What did Jesus mean by Saying "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me"?

WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY SAYING "ALL THAT THE FATHER GIVES ME WILL COME TO ME"?

By Dr Brian H Wagner 

Does Jesus' statement in John 6:37 imply that God had determined before the foundation of the world the number and identity of sinners that would be given to Jesus? Does this text support the doctrine of double predestination held by determistic soteriology groups? 

John 6:37 speaks of the Father giving (present tense) to Christ. Therefore it would be calling Jesus a deceiver to suggest that all had already been given to Christ at that point, unless, of course, Jesus did not know the determinist doctrine very well.

If determinism was true, Jesus would have known it and He would have said – “All the Father already gave to me will come to me.” The context of John 6 clearly indicates what kind of people the Father was actively giving to the Son… They were those who were looking to the Son and believing in Him (6:40). There is nothing in this chapter about pre-creation decrees or individual election. The determinist forces those ideas into these verses because he wants to see them there.

The response of freewill is a condition that God sovereignly made part of the "giving" requirements to be met before the coming. No-one is given to Christ before creation. Remember the word "gives" in John 6:37 is in the present tense which clearly contradicts the determinist idea of some being eternally immutably given before creation.

The context points to drawing, looking at, believing in, and other things that are in the process and responses of whom the Father gives. Jesus is explaining these things to unbelievers because He wants them to keep seeking Him, but not just for food that perishes.

If you can't see that Jesus is being used by the Father in this context to draw people to a decision to trust Jesus for everlasting food, everlasting life... I certainly can't share the context any more clearly than Jesus has.

[Dr Brian H Wagner is a professor of Biblical Studies at South Florida Bible College & Seminary. He holds a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Piedmont Baptist Graduate School].