Freewill or Election – Part Two. (John 6:25-70)
Transcript.
Wat we are going to look at today I believe gives us a template that is still relevant today as to why some people believe, and some do not. But the question remains: why didn’t they believe?
The second part of chapter six will address this question.
From verse 22 to the end of the chapter, there are now four discourses.
· First, the Lord speaks to the multitude (verses 22-40).
· Then, He speaks to the Jews, specifically the Jewish leaders (verses 41-59).
· Next, He speaks directly to the disciples (verses 60-66).
· Finally, in verses 67-71, He speaks to the twelve apostles.
All four of these discourses I believe highlight for us the relationship between divine election and human free will.
And that what we are going to think about on todays edition of TBPDP….
Let's work through the text and see what the Lord says about why some of these he is addressing did not believe.
Previously in verse 22, John described for us how the people, noticing that Jesus and the disciples had departed, got into boats and went to Capernaum to seek out the Lord again.
Verse 25 tells us they arrived and found Jesus.
25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, ‘Rabbi, when did you get here?’ 26 Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.’ 28 Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ 29 Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’
(John 6: 25-29)
Okay, so the people have travelled all the way across the Sea of Galilee seeking the Lord and He says to them, “You are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.'
This is an interesting statement. If they were seeking him because they saw the miracles, what would they have concluded? That he is the Son of God. That's why the miracle was performed. But He says they didn't seek him out again because of the miracle.
"Jesus looks at this crowd and says, 'You're following me because I filled your stomachs.' So, building on that situation, he says, “Don’t work for food that spoils, but instead for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.'
"He is trying to widen their perspective and tell them not to spend their lives seeking material things. Today that might mean, cars, good bodies, technology, all the creature comforts. Many spend their whole time and energy trying to gain money so that they can be more comfortable.
Forgive us all for that wrong kind of hunger. The table is full of luxuries, but our soul are still hungry for more. "And Jesus says, 'Don't labour for the things which rot and perish.'
In making this statement about 'meat that endures to everlasting life,' which the He can give, he simply contrasts their physical effort to seek him out with the spiritual truth that their soul yearns for but again chased after an illusion instead.
Instead of working hard and trying to grasp the idea that eternal life through their various religious practices, he says it is given as a gift, but they missed it. So, they ask him, ‘What must we do, to do the works God requires?'
Now in asking this question they probably had in mind some of the Old Testament works like tithing or participating in Old Testament rituals. But Jesus and says to them, “This is the work of God, just believe on him who he has sent”.
Jesus was only using the term work in a figurative sense. The work that is defined here is striving towards faith, so it's not really a work at all." It’s a spiritual effort, a labour of faith to seek out and grasp hold of the gift of God
Vs 30
30 So they asked him, ‘What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”32 Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ 34 ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘always give us this bread.’ 35 Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.’
(John 6: 30-40)
The Lord is saying in this passage, 'You didn't believe because the Father didn't give you to the Son.'
So, that's the first discourse. Bear with me, there's more. Let's look at the second.
"The second discourse is the discourse with the Jewish leadership. It begins at verse 41 and goes all the way down through to verse 59.
Verse 41 says,
41 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. 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 for ever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.’ 52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ 53 Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live for ever.’ 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
(John 6: 41-59)
They started mumbling under their breath, 'He came down from heaven?” 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”?’
How can this guy have a supernatural origin? The are asking each other. We know his mother and father—Mary and Joseph! Who does he think he is, anyway?
"The Lord answers them, “Stop grumbling and murmuring among yourselves.
Instead of saying to them, 'Look, I was virgin-born, Joseph is not my father, God is my father,' he goes to another issue entirely.
Instead of speaking about his origin, he tells them about their destiny. And he says. 'No man can come to me, except through the Father who has sent me to draw them: and I will raise him up at the last day.'
Obviously, they didn't believe in him, and he's telling them why they didn't believe: and that was because the Father had not drawn them.
He then adds it is just as the prophets predicted 'It is just as written by the prophets, They will all be taught by God. Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me.'
No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. Adding He that believes on me has everlasting life.
"I am that bread of life. Your fathers ate in the wilderness, This is the bread which came down from heaven, and because they ate it every day they did not die.
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live for ever”. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
That's a startling thing to say to a Jew who had an Old Testament prohibition against drinking blood.
What he is saying here using figurative language in this passage is, 'I am the bread of life.' And now He is urging them to partake. As you living drink water, as you eat the bread of life, you partake of me.
Obviously, that is done by believing on Him. By the way, I should explain that some have taken this passage and applied it to the Lord's Supper.
The Lord's Supper is not the main thing in view at this point in the early gospel narrative. One of the reasons we know that is the context.
The context of this passage has nothing to do with the Lord's Supper. Rather, the point here is salvation. Another clue to that is the fact that He talks about 'eat my flesh,' whereas in all of the passages on the Lord's Supper, it is 'eat my body.'
It's a different word entirely and a different idea entirely. The Lord's Supper is done as a memorial; what he is talking about here is done in order to be saved.
But the point of the passage is that they did not do that. He offered thirsty people a drink of living water, and they didn't drink it. He offered hungry people bread, food to eat, every day, a way to live a life built on faith in Him and they didn't take it.
He even mentions His blood, which speaks of death—a violent death, if you will. He offered them His death, and they did not receive it.
The question is why? The answer is in verse 44: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them.'
They did not believe because the Father did not draw them.
That's the second discourse. Now, let's look at the third, beginning at verse 60 and going down through verse 66. He speaks to the disciples.
Many Disciples Desert Jesus.
60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” 66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
(John 6: 60-66)
We have to define the disciples, as I pointed out a moment ago. He then speaks to the apostles. The disciples are different from the apostles.
The word 'disciple' simply means learner—that's all it means: pupil. In the Gospels, the word is used in different ways. At one level, at its simplest level, it simply means to learn, to be a learner. It does not necessarily mean that you are saved. Later, Jesus says, 'If you continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed' (John 8). If you believe and continue, then you are truly my disciples. So, there He is starting to define the word differently. And later still, He says, 'If you really want to be my disciple, if you really want to learn of me, you have to give up all that you have and all that you are.'
But in this passage, we're not using the word 'disciple' in that sense. This passage is simply talking about disciples in the sense of learners, part of that wider group of people who are following him and trying to learn from Him.
Someone once speculated, maybe some in the crowd, just wanted to learn from him how to miraculously multiply bread so they could fill their tummies every day.
Jesus says, “this is hard teaching,' meaning it is very difficult. Not difficult to understand, but difficult to accept.
When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured and grumbling about what he said he says to them. Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before?'
In other words, if you think this teaching is hard to accept, wait until you see me ascend back up to heaven! That'll really blow your mind.
Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that didn’t believe and who should betray him.' And He said, This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.'
Put a little star by that verse, underline it in your bibles or in your mind.
This says they didn't believe because they were not chosen. That's what the verse says. I didn't make this up; I'm just reporting it. It says they wouldn't believe, and He knew they wouldn't because they weren't open to Him in the first place.
Hold that though for now, because there is more
"There is a fourth group. Let's quickly look at it.
By the way, verse 66 says, 66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
Some weren't believers to begin with. When they heard it, they just turned around and walked off and left Him. They deserted because they were never believers to begin with.
"Verse 67: '
67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)
(John 6: 67-70)
Okay. Let's see if I can put all this together."
I'm saying to you very simply, as I pointed out in four different discourses and four definite verses, that some people do not believe because they are not chosen, and some people do believe because they are chosen. That's the summary but allow me to conclude by making three observations, because those statement are as simpe as they sound.
Please listen to me very carefully.
Observation #1: One lesson to be learned from this passage is that God chooses some people.
Does that bother you?
The first time I understood that some Christians believe that God elected people to be saved, it disturbed me, and I didn't like it one bit.
The scares some people because they might think that it means someone they love cannot be saved.
This concept upsets people more than just about anything else in the whole Bible. Now listen to me, please. No matter how you try to explain it away, the Bible teaches that God chooses people. You can turn to 1 Peter and say that He elects according to the foreknowledge of God, but that does not explain the whole idea here because that passage does not tell us what God foreknew.
I think what God foreknew was the good pleasure of His own will.
Ephesians chapter 1 clearly teaches that God did not choose people just because they chose Him.
Romans chapter 9 says that God is a sovereign God and He reserves the right to run His universe as He chooses. Paul, addressing this question, says, 'Who are you to even dare ask how He dares choose to run His universe?' Folks, God chooses some people. But you make freewill choices too.
The Bible clearly teaches that whosoever will can believe and be saved. Let me try this again.
I have three point to make here:
First, God chooses people to be saved.
Second, whosoever will can believe and be saved.
Both of those things are true.
There is a beautiful balance in the Gospel of John. Do you remember me going through John chapter 5 and saying that the reason the reason that some of the witness to the healing at the pool of Salome didn’t believe is because they chose not to believe?
So, the answer in chapter 5 to why some did not believe is because they would not.
Now look in chapter 6 verse 44: 'No man can come to me except the Father who sent me draws them.'
The answer in chapter 5 is they would not;
The answer in chapter 6 is they could not.
Here's my answer to the question of Election or Freewill: The bible teaches both.
The Bible teaches both. There is a beautiful balance within the Gospel of John and within this very chapter.
Now, I chose to move through these verses and point out where Jesus said you have to be chosen. But if you go back and study these four discourses carefully, you will discover that in each one of them, He also said you have to believe.
Let's just run through it real quick.
Look at the multitude. Look at verse 37: 'All that the Father has given me shall come to me.' Alright, that's the side that says the Father elects. But look at verse 39-40: And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which sees the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life.' He states them both in the same breath: the Father gives them, but they need to believe.
Look at verse 44: 'No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.' But then look at verse 47 ‘Verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.'
He says to them as plainly as He can in English—He said it in Greek, actually but we read it in English. The Father has to draw you, and then He turns right around and says if you would believe, you would be saved. So, there is a beautiful, beautiful balance.
Look at verse 65: 'Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.' But almost in the same breath he has said, The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you, they are full of the Spirit and life.' As if to say to this group, 'I'm speaking to you words of life, and if you receive them, you will have everlasting life.'
So in this passage, there is a beautiful balance between the doctrines of both election and free will.
The title of the sermon is "Election or Free Will."
You want to drop that little word "or" and make it "Election and Free Will." For I believe bBoth are true.
Let me put it like this: How many Gods are there? One. But the Bible teaches that one God exists in three persons.
I don’t understand that, but both are true. I don’t understand that fully but I believe it true,
And I think there are truths like that all through the Bible. The Bible teaches us one God, but He’s a Trinity.
The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is 100 percent God and yet He’s 100 percent man.
The bible teaches that God is just and God is merciful.
The Bible teaches that God chooses some people and then it turns around and says whosoever will.
I can show you passage after passage where God pleads with people to come to Christ, to trust in Him, to believe in Him that they may have eternal life. And passage where it says God chooses.
Here’s the problem: I cannot, for the life of me, see both these aspects of God at one and the same time. Because both are expressed through the freewill choices we both make.
God’s truth doesn’t fit inside my pea-sized brain at the same time. I’ve just got to say I’m thankful.
My brain isn’t big enough to comprehend it all. But I don’t understand it all. I’m sitting here telling you I’m willing to submit to it all.
I’ve said a moment ago, I’ve got three observations, but I’ll only give you two now.
· One is that God chooses.
· The other is that whoever believes can be saved. Both of those things are true.
My third observation is this: Jesus Christ, the apostles, and God the Holy Spirit urge you to trust in Jesus Christ.
The Bible says very clearly that it is not the will of God that any perish, but that all come to repentance. The Spirit of God woos people to come to Christ.
In this very passage, there is one of the most fantastic promises in all of the New Testament. He says in verse 37, ‘All that the Father gives to me will come to me, and he that comes to me I will in no way cast out.’
That’s what I want to end on. I don’t know what you think about election or free will. It doesn’t really matter. What you need to concern yourself with is that you personally come to Christ and trust in Him so that you will have your deepest inner spiritual need satisfied and never be hungry or thirsty spiritually again.
My friend, even though God elects, and God chooses, God also urges you to come to His Son and have life. He wants you to come just as you are.
You don’t have to clean up first;Y ou don’t have to know it all, or understand it all first. He says, just come as you are, and He’ll save you.
When a commanding officer tells a soldier to come right away, he should go, straight away.
Doesn’t matter if he has been digging a ditch and is covered from head to foot in dirt. The officer wouldn’t, you should have cleaned up first.
The officer would say, ‘That’s alright, that’s why I wanted you to come, right away. God calls you to come just as you are, and we can work out the details later.
