John 6:44 Meaning of Verse and Simple Commentary

John 6:44
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

Explanation and Commentary of John 6:44

To be biblically faithful, a Christian has to hold an iron grip on two sides of a great paradox. On the one hand, without a doubt, to be an image-bearer of the Almighty Creator of the universe is to be a volitional being who not only can make choices but must make choices if he or she is to be faithful in anything that God requires of them. To avoid choosing is to die quickly.

On the other hand, one must hold tightly to the understanding that according to the Bible, we do not have the capacity as inheritors of original sin to choose God, rather, we will use our free choice to rebel against him unless he, seeing us as an object of his mercy, draws us. Paul presents the clearest teaching on this in Romans 9, but Jesus, in this verse, leaves no room for doubt. He also says that his disciples didn’t choose him, but rather he chose them (Jn 15:16).

An unwillingness to believe one of these great and powerful truths will not only cause the Christian to have to ignore logic and many clear statements of the Bible but will also leave a person stunted in their maturity. Furthermore, there is great hope in the idea that, because Jesus is the one who has drawn us, then it is Jesus who will be the one to “raise [us] up at the last day,” and in that is our eternal security.

Breaking Down the Key Parts of John 6:44

#1 “No one can come to me…”
The doctrine of total depravity that says “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Jn 3:23) also says that in our sin we are unable to turn to him without regeneration. Jesus said to Nicodemus that “no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (Jn 3:3). Rebirth is a work of God that we don’t have the capacity to ask for until God has already given us a new heart (Ez 36:26). It is a total work of mercy.

#2 “…unless the Father who sent me…
Jesus was “sent” by the Father to save sinners. There had to be a price paid for God to be the just and the justifier (Ro 3:26). Jesus came from the Father and went back to the Father when his work was done (Jn 12:17).

#3 “…draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
God draws men and women to Christ. They then choose by their own free will to call on his name and be saved, accompanied by an acknowledgment of their sin and need for repentance. The greatest blessing is that Jesus will raise up his own on the Day of Resurrection, or Judgement Day where we will stand on his record, and not our own.

Bible Study on John 6:44

Expert Overview of John Ch. 1-12

Biblical Translations of John 6:44

NIV
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

NLT
“For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.”

ESV
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

KJV
“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

NKJV
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”