The Gospel of John: John 6.22-40

Read and meditate on John 6.39, 40.
Jesus has consistently pointed to the Father, Who sent Him. The Father has work to do, which only He can do, and He does that work according to His will. Jesus proclaims the will of the Father to the people, setting bread and Moses to the side, to deal with their real and ultimate need.

                         ³⁹And My Father’s will
is this: of all those He has given Me,
I should lose nothing, but they all will be
raised up on the last day. ⁴⁰The will of Him
Who sent Me is that every one of them
Who sees the Son, and who believes in Him,
may have eternal life, and all of them
will I raise up on the last day.”

- John 6.39, 40

Reflect
1.  These people can fuss and scheme about getting bread from Jesus all they want. But He is determined that they should know the Father’s will, and be submissive to that. What is the will of God, according to Jesus? Complete the following brief prayer: Lord, let me know and live within Your will today, so that…

2.  The will of God may be summarized in six verbs: given, sees, believes, have, lose, raise. Write a sentence for each of these verbs, explaining the will of God. What is God’s role in this? What is ours? Let me see You more clearly, Lord, so that I might…

3.  Based on what Jesus says here, what is the great hope of all who see Jesus and believe in Him? How should that hope function to strengthen and sustain us each day? How does it strengthen you? Fill my heart and mind with the hope that is to come, Lord, and let me…

4.  Jesus shows that the Gospel is rooted in eternity past, and passes through time to eternity future. Explain. All of human time is provided for the purpose of fulfilling the will of God. Is this how you approach the time of your life? Explain. Thank You, Father, for the gift of time. Help me to number my days well (Ps. 90.12) so that…

5.  How should the phrase, “lose nothing,” encourage us in our walk with and work for the Lord? Bring together your prayers from questions 1-4 into one prayer.

Summary
“Faith, so to speak, is the attempt generated in time; the final result is the attainment of the promise secured for eternity. Now the Lord himself has most clearly revealed the equality of salvation when he said, ‘This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.’ As far as possible in this world, which is what he means by the last day—and which is preserved till the time that it shall end—we believe that we are made perfect. Wherefore he says, ‘The one who believes on the Son has everlasting life.’ If then, those who have believed have life, what remains beyond the possession of eternal life? Nothing is lacking in faith as it is perfect and complete in itself.” Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD)

The purpose of human history is to serve as a staging-ground for the will and grace of God. Before history began, God planned it out. Once it began, He conducted it toward Christ and our redemption. And when history is over, then we will be raised to everlasting life with Him. Give thanks and praise to God for His good and perfect will!

Closing Prayer
Those who trust in the LORD
Are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the LORD surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.
For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
On the land allotted to the righteous,
Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.
Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,
And to those who are upright in their hearts.

Psalm 125.1-4

Psalm 125.1, 2 (St. Gertrude: Onward, Christian Soldiers)
All who trust in Jesus, strong as Zion stand!
Naught shall ever move them from their promised land!
Like the hills surrounding safe Jerusalem,
Christ surrounds His Church and holds her in His mighty Hand!
    All who trust in Jesus, strong as Zion stand!
    Naught shall ever move them from their promised land!

T. M. Moore

Jesus is the Centerpiece of all Scripture, as He Himself explained (Jn. 5.39). But how can we learn to see Him there? How do the primary themes of Scripture revolve around Jesus? Our online course, Introduction to Biblical Theology, shows you how best to get at, get into, and get with the Word of God, so that you can grow more consistently in the Lord. It’s free, and you can study at your own pace. For more information or to register, click here.

We are happy to offer each week’s Scriptorium studies in a free weekly PDF, suitable for personal or group use. You can download all the studies in our series on the Gospel of John by clicking here. Please prayerfully consider sharing with The Fellowship of Ailbe through your giving. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.