All the Father Gives Me

All right, so this is the point in our service where we open up the Word of God.

This is our opportunity to hear what the Lord Jesus has said.

We're going to be looking at His own words.

And so I encourage you, if you have a Bible, to open it up to John chapter 6.

John 6 · chapter mention

This morning we're going to be looking at something that Jesus said that seems a little strange,

at least at first.

I know that we had said we would look at the response of the crowd to Jesus

after He had said that the bread of life was His flesh,

and whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.

We are going to get to that, but we're actually going to look at that next Sunday.

It's a pretty wild thing that Jesus said.

This morning we're going to look at something else that is strange that Jesus said

that came up in this conversation in John chapter 6.

John 6 · chapter mention

So let's read it together, starting in verse 35.

And maybe before I read it, I'll just say, you know,

one of the things we're going to focus on a little bit in this is,

what is Jesus' relationship to the Father?

It's something that we've talked about a little before,

but just maybe look into that as we read it,

because we've heard these words before, but there's more here.

So verse 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.

But as I told you, you have seen me,

and still you do not believe.

All those the Father gives me will come to me,

and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

For I have come down from heaven not to do my will,

but to do the will of him who sent me.

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.

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.

So there's a lot in here,

but we're just going to focus on the relationship of Jesus

with his Father.

We've talked about some of the other things.

Last Sunday we talked about eternal life.

The Sunday before that we talked about Jesus' statement,

I will raise them up at the last day.

We want to focus in on this relationship

that Jesus has with the Father.

And we've heard a little bit about this already

in the Gospel of John.

We heard about it right at the beginning.

In John 1, verse 14,

John 1:14

John described Jesus, this man,

as the Son who came from the Father.

A little bit later in verse 18,

he said,

No one has ever seen God,

but the one and only Son,

who is himself God,

and is in closest relationship with the Father,

has made him known.

So there's this special relationship

between Jesus, the Son,

and his Father.

We only see glimpses of it

or mentions of it

in the first part of Jesus' story.

We heard Nathaniel make that declaration,

Rabbi, you are the Son of God.

But did Nathaniel really know

what he was affirming?

We saw it...

We saw it when Jesus got to the temple in Jerusalem.

He was flipping the tables

on those who were selling.

And he said,

the temple,

he referred to it as,

my Father's house.

But it doesn't seem that the people

really caught on to that.

It wasn't until later in chapter 5

that this whole relationship

between Jesus and his Father

really came to the forefront.

If you remember those messages,

Jesus had a lot to say

about his relationship with the Father.

He...

If you caught those messages,

we heard him making

some very interesting statements

like,

my Father is always at his work

to this very day

and I too am working.

This was after he had healed

a man on the Sabbath

and the religious leaders

were going after Jesus

for doing that.

And Jesus began to explain

a little bit about

his relationship with the Father.

We're always at work.

He referred to himself

as doing nothing on his own.

I do nothing by myself.

I only do what I see

my Father doing.

He stated that his Father

loves him.

That his Father shows him

everything he does.

Jesus talked about

how the Father would show him

even greater things

than what they'd already seen

earlier that day.

How one day

they would see him,

the Son,

do some of the most amazing works

in human history.

Raising the dead

back to life

and the final judgment.

He said,

these works

have been entrusted to me

by my Father

on purpose

so that people

will come to honor

the Son,

me,

as they honor

my Father.

And we talked back then

about how this relationship

between Jesus

and his Father

is very mysterious.

glorious.

It's unlike anything

that we know.

We talked about

how there's this oneness

and unity

between the Father

and the Son.

There's a togetherness

and a unison

in their working.

We heard how Jesus

describes

his Father

as sending him

into the world

and giving him

works to do

and works

to finish.

Testifying about

his Son

through those works.

And then we hear

on Jesus' side

of the relationship

about how his aim

and his mission

is to do

those works

that he's been

given

by his Father

to finish that work

to not just

please himself

but to please

the Father

who sent him.

And in the midst

of all this

we saw the religious leaders

having a very hard time

with the way

that Jesus talked

about this special

relationship

that he has

with his Father.

They understood

Jesus is making himself

out to be equal

with God

and they were hearing

words of blasphemy.

So here we are again

in this conversation

in John chapter 6

John 6 · chapter mention

with the crowd.

This is after the feeding

of the 5,000

and some of the feeding

of the 5,000 crowd

are here.

And this topic

of Jesus'

special relationship

with the Father

again comes

to the forefront.

So it starts

in verse 35.

Let me just read it again.

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.

And we talked about this

a couple weeks ago.

Jesus is holding out

this incredible promise

of eternal life.

That the deepest needs

that you have

can be satisfied,

your thirst can be quenched

forever.

All you need to do

to receive this

is two things.

He says,

whoever comes to me,

he says,

whoever believes in me.

So the invitation

is on the table.

He's just put it out there

in front of the crowd.

Come to me.

Believe in me.

But then the conversation

takes this turn

all of a sudden.

And we read it

in verse 36.

Jesus says this next,

but as I told you,

you have seen me

and still

you do not believe.

So it's like

they're seeing Jesus

do these works

of God among them

and yet they're not

believing in him.

And then this conversation

starts to get

a little strange

all of a sudden.

Jesus says this next.

He says,

all those the Father

gives me

will come to me.

And whoever comes to me,

I will never

drive away.

So we're still

talking about

people coming

to Jesus,

but now Jesus

brings this whole talk

about coming

to him

into a bigger

discussion

of what's going

on between him

and his Father.

He makes

this statement,

all those

the Father

gives me

will come

to me.

I don't know

about you,

but to me

that seems

a little bit

unexpected

of a thing

to say,

a little bit

strange.

Let's stop

and think

about it

for a minute.

We notice

that the Father

is giving

something

to the Son.

What is he

giving to him?

People.

It's kind

of weird.

This is something

we can't relate

to.

We don't

give people

to other

people.

But here

Jesus says

that God

the Father

is giving

people to

him.

The second

thing that's

strange is

how this

seems to

be an

explanation

of why

they don't

believe.

And maybe

it's helpful

at this point

to think

of the

disciples

who are

here

listening

to this.

Jesus

has just

put the

invitation

on the

table.

I am

the bread

of life.

Come to

me and

believe in

me.

And it's

like the

crowd you

can almost

imagine in

that moment

is silent.

As we

just read

Jesus says

you do

not

believe.

Nobody's

coming

forward.

Nobody's

moving.

You can

just almost

imagine maybe

the disciples

just off to

the side

like you

heard Jesus.

He just

put out the

altar call.

He just

gave the

invitation.

Who's

coming

first?

Come to

him.

And then

all of a

sudden the

moment drags

on and

maybe there's

a bit of

awkwardness

like is

nobody going

to come?

You can

almost imagine

them like

glancing over

at Jesus

like why is

nobody

coming?

Why is

nobody

responding?

You gave

the invitation.

What's

happening

here?

Jesus'

statement in

verse 37

seems to be

an answer to

that question.

it's almost

as if

Jesus is

saying

don't worry

if nobody

is coming

at this

moment.

All those

the father

gives me

will come

to me.

We remember

what Jesus

said earlier

that his

father is

always at

work.

Even now

my father

who is

unseen

is at

work.

He is

doing this

work of

giving

people

to me.

And

whoever he

is

intentionally

at work

in

will

come

to me.

Maybe

not at

this

instant.

Maybe

later

today.

Maybe

tomorrow.

But they

will

come

to me.

Perhaps

another way

to say it

might be

like this.

Nobody

that the

father

has

determined

to give

to his

son

will

miss

the

boat.

And as

soon as I

say that

I know

that I

have said

something that

doesn't sit

well with

some people.

Maybe some

of you here

this morning.

Hold on a

second here.

Are you

saying that

God has

decided to

give some

to his

son but

not others?

Or that

God gives

some to

his son

whether they

want to

come or

not?

Are you

saying that

some people

are saved

because God

has decided

to save

them and

others because

he has not

decided to

save them?

Are you

saying that

the people

in this

crowd who

don't

believe in

Jesus don't

believe because

God has not

decided to

give them

to the

son?

And if

those are

your questions

those are

good questions.

They're good

questions that

I'm not going

to try to

answer fully

this morning.

There's a

whole debate

over this

very verse

this very

thing that

Jesus said

but I will

say a few

things.

Is there

a chance

that Jesus

messed up

his words

or misspoke

when he

said this?

All those

the father

gives me

will come

to me.

Because you

know there's

something inside

all of us

that for some

reason we want

to flip that

statement around

or change

the words

in it.

We want

to say

Jesus you

must have

misspoken what

you meant to

say was

something like

this.

All those who

first come

to me

will then be

given to me

by my father.

Because I

got to make

that decision

first right?

But that's not

what Jesus

said.

Or we might

change it

all together

and make

Jesus say

this.

All those

who give

themselves

to me

will come

to me.

But Jesus

didn't say

that either.

He said

all those

the father

gives me

will come

to me.

And let's

remember who

Jesus is.

He is the

son of God

who speaks

only what he

hears from

his father.

He doesn't

misspeak.

He said it

this way

and this

is how

he intended

to say

it.

So the

big question

here of

course is

how does

the father's

giving of

people relate

to their

coming to

Jesus?

Which comes

first?

Is one

dependent on

the other?

And we may

get to a

little bit of

an answer to

that in the

weeks ahead

but for this

morning I

want us to

focus on

this relationship

between father

and son

here.

Let me

point your

attention to

one word in

the statement.

That word

gives.

All those

the father

gives to

me will

come to

me.

There's

something

wonderful about

that word.

There's

something bigger

than just the

crowd and

Jesus and

the disciples

and what they

can see

going on

here.

those who

the father

gives to

me will

come to

me.

I want you

to think

about yourself.

If you are

a person who

would say I

have come to

Jesus, what

does this

statement say

about you

here this

morning?

Do you

know that

you are a

part of a

larger story?

Christmas is

coming not

too long from

now.

Starting to

feel it a

little more

now that

the snow

has come.

It's a

time that we

celebrate God's

gift of his

son to us.

But what

Jesus seems to

be saying here

is something

different.

He seems to

be saying that

we who have

come to

Jesus and

those who

will yet

come are

actually God's

gift to

his son.

God's

God's

gift.

Do you

see that in

these words?

Another way to

ask it would be

like this.

Who is the

giver in this

statement?

statement?

And then who

is the

recipient of

the gift in

this statement?

And finally,

what is the

gift?

gift?

Think about

this for a

moment.

Jesus is not

talking about a

gift that gives

itself.

He's talking

about a gift

given by

someone, the

father, to

someone, the

son.

In this

case, those

who come to

Jesus are the

gift.

Those who

have yet to

come to

Jesus are

part of those

who will be

given by

God to

his son.

And so

maybe it's

helpful to

think in

terms like

we often

do at

Christmas.

Those of

us who

have come

to Jesus

or will

yet come

to Jesus

are like

we're like

the ones

wrapped up

inside the

box being

given.

But we

should not

think that

God is a

thoughtless

gift giver

or that he

didn't know

what to

give to

his son.

We all

know what

it's like to

feel the

stress of

Christmas gift

giving.

Maybe some

of you are

already starting

to feel that

right now.

There's

often times an

expectation.

And it's

probably happened

to all of us

I'm sure that

you know

Christmas has

snuck up on

us and we

ran out of

time to get

a carefully

well thought

out gift

for someone

that we

love.

God

doesn't

give like

that.

God is the

most intentional

thoughtless

God is the

most intentional

thoughtless

God doesn't

give like that.

God is the

most intentional

thoughtful and

considerate

giver in the

universe who

always finds

nothing less

than the

perfect way to

express his

love.

The perfect

gift to give.

God is the

God.

So we who

come to

Jesus are

we're not

like a gift

from the

father that

just one day

showed up on

the father's

doorstep and

said here I

am Lord send

me and then

he looked at

us and said

ah yes the

perfect gift

for my son.

No rather

all those who

have come to

Jesus and all

those who have

yet to come

to Jesus are

a gift that

the father has

been planning

and preparing

to give to

his son since

before the

creation of

the world.

And there are

numerous passages

we could go to

to demonstrate

that.

I think most

of you have

read your

Bibles know

those passages

that I'm

talking about.

But I think

we have trouble

with this

truth because

our view of

reality is

warped by

sin.

Sin causes

us to see

ourselves as

at the center

of the

grand story.

Yet Jesus

speaks here

as if there

is a greater

story going

on.

He speaks

of this

dynamic love

relationship

between a

father and

a son.

A story in

which we are

neither the

giver nor

the recipient.

Instead we're

the one wrapped

up in the

box.

we're the

gift being

given from

one to the

other.

And not

because we're

supremely

valuable.

Not because

God went and

found us and

sought out this

rare treasure.

Truthfully,

God did not

find us

beautiful and

worthy and

fit to be

given to his

son.

Rather he

has chosen to

radically transform

us and to

make us

worthy and

fit to be

given to his

son.

As they often

say, the best

gifts are

handmade and

can't be bought

in the store.

And so Jesus

is not worried

in this moment

that nobody is

coming forward

to him.

He's put the

invitation on

the table but

he's not

worried.

He's here to

speak and to

do what God

has given him

to speak and

to do.

And whether

someone comes

to him is

his father's

gift to

give.

I don't know

about you but

I find it

humbling to

hear of myself

being spoken

of in the

third person

by Jesus as

the gift and

not the giver

or the

recipient.

To me, it

says that my

coming to

Jesus and my

believing in

him is not

just something I

did on my

own.

It says to

me that God

was in my

coming to

Jesus.

He was

working in

it unseen

with intentional

purpose and

love right from

the start.

It's also

humbling to me

because it

means that my

coming to

Jesus and

being saved

from God's

wrath is not

just for me.

It's not just

for my sake.

it means I'm

also being

made into a

present, a

gift for the

Son, for

his sake, for

his pleasure and

honor.

And this

greater story

that we hear

Jesus refer to

here seems to

be more about

the Son than

it is about

me.

Now we

might still

wonder about

those questions

that I posed

earlier.

We might

wonder, well

what if God

hasn't chosen to

give me to

his Son?

Does that mean

that I can't

come to

Jesus?

And again, I'm

not going to

try to answer

that hypothetical

question because

there's mystery

here.

There's biblical

truth that we

see here in the

scriptures, but

where those

truths meet, it's

not easy to

understand.

We've got God's

work and we've

got our

responsibility and

those two

realities and

truths kind of

collide.

And just what

the result is, I

don't know exactly

how they relate to

one another, except

for the clear

anchoring truths that

we have in

scripture.

But one thing

that we can be

certain of is what

Jesus says to

give assurance to

anyone who would

be worried about

being left out.

He says, all

those the

Father gives

me will come

to me.

Nobody who

God gives to

his Son will

tragically

misinterpret the

signs or make

the mistake of

thinking that

Jesus isn't the

one.

The second

assurance we have

is what Jesus

says right after

this.

All those the

Father gives

me will come

to me and

whoever comes

to me, I

will never

drive away.

Exactly how

the Father does

his giving

work behind

the scenes, we

may not know.

But on the

whole, this is

clear.

The invitation to

have Jesus as

the bread for

your life, to

have this gift

of eternal

life, never be

hungry again,

never be thirsty

again.

This invitation is

on the table for

whoever, for the

world, for you.

And Jesus wants

you to know

that.

If you sincerely

come to him and

believe in him, you

will never find

yourself in that

place where Jesus

says, get out.

You don't belong.

Depart from me.

Go away.

In other words, if

you're worried that

you're not chosen, or

that you are somehow

in spiritual danger of

being left behind or

left out, there is a

solution that always

works.

And it's simply this.

Come to Jesus and

believe in him.

And if you sincerely

do that, you will

never come to that

moment where you

find out that you're

rejected because you

weren't originally

intended to be part of

the gift from the

father to the son.

Whoever comes to

me, I will never

drive away.

That's a promise.

That's an anchor for

us.

Let's go on to

verse 38.

Jesus continues on.

He says, for I have

come down from heaven

not to do my will,

but to do the will of

him who sent me.

So the first part that

we just looked at was

all about God giving

people to his son.

Now we're on the son

side of this relationship

again.

And it's all about what

he has come to do for

his father.

God is giving people to

his son.

But now Jesus says, I am

here among you not to do

my will.

Not to do what I want,

but to do the will of

my father.

To do what he wants.

It's this incredible

statement of humble

submission.

And it's hard enough for

us to understand just

what Jesus wills or wants

for himself.

That's maybe sometimes in

conflict with what the

father wants.

We get glimpses of it

here and there.

Probably the most clear

picture we see of it is

in the garden on the

night of Jesus' arrest

where Jesus prays to

his father, take this

cup from me.

Yet not my will, but

yours be done.

And that tension was

probably sprinkled

throughout Jesus' life.

Where submission to the

father's will was not

always easy.

But as in the garden

and in all of these

times, there was always

this heartbeat of love

that we see.

We see it here.

Perfect love for his

father.

He has this unbreakable

resolve and commitment

to love his father by

doing what the father

wills.

By doing what the father

has given him to do or

sent him to do, even to

the point of death.

love.

It's glorious.

It's beautiful.

Where have you seen that

kind of love and loyalty

and commitment in our

world?

Verse 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.

So here it is again.

Those of us who come to

Jesus are being spoken of as

those who are given by the

father to the son.

It's the father's work to

give people to his son.

And it's the son's

responsibility or work not

to lose a single one of

those who have been given

to him.

The picture of a shepherd

fits well here.

My father's will is that I do

not lose a single one of the

sheep that he has given to my

care.

The picture of a king also

fits.

God's will is that I do not

lose a single citizen in the

kingdom to the threats of

the enemy.

Jesus talks about being lost,

that I shall lose none of all

those he has given me.

What's the danger?

What's the threat?

Why might we be lost?

I think Jesus gives us the

answer in verse 39 here.

That I shall lose none of all

those he has given me, but

raise them up at the last day.

So the thing that prevents us

from being lost is the action

of Jesus, which raises us up

at the last day.

And so being lost, it seems,

refers to that real danger

that we all face.

Death.

The consequence for our sins

against God.

It is the great enemy that

threatens us all.

How can we be the gift of the

Father to the Son if we are on

death row, awaiting our final

sentence for breaking God's

holy law?

God's will, we see it in here.

This is the will of him who

sent me.

God's will is that we not

perish and be lost.

And so he has given Jesus

important work that must be

done to keep us, to prevent us

from being lost.

Jesus will go on to say this

later in the gospel.

I am the good shepherd.

The good shepherd lays down

his life for the sheep.

First, Jesus must clear our

legal debt with God and secure

our just pardon with his own

death.

And then he will do that great

work of undoing death itself

and raise us up at the last day.

verse 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.

So what do we take from all this?

there's a much greater story going on

here than just a man named Jesus

talking to a crowd.

There's a loving father and his son.

There's a father who wills and a son

who humbly does what his father wills,

even when it's difficult.

There's a giver

and there's a recipient.

And caught up in the middle of all this,

there's a gift that's being prepared

and made

and given.

A gift that's in real danger of being lost

unless the Son who has been sent

carries out the mission that's been given

to him by his Father.

And in the midst of all this

comes this invitation from Jesus

to come to him

and believe in him

to receive eternal life.

And I will raise

those who come to me

and believe in me

up from the grave

at the last day.

So my simple question

to leave us all with this morning

is do you hear that invitation?

Have you accepted

that invitation?

Have you

come to Jesus

and sincerely

believed in him?

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.

Let's pray.

Father in heaven

thank you for sending your Son.

Lord Jesus

thank you for speaking these words.

They are strange to us

and yet they are words of life.

They are words of love.

help us to know you more.

Reveal yourself to us

as we continue to look

and gaze on

the story of your Son

and the things that he said.

We ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.