What does "whoever comes to me I will never cast out" mean (John 6:37)?

Examined closely, it will be seen that there are three different aspects of the Father's will presented in this scripture for our consideration. The first of these is contained in verses 37, 38. Those to whom Jesus had been speaking had seen Him and believed not. Was His mission then to be fruitless? Far from it, for "all that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me." He was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world; the Light shone for all, and yet, as we here learn, only those who had been given Him by the Father would come to Him. And even to do this they were dependent upon divine teaching and divine power. They must first be taught of God, must hear and learn of the Father (v. 45), and must be drawn of the Father (v. 44); and then, and then alone, would they come to His blessed feet. All such, and only such, will surely come to Him, and thereupon we learn the first aspect, here given, of the Father's will. "Him," says the Lord, "that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me." All these had been given to the Son in a past eternity, the Son came down from heaven, becoming Man, to be the Servant of the Father's will; and thus when those who had heard and learned of the Father came to Him it was His meat to do His Father's will in receiving them. As the perfect Servant He is hidden, so to speak, behind the Father's will (and every true servant delights to be out of sight and to magnify his Master); but we know full well what joy it was to His own heart to receive all who came to Him. The point here, however, is that He, though the Son, is seen as the will-less One, in perfect communion with the Father's heart, waiting to receive everyone that should come; and it is to encourage such that He puts it in this way, "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." Blessed assurance! One that should pacify the fears of every trembling soul who is beginning to turn his eyes with longing hope to Him who, as glorified, is now seated at God's right hand. If the riches of the Father's heart are displayed in His eternal gift to the Son, no less are the depths of the Son's heart revealed in the assurance that none that come to Him will ever be cast out, because for the realization of the Father's counsels it was necessary that He should give His flesh for the life of the world. (v. 51.)

The second aspect of the Father's will is next presented: "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." It will be thus seen that the Father's will covers, so to speak, the whole history of those whom He has given to Christ. This is surely what we might expect; and, in order to understand it a little more fully, attention may be called to what is involved in coming to Christ. It is not simply coming to Him, as, for example, by prayer to receive relief from our burdens and distresses; but it is, having accepted the judgment of death which lay upon us, and which He bore, we by the appropriation of His death pass to His side and remain there in His company. Like the two disciples who heard John in the fulness of his heart say, "Behold the Lamb of God," we are drawn to follow Him to the place where He dwells, and there we abide. Henceforward that place is our home. Those then who have come to Him are committed to His keeping by the Father's will. Accordingly in chapter 17, in consonance with what we find here, Jesus, speaking to His Father, says, "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy name: those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled." How blessed to know that amid the snares, pitfalls, and dangers of the path, we are committed to the safe-keeping of the Son, and that He is accomplishing the Father's will in keeping us securely! And there is yet more, for He adds, "But should raise it up at the last day." This, the resurrection of our bodies, will then be the work of the Son (see chap. 5:28-29) for the accomplishment of the Father's will, for it will be in resurrection that we shall be conformed to the image of God's Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

"They said therefore to Him, Lord, evermore give us this Bread. And (or, Then) Jesus said to them, I am the Bread of life; he that cometh to Me shall in nowise hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall in nowise ever thirst. But I said to you, that ye have even seen Me, and do not believe" (verses 34-36). This is their last effort to get what they sought — bread for this world, bread evermore, if not through them in any way, at least from Him. But unbelief is every way wrong. It is life that God is giving, and nothing less meets the true need of man; and this life is in Christ, not from Him. Apart from Him, given out of Him, and thus, so as to be independent of Him, it exists not. In Him was life; in Him only is life found. He is the Bread of life.123 He is not here viewed as the Son of God, quickening whom He will, even as the Father. Here He is the Son of man sealed, and the object of faith. "I am the Bread of life; he that cometh to Me shall in nowise hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall in nowise ever thirst." Alas! the crowd that saw Him had no faith in Him. Their privilege in seeing Him but added to their guilty unbelief; and, one must add, that now that the atoning work is done, and He is dead, risen, and glorified, and preached among Gentiles, it is a greater sin still where He is not believed on in the world. Yet men no more believe on Him than those who then followed Him, nor are their motives purer who profess and preach Him than theirs who would have crowned Him in Galilee. The witnesses differ, some giving neither.

The Lord proceeds to explain what was behind and above this in the words that follow. "All that the Father giveth Me shall come unto Me; and him that cometh unto Me I will in nowise cast out. For I am descended from heaven not to do My will, but the will of Him that sent Me" (verses 37, 38). This then is the key, and it is twofold; and only in this largeness do we know the truth. If either side be taken to the exclusion of the other, the teaching is imperfect, and the consequences are apt to be error on this hand or on that. The reprobationist presses the first clause; the Arminian the second. Neither gives its due weight to the clause they respectively omit. The theologian who sees only the Divine decrees pays little heed to the encouragement given by the Lord to the individual that comes unto Him. The advocate of what he calls free-will seeks to neutralise, if he does not absolutely ignore, the declaration that all the Father gives to Christ shall come unto Him; and no wonder, for it is an assertion of His sovereignty, which is inexplicable on his own theory. But the hard lines of reprobationism can as little admit cordially the Lord's assurance of a welcome to him that comes unto Him. ἀπὸ ABLT with cursives, ἐκ ℵDEΔ, etc.

In this setting stands that great and assuring gospel statement, "Him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out." In John 3, we saw that though "no man receives His testimony," yet some did receive His testimony. Now, for the first time we discover what lies behind the paradox. There is the sovereign grace of the Father, which has given certain to the Son, and these without any exception come to Him. These happy individuals are impelled towards Him, as far as their own consciousness is concerned, by a variety of things, differing in almost every case; yet beneath all, as the ultimate explanation, lies this gift of the Father to Christ — a love gift, we may call it.

All that the Father has given come, and none that come are cast out by the Son; and that not only because of His own grace and personal love for such, but because they are the Father's gift, and because the very object of His coming down from heaven was to carry out the Father's will, and thus reveal the Father's heart. The Father gave them in order that, coming to the Son, He might be to them the Giver and the Food of life and thus, the Father made known to them, they might be satisfied indeed. There is no possibility of any slip between the Father's gift and the Son's reception. As we observe thus the context and bearing of the passage, we see how rightly and happily the evangelist directs the anxious soul, who is turning towards Christ and about to come to Him, to the golden words, "Him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out."

The beauty of that well-known passage — "Him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out" — is generally missed by not reading the context, for "him that comes to Me" is only the last half of the verse. The whole verse is seldom quoted. How beautifully Christ's obedience is brought out here! First, "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me." Then, "Him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me." How blessedly comforting that is! If I ask any soul that has not peace with God, "Have you come to Christ?" and that soul can answer, "Yes," I can say, "That shows that you are one whom the Father has given to Christ, for He said, 'All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me,' and you have come to Him. The Lord says, 'Him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.' The Father sends these sheep to Christ, and in receiving them He is doing the Father's will. How would He be doing the Father's will if He cast out those whom the Father had given Him? In receiving you and me He is doing the Father's will, because the Father sent us, and we came. We did not know it at the time, but we know it now, thank God." This is an example of how we gain by seeing that the Lord was here doing the Father's will perfectly.

The beauty of that well-known passage – “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” – is generally missed by not reading the context; for “him that cometh to Me” is only the last half of the verse. The whole verse is seldom quoted. How beautifully Christ's obedience is brought out here! First, “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me.” Then, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.” How blessedly comforting that is! If I ask any soul that has not peace with God, “Have you come to Christ?” and that soul can answer, “Yes,” I can say, “That shows that you are one whom the Father has given to Christ; for He said, ‘All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me'; and you have come to Him. The Lord says, ‘Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heav­en, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. ' The Father sends these sheep to Christ, and in receiving them He is doing the Father's will. How would He be doing the Father's will if He cast out those whom the Father had given Him? In receiving you and me He is doing the Father's will, because the Father sent us, and we came. We did not know it at the time, but we know it now, thank God. This is an example of how we gain by seeing that the Lord was here doing the Father's will perfectly.

John 6:37. If, then, blessing depends upon man's responsibility, all is over; none will be blessed. But, as ever, when man is thoroughly exposed, God falls back on the counsels of His own heart. He will not allow all to perish; nor will He allow that the coming of the Son of Man shall be all in vain. There are those whom the Father has purposed to give to the Son; and, as the Lord can say, "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me". Seeing that the Father gives them, the Son will receive them; "Him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out". Whatever their nationality or their character, be they Jews or Gentiles, fallen women or hardened thieves, Pharisees or publicans, if they but come to Christ they will be received, for their coming is the proof that they are the gift of the Father to the Son.

On the other hand, what lovely comfort is in verse 37. The Father was dealing in sovereign grace and wisdom, to reveal to some at least the glory of His Son, and all the Father gave to Him would come to Him. Nor would even one of these be ever turned away. How positive and absolute this is! If some are refused because of unbelief, yet not one child of faith can ever be cast out. Wonderful it is to be the Father's gift to His Son! How could the Son ever refuse a gift from His Father?

Never forget that He who said "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me," immediately added: "and him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).

First faith, then feeling; "she felt in her body." "Ah," says some one who reads this, "that's what I am waiting for. I want to feel that I am healed." But observe, dear reader, she did not wait to feel. She said, "If I may but touch, I shall be healed." She touched, with the assurance that the touch brought healing with it. How much more should you come to Him now with the assurance that you are received, when He says, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Come to Him, saying, "I know Thou receivest me," and you will find feeling the result of faith; but if you wait for feeling to tell you you are received, you are dishonoring Him by discrediting His word; and how can you expect happy feelings while you are doing so?

"And he arose, and came to his father." Here is the great decisive point. Whatever may be the motives that influence him, — however little any thing yet may be right with him, — still he comes! And so the Lord presses upon every troubled weary soul to "come." However many the exercises of soul through which we pass, nothing profits till we come to Him. However little right anything may be with us beside, nothing can hinder our reception if we come. Him that cometh unto Him He will in no wise cast out.