John 6:40
“And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Context
Within the bread of life discourse, Jesus describes the Father's will concerning those who believe. He repeats the promise to raise believers at the last day, a refrain throughout this chapter.
What Does John 6:40 Mean?
John 6:40 states the Father's will plainly: everyone who sees the Son and believes on him should have everlasting life and be raised up at the last day. Jesus grounds the offer of salvation not in chance or in human merit but in the settled desire of God himself.
"This is the will of him that sent me" tells us that what follows is exactly what God wants. And what God wants is breathtakingly open: "every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him." To "see" the Son here means more than physical sight; it means to perceive who he truly is. Coupled with believing, this recognition leads to "everlasting life" -- the same present possession Jesus has promised throughout. Then comes a further promise that reaches beyond this life: "I will raise him up at the last day." Jesus repeats this pledge of resurrection like a refrain in this chapter, assuring believers that the life he gives is not even interrupted by death. He himself will raise them. So the verse spans the whole arc of salvation: God's gracious will, the human response of seeing and believing, present everlasting life, and a future resurrection secured by Christ's own hand.
In the Original Language
The Greek "thelema" (will) denotes purpose or desire -- here, God's settled intention. "Theoron" (seeth) means to behold or perceive, and "anasteso" (will raise up) refers to resurrection.
Cross References
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
- John 6:37
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”
- John 11:25
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16
Application
God's own will is that you, seeing and believing in the Son, would have everlasting life. Rest in a salvation rooted in his desire and secured by Christ's promise to raise you up.
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