John 6:40 - Exposition

For £ this is the will of my Father £ (or, of him that sent me ), that every one ( πᾶς , instead of the πᾶν of John 6:37 , John 6:39 ), treated separately and individually, who beholdeth—i . e . steadily and continuously contemplates— the Son (here he identifies himself with the revelation of the sonship in his own Person) and believeth on him — i . e . entrusts himself in a full moral surrender to the Son (the εἰς αὐτόν must be here especially noticed) as thus revealed— should have eternal life . This is the sublime law of Divine arrangement, and the fullest expression of the will of the Father. " Behold and trust ." These are the conditions. The steady gaze, the full perception of the Divine Son-ship that is adequately expressed in the Son of man, issues by a Divine arrangement in life eternal. The blessedness of the life of faith, its elevation above the conditions of corruption and decay, are not all which he promises, for he added, And , that I should raise him (not "it;" cf. John 6:39 ) at the last day.

It is not improbable, as we have seen, that our Lord uttered these verses (37-40) to the innermost circle of his followers. The first discourse closes with John 6:36 . The disciples looked with eager and inquisitive glances at each other and at their Lord, and received these teachings of the Lord concerning the relation he was sustaining to the Father, and the claim he made to be the Almoner of the mercy and minister of the judgment of him that sent him. This great utterance corresponds with the celebrated synoptic recital ( Matthew 11:26 , Matthew 11:27 ).