The Meaning of John 6:44: Must the Father Draw Us to Christ?

So, how many disciples did He have by the end of His ministry? Keep in mind that this was God in the flesh, not some amateur theologian. And one source says about 3 million people were living in Galilee, where He evangelized. 

Jesus, however, was not surprised. He understood why some in His audience became loyal followers while others didn’t. 

In fact, He tells us the reason: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44).

The meaning of John 6:44 clarifies what coming to Christ entails, how the Father makes it possible and the ultimate reward of the Christian path.

“Come to Me”

Many people literally came to Christ when He walked the earth. 

Peter, Andrew, James and John left their fishing nets and followed Him (Matthew 4:20). Zacchaeus came down from his tree and followed Him (Luke 19:6). Crowds numbering in the thousands also followed, forcing Him to slip away on occasion in order to be alone (Matthew 14:13).

But the majority of those who came with Him were never really with Him (John 2:24).

God the Father must first invite an individual before he or she can respond.  Many people were simply drawn by the thrill of the ride. They wanted to have a front-row seat to various miracles, to be impressed by a skilled speaker—or even just to enjoy a free meal. Of course, nothing made their shallow commitment more apparent than when the crowds who once followed Him protested in solidarity, “Crucify Him!” (Luke 23:21). 

It speaks volumes about the fickle and self-centered nature of people that so few remained dedicated after His death. Most simply never progressed toward what Jesus had in mind when He said, “Follow Me” (Matthew 8:22). 

His call was to genuine repentance, faith and a complete surrender to His authority. 

Coming to Christ is more than joining a throng, as it was interpreted in the past, or merely walking down a church aisle to make an emotion-filled confession, as it is often interpreted today. 

Jesus wanted—and still wants—unconditional submission to His teachings and the way of life they represent (Luke 6:46).

But the Bible is clear about why that message has such little reach. 

God the Father must first invite an individual before he or she can respond. 

“Unless the Father draws him”

Much of traditional Christianity ignores this important qualifier. But Jesus made it abundantly clear: It is the Father, not anyone else, who draws someone to Jesus Christ. The decision is His. God is responsible for whom to draw (or call) and when. 

The gravity of this truth is such that Jesus even repeated it in verse 65: “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” 

Verses 44 and 65 hammer the same point but from slightly different angles. When we put the scriptures together, an image begins to emerge. The Father both gives the nod regarding who can become a Christian and personally initiates the process. In other words, every legitimate conversion rests in the hands of God the Father. 

Two New Testament terms that describe Christians emphasize this point. 

The second word is elect. It describes a group that has been chosen or selected for a particular purpose. Again, the mere existence of a chosen group implies the exclusion of others—for now. 

Both concepts intersect in a passage about Christians: “Those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14).

The weight of scriptural evidence drives home the idea that coming to Christ is a spiritual operation, set in motion by the Father.

But how does God draw people?

The short answer is, by exposing them to the gospel message and working in their minds so they can comprehend its magnitude. How each person comes into contact with the gospel varies. Some may finally dig into a Bible they have owned for years; others hear it from a friend, relative or minister; and still others learn it from a website or another type of media.

No matter how it’s introduced, every individual must first hear the Word of God, whether spoken or read. This is the point Paul makes in Romans 10:17: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Then God leads the person to be convinced of his or her sins and to recognize the need to repent (Romans 2:4). 

“And I will raise him up at the last day”

The first part of this verse tells us what the Father does; the second part explains what Christ will do. Jesus promised to raise up, or resurrect, all whom God draws—all truly converted Christians.

An earlier statement makes this clear: “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40, emphasis added).

Jesus continually stressed the cost of following Him. He called it a narrow and challenging way (Matthew 7:14). He taught that it required total obedience (Matthew 19:17).

He warned us that we might have to sacrifice close relationships (Matthew 19:29). He predicted that we would be persecuted (Matthew 24:9). He demanded that we be willing, if necessary, to forfeit our own lives for His sake (Luke 14:26).

But the precious gift of eternal life was also foundational to His message. Several scriptures show He never minimized that:  

• John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
• Matthew 25:46: “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
• John 5:24: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life.”
• John 3:36: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life.”
• Matthew 19:29: “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.”

Was Jesus speaking literally or figuratively? Unfortunately, heretics, intent on harassing the early Church, spread the latter teaching and tried to undermine the truth of the resurrection (2 Timothy 2:18). But the apostles—the Christian pillars—were convinced that Jesus was speaking literally. They fought to keep the hope of the resurrection alive in the early converts.

Notice the apostle Paul’s certainty: “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

He knew eternal life was in store for him and the other faithful disciples.

To learn more about this vital truth, read “The Gift of Eternal Life.” 

Answer the call

Since few in the Christian world believe that God must draw, many have presumptuously taken it into their hands to try to convert as many as they can. So, social gatherings can sometimes be transformed into arenas for heated debates, where feelings are hurt and relationships are strained.

Many who practice this have not themselves been drawn by God (Matthew 7:21-23).

No one can logically persuade another to become a Christian because the decision to draw belongs to the Father. He has decided to draw relatively few for now, but He promises to draw the whole world to Christ at another time (Jeremiah 31:34).

But what about you? Is what you’re learning from the Bible beginning to make sense?

If you believe these truths and see the need to dig deeper and learn more, then God is probably calling you. He is calling you to an understanding of things hidden from the vast majority of mankind now, and He is calling you to a personal relationship with Him and His Son.

If you want to answer the call, see our booklet Change Your Life.

Date Posted: August 12, 2024