John 6:37—“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
In this rich and consoling promise, our Lord reveals the tenderness of His gracious welcome to Himself and the certainty of God’s saving purpose.
The verse begins with divine sovereignty: “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.” Salvation is not accidental or uncertain. Behind every sinner who comes to Christ stands the Father’s gracious giving. This means that faith itself is not self-produced, but the result of God’s gracious initiative, giving believers deep assurance that their salvation rests on God’s unchanging purpose rather than human effort or resolve. This truth also humbles human pride and assures trembling hearts that faith itself is the fruit of God’s gracious work. Those whom the Father gives to the Son will surely come: no one is lost, overlooked, or forgotten.
Yet Jesus immediately points out that those whom the Father gives will come to Christ with sincerity and eagerness. They are not dragged unwillingly, but are drawn to Christ in a way that awakens true faith, sincere repentance, and a joyful willingness to come to Him.
To such Christ grants a pastoral assurance: “and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” No sinner who comes to Christ in faith will ever be rejected. The language is emphatic: Christ will never, under any circumstance, drive away the one who comes to Him. Past sins, present weakness, and future fears are no barrier to His mercy.
Christ holds together God’s sovereign grace and the free call of the gospel. It speaks powerfully to the weary conscience of sinners to come to Him. Christ does not receive reluctantly; He welcomes willingly. He embraces the one who comes. His open arms assure every sinner that mercy, not rejection, awaits those who come to Him in faith.
For struggling believers, this promise steadies the soul. Our assurance rests not in the strength of our coming, but in the certainty of His promise. The Saviour who receives us will never cast us out.