John 5:40
“And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Despite all the witness, people will not come to Jesus to have life.
Context
This is the saddest verse in the passage: Jesus acknowledges the tragedy of human refusal.
What Does John 5:40 Mean?
The witnesses are arrayed: the Father, the Scriptures, the works of power, the testimony of John. All point to one invitation: Come to me. Yet Jesus sees what will happen - and what happens throughout history - that many will not come. It is not that the way is unclear but that the heart is unwilling. Coming to Jesus means surrender, repentance, the willingness to be changed. It means letting go of self-righteousness and receiving grace. It means trusting that he knows better than we do. Some resist this cost. Some prefer their own understanding. Some cling to power or pride or old certainties.
The word 'will not' is devastating - it is a choice, not a circumstance. We are not prevented from coming by ignorance or darkness, but by our own refusal. Yet this verse is also an invitation: the fact that it is refusal, not inability, means we can choose otherwise.
Application
At some point, each of us faces this choice: will I come to Jesus, or will I turn away? The invitation stands. The cost is real. Our response determines everything.