Puritan preachers, like no other group, could write lengthy books from a single passage of Holy writ. John Bunyan, a 17th-century Puritan pastor, wrote such a masterpiece on John 6:37. His 288-page exposition digs deep into the excellencies of Christ.
How can one man mine so much truth from a single passage? Though this seems a fitting question to ask it should be asked in reverse. How can one passage of Scripture contain so much truth and what truth remains undiscovered?
Here is a sampling of his work.
“All . . . ,” not “most.” Once the Father sets his loving gaze on a wandering sinner, that sinner’s rescue is certain. “
. . .the Father . . .” Our redemption is not a matter of a gracious Son trying to calm down an uncontrollably angry Father. The Father himself ordains our deliverance. He takes the loving initiative (note v. 38). “
. . .gives . . . ,” not “haggles over.” It is the Father’s deep delight to freely entrust recalcitrant rebels into the gracious care of his Son. “
. . . will come . . .” God’s saving purpose for a sinner is never thwarted. He is never frustrated. He never runs out of resources. If the Father calls us, we will come to Christ. “
. . . and whoever comes . . .” Yet we are not robots. While the Father is clearly the sovereign overseer of our redemption, we are not dragged kicking and screaming into Christ against our will. Divine grace is so radical that it reaches down and turns around our very desires. Our eyes are opened. Christ becomes beautiful. We come to him. And anyone—“whoever”—is welcome. Come and welcome to Jesus Christ. “.
. . to me . . .” We do not come to a set of doctrines. We do not come to a church. We do not even come to the gospel. All of these are vital. But most truly, we come to a person, to Christ himself.
. . . I will cast out . . . They that are coming to Jesus Christ, are often times heartily afraid that Jesus Christ will not receive them. This observation is implied in the text. I gather it from the largeness and openness of the promise: “I will in no wise cast out.” For had there not been a proneness in us to “fear casting out,” Christ needed not to have waylaid our fear, as he does by this great and strange expression, “In no wise.”
There needed not, as I may say, such a promise to be invented by the wisdom of heaven, and worded at such a rate, as it were on purpose to dash in pieces at one blow all the objections of coming sinners, if they were not prone to admit of such objections, to the discouraging of their own souls.
For this word, “in no wise,” cuts the throat of all objections; and it was dropped by the Lord Jesus for that very end; and to help the faith that is mixed with unbelief. And it is, as it were, the sum of all promises; neither can any objection be made upon the unworthiness that you find in yourself, that this promise will not assoil.
But I am a great sinner, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ. But I am an old sinner, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ. But I am a hard-hearted sinner, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ. But I am a backsliding sinner, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ. But I have served Satan all my days, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ. But I have sinned against light, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ. But I have sinned against mercy, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ. But I have no good thing to bring with me, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
This promise was provided to answer all objections, and does answer them.
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