemn words, — "This is the will of him that sent me." Once we are told it is His will, " that every one that seeth the Son may have everlasting life." Once we are told it is His will that, " of all which he hath given to Christ he shall lose nothing."
We are taught by these words that Christ has brought into the world a salvation open and free to every one. Our Lord draws a picture of it, from the story of the brazen serpent, by which bitten Israelites in the wilder-, ness were healed. Every one that chose to " look " at the brazen serpent might live. Just in the same w^ay, every one who desires eternal life may "look" at Christ by faith, and have it freely. There is no barrier, no limit, no restriction. The terms of the Gospel are wide and simple. Every one may " look and live."
We are taught, furthermore, that Christ will never allow any soul that is committed to Him to be lost and cast away. He will keep it safe, from grace to glory, in epite of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Not one bone of His mystical body shall ever be broken. "tsTot one lamb of His flock shall ever be left behind in the wilderness. He will raise to glory, in the last day, the whole flock entrusted to His charge, and not one shall be found missing.
Let the true Christian feed on the truths contained in this passage, and thank God for them. Christ the Bread of life, — Christ the Receiver of all who come to Him, — Christ the Preserver of all believers, — Christ is for every man who is willing to believe on Him, and Christ is the eternal possession of all who so believe. Surely this is glad tidings and good news!
Notes. John VI. 35 —
35. — [Jesus said...! am the bread of life.] In this verse our Lord begins to speak in the first person. Henceforth in this discourse we hear directly of " I " and " Me " no less than thirty-five times. He drops aU further reserve as to His meaning, and tells the Jews plainly, " I am the bread of life," — the true bread from heaven, — the bread of God which, coming down from heaven, giveth life to the world.
The " bread of life " means that spiritual bread which conveys hfe to the soul, — that living bread which does not merely feed the body, like common bread, but supplies eternal sustenance and nourishment to the eternal soul. It is like "the water of life" (Rev. xxii. 17), and " hving water." (John iv. 10.)
The reasons why Christ calls Himself " bread," appear to be such as these. He is intended to be to the soul what bread is to the body, — its food. — Bread is necessary food: when men can afford to eat nothing else, they eat bread. — It is food that all need: the king and the pauper both eat bread. — It is food that suits all: old and young, weak and strong, all like bread, — It is the most nourishing kind of food: nothing does so much good, and is so indispensable to bodily health, as bread. — It is food that we need daily and are never tired of: morning and night we go on all our lives eating bread. — The application of these various points to Christ is too plain to need any explanation.
One great general lesson is doubtless intended to be drawn from Christ's selection of "bread" as an emblem of Himself. He is given to be the great supply of all the wants of men's souls, "\yhatever our spiritual necessity may be, however starving, famished, weak, and desperate our condition, there is enough in Christ, and to spare. — He is " bread."
Bollock remarks, that as soon as the slightest spiritual desire is manifested by any one, however ignorant and weak, he should be at once directed to Christ. It is what our Lord himself did. As scon as the Jews said, — "Lord, evermore give us this bread,"
He cried, — " I am the bread of life." He never " quenched the smoking flax."
[He that Cometh... hunger...helieveth... thirst] The words "coming" and " beheving" in this sentence, appear to mean very nearly one and the same thing. To "come" to Christ is to "beheve" on Him, and to " believe " on Him is to " come" to Him, — both expressions mean that act of the soul whereby, under a sense of its sins and necessity, it apphes to Christj lays hold on Christ, trusts itself to Christ, casts itself on Christ. — " Coming," is the soufs movement towards Christ. " Believing," is the soul's venture on Christ. — If there is any difference, it is that "coming" is the first act of the soul when it is taught by the Holy Q-host, and that "believing" is a continued act or habit which never ends. No man "comes" who does not believe; and all who come go on believing.
When our Lord says " shall never hunger," and " shall never thirst," He does not mean that a believer on Christ shall no longer feel any want, or emptiness, or deficiency within him. This would not be correct. The best of believers will often cry, like Sr. Paul, " Oh, wretched man that I am!" (Rom. vii. 24.) The man who "hungers and thirsts after righteousness," is blessed. (Matt. V. 6.) — What our Lord does mean is, that faith in Christ shall supply a man's soul with a peace and satisfaction that shall never be entirely taken from him, — that shall endure for ever. The man who eats and drinks material food shall soon be hungry and thirsty as ever. But the man who comes to Christ by faith, gets hold of something that is an everlasting possession. He shall never die of spiritual famine, and perish for want of soul nouri^ment. He may have his low feelings at seasons. He may even lose his sense of pardon, and his enjoyment of rehgion But once in Christ by faith, he shall never be cast away and starved in hell. He shall never die in his sins.
(a.) Let us note in this verse how simple are the figures by which our Lord brings His own sufficiency within the reach of man's understanding. He calls himself "bread." It was an idea that even the poorest hearer could understand. He that would do good to the poor, need never be ashamed of using the simplest and most familiar illustrations.
(6.) Let us note that faith is a movement of the soul. Its first action is "coming to Christ." Its subsequent life is a constant daily repetition of its first action. To tell people to " sit still and wait," is poor theology. We should bid them arise and come.
(c.) Let us note that coming to Christ is the true secret of obtaining soul satisfaction and inward peace. Until we take that step oiu' consciences are never easy. We " hunger and thirst," and find no relief.
(d.) Le: UF! note that true believers sliall never be altogether cast off and forsaken of God. The man that comes to Christ shall " never hunger nor thirst." The text is one among many proofs of the perseverance of the saints.
(e.) Let us note, finally, liow simple are the terms of the Go.-^pel. It is but coming and believing that Christ asks at oui hands. The most ignorant, the most sinful, the most hardened, need not despair. They have but to " come and believe."
Luther, quoted by Besser, remarks on this verse: — "These
are indeed dear and precious words, which it is not enough for us merely to know. We must turn them to account, and say, Upon these words I will go to sleep at night and get up in the morning; leaning upon them will I sleep and wake, and work and trav\?l. For though everything were to go to ruin, and though father and mother, emperor and pope, princes and lords, all forsook nie, though even Moses could not help me, and I had only Christ to look to, yet He will help me. For His words are sure, and He says ' Hold fast by me: come thou to me, and thou shalt live.' The meaning of these words is, that whoever can believe on that one Man who is called Jesus Christ, shall be satisfied, and cannot suffer either hunger or thirst."
3G. — [But I said....ye also have seen Me and leJieve not] It is not quite clear to what our Lord refers in this verse, when He says, — " I said." Some think that He is referring specially to His own words in the 26th verse, — " Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles," etc. Others think that He refers generally to the testimony He had frequently borne against the unbe'ief of the Jewish people, in almost every [)lace where He preached.
It seems to me most natural to connect the verse with the saying of the Jews, in the 30th verse. They had there said, — " What sign showest thou then, that we may see and believe thoe?" Why should we not suppose our Lord in this verse to take up that saying and reply, — " You talk of seeing and believing; I tell you again, and have long told you, that ye have seen me, and yet do not beheve "?
The connecting link with the preceding verse, appears to be something of this kind: — "I am quite aware that I speak in vain to many of you of the bread of life and of believing. For I have said often, and now say it again, that many of yon have both seen me and my miracles, and yet do not believe. Nevertheless, I am not discouraged. I know, in spite of your unbelief, that some will be saved."
The unbelief of human nature is painfully exhibited in thia verse. Some could even see and hear Christ liimself, while Ho was on earth, and yet remain unbelieving I Surely we have no right to be surprised if we find like unbelief now. Men may actually see Christ with their bodily eyes and have no faith.
37.— [All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.] The connection of this verse with the preceding one seems to be this: " Your unbelief does not move me or surprise me. I foresaw it, and have been aware of it. Nevertheless, your unbelief will not prevent God's purposes taking eflfect. Some will believe though you remain unbelieving. Everything that the Father gives me will come unto me in due time; believe, and be saved. In spite of your unbelief, all my sheep shall sooner or later come to me by faith, and be gathered within my fold. I see your unbelief with sorrow, but not with anxiety and surprise. I am prepared for it. I know that you cannot alter God's purposes: and in accordance with those purposes, a people will come to me, though you do not."
Luther, quoted by Besser, supposes our Lord to say, "This sei'mon shall not on your account be of none effect, and remain without fruit. If you will not, another will; if you do not believe, yet another does."
The English language fails to give the full sense of the Greek in this sentence. The literal meaning of the Greek is, not " all persons whom the Father giveth shall come," but " everything, — the whole thing." It is not a masculine plural, but a neuter singular. The idea is either " that whole mystical body, the company of my believing people, shall come to me," or else " every single part or jot or member of my mystical body shall come to me, and not one be found missing at last,"
"We learn from these words the great and deep truth of God's election and appointment to eternal life of a people out of this world. The Father from all eternity has given to the Son a people to be His own peculiar people. The saints are given to Christ by the Father as a flock, which Christ undertakes to save completely, and to present complete at the last day. (See John xvii. 2, 6, 9, 11, 12; and xviii. 9.) However wicked men may abuse this doctrine, it is full of comfort to a humble believer. He did not begin the work of his salvation. He was given to Christ by the Father, by an everlasting covenant.
We learn from these words the great mark of God's elect, whom He has given to Christ. They all come to Christ by faith. It is useless for any one to boast of his election unless he comes to Chri-;t by faith. Until a man comes humbly to Jesus, and commits his soul to him as a believer, we have no dependable evidence of the r,ian's election,
Bcza remarks, "Faith in Christ is a certain testimony of our election, and consequently of our future glorificatiou."
Ferus says, " Cleaving to Christ by faith, thou art sure of thy predestination."
We learn fom these words the irresistible power of God's electing grace. All who are given to Christ shall come to Him. No obstacle, no difficulty, no power of the world, the flesh, and the devil, can prevent them. Sooner or later they will break through all, and surmount all. If "given," they will "come.' To ministers the words are full of comfort.
[Bim that cometh unto me IwiU in no wise cast out.] These words declare Christ's willingness to save every one that comer to Him. There is an infinite readiness in Christ to receive, pardon, justify, and glorify sinners. The expression " I will in no wise cast out," implies this. It is a very powerful form of negation. " So far from casting out the man that comes to me, I v/ill receive him with joy when he comes. I will not refuse him on account of past sins. I wUl not cast him off again because of present weaknesses and infirmities. I will keep him to the end by my grace. I will confess him before my Father in the judgmentday, and glorify him for ever. In short, I will do the very opposite of casting him out."
The distinction between the language of this clause of the text and that of the former clause, should be carefuUy noticed. They who " shall come to Christ," are " that whole thing " which the Father gives. But it is " each individual man" that comes, of whom Jesus says "I will in no wise cast him out."
To " cast out of the synagogue," — to " cut off from the congregation of Israel," — to "shut out of the camp," as the leper was shut out (Lev. xiii. 46), were ideas with which all Jews were familiar. Our Lord seems to say, " I will do the very opposite of all this."
A. Clarke thinks that the idea is that of a poor person coming to a rich man's house for shelter and relief, who is kindly treated and not " cast out." But may we not suppose after all that the latent thought is that of the man fleeing to the city of refuge, according to the law of Moses, who, once admitted, is safe and not "cast out"? (Num. xxxv. 11, 12.)
We learn from these words that the one point we should look to is, "whether we do really come to Christ." Our past lives may have been very bad. Oar present faith may be very weak. Our repentance and prayers may be very imperfect and poor. Our knowledge of religion may be very scanty. But do we come to Christ? That is the question. If so, tlie promise belongs to us. Christ will not cast us out. We may remind Him boldly of His own word.
wido, broad, free, unlimited, and unconditional. We must take care that we do not spoil and hamper them by narrow statements. God's election must never be thrust nakedly at unconverted sinners, in preaching the Gospel. It is a point with Avhich at present they have nothing to do. No doubt it is true that none will come to Christ but those who are given to Him by the Father. But who those are that are so given we cannot tell, and must not attempt to define. All we have to do is to invite every one, without exception, to come to Christ, and to tell men that every one who does come to Christ shall be received and saved. To this point we must carefully stick.
Rollock observes, how close this glorious promise stands to our Lord's words about God's election and predestination. Election should never be stated nakedly and baldly, without reminding those who hear it of Christ's infinite willingness to receive and save all.
Hutcheson remarks, " Saints do indeed ofttimes complain of casting off; but they are the words of sense and not of faith* they may seem to be cast off when really it is not so."
38. — [For I came down....not mine own will, etc.] The meaning of this verse appears to be as follows. " I did not become man and enter this world to do anything of my own independent will and volition, and without reference to the will of my Father. On the contrary, I have come to carry out His will. As God, my will is in entire harmony and unity with my Father's will, because I and my Father are one. As man, I have no other will and desire than to do that which is in entire accordance with the will of Him who has sent me to be the Mediator and Friend of sinners."— What the Father's will about man is, our Lord goes on immediately to state in the two following verses. One part of the Father's will is, that nothing should be lost that He has given to the Son. That " will " Christ came to carry out and accomplish.— Another part of the Father's will is, that every one who trusts in Christ, may be saved. That "will" again Christ came to carry out and accomplish. — The verse before us and the two following are closely connected, and should be looked at as one great thought. It was the Father's " will " that free salvation by Christ should be brought near and within the reach of every one, and it was also His " will " that every believer in Christ should be completely and finally saved. To work out and accomplish this will of His Father was Christ's object in coming into the world.
The expression, "I came down from heaven," is a strong proof of the pre-existence of Christ. It could not possibly be said of any prophet or apostle, that he " came down from heaven." It is a heavy blow at the Socinian theory that Christ was nothing more than a man.
39. — l^TMs is the Father's luill ivliich hath sent me.] In this versa' and the following, Christ explains fully what was the Father's will concerning the Son's mission into the world. It was that He should receive all and lose none, that any one might come to Him, and that no comer should be lost. It is a cheering and pleasant thought, that free and full salvation, and the final perseverance of behevers, should be so expressly declared to be *' the wiU of the Father."
[Of all... given...lose nothing.] Here again there is the same form' of speech as in the thirty-seventh verse. Literally rendered, the sentence would be, — " that of the whole thing which He has given me, I should not lose anything out of it." The ' ' losing" must necessarily mean, that " I should let nothing be taken away by the power of Satan, and allow nothing to come to ruin by its own inherent weakness." The general sense of the sentence must be, " that I should allow no member of my mystical body to be lost."
We have in these words the doctrine of the final perseverance of true believers. It seems hard to imagine stronger words than these to express the doctrine. It is the Father's will that no one whom He has given to Christ should be lost. His will must surely take effect. True behevers may err and fail in many things, but they shall never finally be cast away. The will of God the Father, and the power of Christ the Son, are both engaged on their side.
We have in these words abundant comfort for all fearful and faint-hearted behevers. Let such remember tl^at if they " come" to Christ by faith, they have been " given " to Christ by the Father; and if given by the Father to Christ, it is the Father's will that they should never be cast away. Let them lean back on this thought, when cast down and disquieted; — "It is the Father's wiU that I should not be lost."
[Should raise it up again at the last day.] We have in these words the Father's will that all Christ's members shall have a glorious resurrection. They shall not only not be lost and cast away while they live: they shall be raised again to glory after they die. Christ will not only justify and pardon, keep and sanctify. He will do even more. He will raise them up at the last day to a life of glory. It is the Father's will that He should do so. ^'he bodies of the saints are provided for no less than their souls.
The idea of some writers, which Bullinger mentions with some favour, that the " last day" means the day of each believer's death, and the " raising" his translation in the hour of death to paradise, seems to me utterly destitute of foundation.
The words before us are a strong argument for the ' first resurrection," as a peculiar privilege of believers. It is said here that believers shall be "raised again/' as a special honour and mercy conferred upon them. Yet it is no less clearly said in the 5th chapter, verse 29, that "all that are in the graves shall Come forth,'^ both good and bad. It follows, therefore, that there is a resurrection of which saints alone are to be the partakers, distinct from the resurrection of the wicked. What can this be but the first resurrection? (Rev. xx. 5.) — It must however in fairness be remembered that resurrection is sometimes spoken of in Scripture as if it was the peculiar privilege of believers, and a thing in which the wicked have no part. In the famous chapter in Corinthians, it is clear that the resurrection of the saints is the only thing in St. Paul's mind. (1 Cor. xv.) That the wicked will be raised again, as well as the righteous, is clearly asserted in several places. But it is sometimes a thing kept in the background.
40. — [This is the will of him that sent me.'] These words are repeated in this verse, to show that it is no less the Father's will that Christ should receive sinners, than that Christ should preserve saints. Both things are alike the purpose and intention of God.
[Every onetuhich seeth the Son and believeth...life.] These words mean that " every one, without exception, who by faith looks to Christ and trusts in Him for salvation, is allowed by Grod the Father's appointment to have part in the salvation Christ has provided." There is no barrier, difficulty, or objection. " Every one," is the expression. jSTo one can say he is excluded. — " Seeing and believing,"' are the only things required. No one can say that the terms are too hard. Does he see and beheve? Then.e may have everlasting life.
The expression " seeth the Son," in this sentence, must evidently mean more than mere seeing with the bodily eyes. It is the looking with faith at Christ. (See John xii. 45, where the same Greek word is used.) It is such a look as that of the Israelites, who looked at the brazen serpent, and, looking, were healed. (See John iii. 14, 15, and Num. xxi. 9.) I believe that this was in our Lord's mind when He spake the words of this verse. Just as every serpent-bitten Israelite might look at the brazen serpent — and, as soon as he looked, was cured, so every sin-stricken man may look to Christ and be saved.
[J luill raise Mm up at the last day.] These words are repeated, I believe, in order to make it sure that a glorious resurrection shall be Ihe portion of every one that only "looks" at Christ and believes, as weB as of those who enjoy the " assurance" that they are given to Christ and shall never be cast away. The humblest believer shall be raised again by Christ at the first resurrection, and eternally glorified, just as certainly as the oldest saint in the family of God.
Stier remarks, " This raising up at the last day, twice emphatically affirmed, points out to us the final goal of salvation, and preserving power; after the attainment of which there is no more danger of perishing, or losing again that eternal life, which is now, the body being raised, consummate."
Let us mark what abundant comfort there is in this verse for all doubting, trembhng sinners, who feel their sins and yet fancy there is no hope for them. Let such observe that it is the will of God the Father, that " every one " who looks at Christ by faith may have everlasting life. It would be impossible to open a wider door. Let men look and live. The will of God is on their side.
Calvin remarks on this verse, " The way to obtain salvation is
to obey the Gospel of Christ. If it is the will of God that those whom He have elected shall be saved, and if in this manner He ratifies and executes His eternal decrees, whoever he be that is not satisfied with Christ, but indulges in curious inquiries about eternal predestination, such a person desires to be saved contrary to the purposes of God. They are madmen who seek their own salvation, or that of others, in the whirlpool of predestination, not keeping the way of salvation which is exhibited to them," — *' To every man, therefore, his faith is a sufficient attestation of the eternal predestination of God."
41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?
43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw liim: and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the Prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Everyman therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, Cometh unto me.
46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
48 I am that bread of life.
49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, aid are dead.
50 This is the bread which com*
eth down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
51 I am the hving bread which came down from heaven: if any man
eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Truths cf the weightiest importance follow each other in rapid succession in the chapter we are now reading There are probably very few parts of the Bible which contain so many " deep things " as the Sixth Chapter of St. John. Of this the passage before us is a signal example.
We learn, for one thing, from this passage, that Chrisfs lowly condition^ when He was upon earth, is a stumblinghlocJc to the natural man. We read that " the Jews murmured, because Jesus said, I am the bread that came down from heaven. And they said. Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?" — Had our Lord come as a conquering king, with wealth and honours to bestow on His followers, and mighty armies in His train, they would have been willing enough to receive Him. But a poor, and lowly, and suffering Messiah was an offence to them. Their pride refused to believe that such an one was sent from God.
There is nothing that need surprise us in this. It is human nature showing itself in its true colours. We see the same thing in the days of the Apostles. Christ crucified was " to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness." (l Cor. i. 23.) The cross was an offence to many wherever the Gospel was preached. — We may see the same thing in our own times. There are thousands around us who loathe the distinctive doctrines of the Gospel on account of their humbling character. They cannot away with the atonement, and the sacrifice, and the substitution of Christ. His moral teaching they approve. His example and self-denial they admire. But speak to them of Christ's blood, — of Christ being made sin for us, — of Christ's death being the corner-stone of our hope, — of Christ's poverty being our riches, — and you will, find they hate these things with a deadly hatred. Tiuly the offence of the cross is not yet ceased!
We learn, for another thing, from this passage, man's natural helplessness and inability to repent or believe. We find our Lord saying, — " No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him." Until the Father draws the heart of man by His grace, man will not believe.
The solemn truth contained in these words is one that needs careful weighing. It is vain to deny that without the grace of God no one ever can become a true Christian. We are spiritually dead, and have no power to give ourselves life. We need a new principle put in us from above. Facts prove it. Preachers see it. The Tenth Ai-ticle of our own Church expressly declares it: *'The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith and calling upon Grod." This witness is true.
But after all, of what does this inability of man consist? In what part of our inward nature does this impotence reside? Here is a point on which many mistakes arise. For ever let us remember that the will of man is the part of him which is in fault. His inability is not physical, but moral. It would not be true to say that a man has a real wish and desire to come to Christ, but no pfewcr to come. It would be far more true to say that a man has no power to come because he has no desire or wisli. — It is not true that he would come if he could. It is true that he could come if he would. — The corrupt will, — the seci-ct disinclination, — the want of heart, are the real causes of unbelief. It is here the mischief lies. The power that we want is a new will. It is pre*
These things, no d( ubt, are deej^ and mysterious. By truths like these God proves the faith and patience of His people. Can they believe Him? Can they wait for a fuller explanation at the last day? What they see not now they shall see hereafter. One thing at any rate is abundantly clear, and that is man's responsibility for his ow^n soul. His inability to come to Christ does not make an end of his accountableness. Both things are equally true. If lost at last, it wUl prove to have been his own fault. His blood wdll be on his own head. Christ w^ould have saved him, but he would not be saved. He would not come to Christ, that he might have life.
We learn, lastly, in this passage, that the salvation of a believer is a present thing. Our Lord Jesus Christ says, • — " Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life." Life, we should observe, is a present possession. It is not said that he shall have it at last, in the judgment day. It is now, even now, in this world, his property. He hath it the very day that he believes.
The subject is one which it much concerns our peace to understand, and one about which errors abound. How many seem to think that forgiveness and acceptance with God are things which we cannot attain in this life, — that they are things which are to be earned by a long course of repentance and faith and holiness, — things which we may receive at the bar of God at last, but must never pretend to touch while we are in this world I It is a complete mistake to think so. The very moment a sinner believes on Christ he is justified and accepted. There is no condemnation for him. He has peace with God, and that immediately and without delay. His name is in the book of life, however little he may be aware of it. He has a title to heaven, which death and hell and Satan cannot overthrow. Happy are they that know this truth! It is an essential part of the good news of the Gospel.
After all, the great point we have to consider is whether we believe. What shall it profit ns that Christ has died for sinners, if we do not believe on Him? " He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John iii. 36.)