“ALL THAT THE FATHER GIVETH ME SHALL COME TO ME; AND HIM THAT COMETH TO ME I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT.”—JOHN 6:37.
Note, When providences are black and terrible to God’s people, the Lord Jesus shows himself to them in a wonderful manner, which sometimes they can as little bear, as they can the things that were before terrible to them. They were afraid of the wind and the water; they were also afraid of their Lord and Savior when he appeared to them in that state.
But he said, “Be not afraid, it is I.” Note, that the end of the appearing of the Lord Jesus unto his people, though the manner of his appearing is never so terrible, is to allay their fears and perplexities. Then they received him into the ship, and immediately the ship was at land, where it went.
Note, When Christ is absent from his people, they go on, but slowly, and with great difficulty; but when he joins himself unto them, oh! how fast they steer their course! How soon are they at their journey’s end! The people now among whom he last preached when they saw that both Jesus and his disciples were gone also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. And when they had found him, they wonderingly asked him, “Rabbi, when came thou hither?” but the Lord Jesus, slighting their compliment, answered, “Verily, verily, ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.”
Note: A people may follow Christ far for base ends, as these went after him beyond the sea for loaves. A man’s belly will carry him a great way in religion; yes, a man’s belly will make him venture far for Christ.
Note again, They are not feigning compliments, but gracious intentions, that crown the work in the eye of Christ; or thus, it is not the toil and business of professors, but their love for him, that makes him approve of them.
Note again, When men shall look for friendly entertainment at Christ’s hand, if their hearts be rotten, even then will they meet with a check and rebuke. “Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.”
Yet observe again, He doth not refuse to give, even to these, good counsel: he bids them labor for the meat that endured to eternal life. Oh! How willingly would Jesus Christ have even those professors who come to him with pretenses only, come to him sincerely, that they may be saved?
The text, you will find, is, after much more discourse with and about these people, and it is uttered by the Lord Jesus as the conclusion of the whole and intimates that, since they were professors in pretense only, and therefore such as his soul could not delight in, as such, that he would content himself with a remnant that his Father had bestowed upon him. As who should say, I am not like to be honored in your salvation; but the Father has bestowed upon me a people, and they shall come to me in truth, and in them will I be satisfied. The text, therefore, may be called Christ’s repose; in the fulfilling whereof he rests himself content, after much labor and many sermons spent, as it were, in vain. As he saith by the prophet, “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for naught, and in vain” (Isa 49:4).
But as there he saith, “My judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God;” so in the text, he saith, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” By these words, therefore, the Lord Jesus comforted himself under the consideration of the dissimulation of some of his followers. He also thus betook himself to rest under the consideration of the little effect that his ministry had in Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida: “I thank thee, O Father,” said he, “Lord of heaven and earth, because thou has hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes; even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight” (Matt 11:25; Luke 10:21).
The text, in general, stands in two parts and has a special respect for the Father and the Son; as well as for their joint management of the salvation of the people: “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” The first part of the text, as is evident, respects the Father and his gift; the other part is about the Son and his reception of that gift.
FIRST, for the gift of the Father, there is this to be considered, to wit, the gift itself; and that is the gift of certain persons to the Son. The Father giveth, and that gift shall come: “And him that cometh.” The gift, then, is of persons; the Father gives persons to Jesus Christ.
SECOND, you have the Son’s reception of this gift, and that showed itself in these particulars: 1. In his hearty acknowledgment of it as a gift: “The Father giveth me.” 2. In his taking notice, after a solemn manner, of all and every part of the gift: “All that the Father giveth me.” 3. In his resolution to bring them to himself: “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.” 4. And in his determination that not anything shall make him dislike them in their coming: “And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
These things might be spoken to at large, as they are in this method presented to view: but I shall choose to speak to the words, FIRST, BY WAY OF EXPLICATION. SECOND, BY WAY OF OBSERVATION.
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