I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me

Question

Jesus says in John 14:6 that no one can come to the Father except through him.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

However, there are a few verses that say that unless God sends the person to Jesus, he cannot come to Jesus.

John 6:37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
John 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

This is a bit of a connundrum as unless a person comes to Jesus he cannot get to God but unless God sends the person to Jesus he cannot come to Jesus.

Any help on understanding this will be helpful

God Bless

Answer 1

John 14 vs John 6 vs John 10 are discussing three different situations that should not be confused.

• John 14:6, "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." This is discussing the method by which we know and understand the Father - the greatest revelation of the Father is Jesus Christ, His love, His compassion, His grace, His forgiveness, etc. According to this text, it is impossible to know the Father any other way. This is also saying what Peter expressed that the only path to salvation is via Jesus according to Acts 4:12 -

This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ [Ps 118:22] Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

• John 6:37, 44 are plainly speaking about the simple fact that salvation is God's initiative - none of us can even begin to seek God or even be curious about spiritual things unless the Father's Spirit, the Holy Spirit draws the person. Once that person responds to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, they way we learn of God is via the Holy Spirit teaching as about Jesus, John 16:13, 14.
• John 10:29 teaches that nothing can break the bond between us and God (except our own decision of course - see earlier question on this) - we are safe in Jesus care and the father's salvation and nobody can "unsave" us.

Answer 2

No, it might seem complicated, but it really isn't.

• 'the Father who sent me draws/calls them'. He places His spirit into our life and we begin to think more like He wants us to. We begin to question our selfishness and our motives for the way we live. We might be totally unaware at this point that there even is a God - but we start to think differently and become slowly aware of this change. (for some people, this may be more of a rapid/instant understanding)

Up until this point in our lives we have been children of the world - even children of the devil as Jesus spoke to those who had trouble with the things he taught.

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

• if we are not children of God - we are children of the devil - there is no middle ground. There is no holiness in us at all, so we can't think we are 'good' people. (we are all God's children, but unless we are His by our own deliberate choice, we are carnally minded and not oriented toward His way of love, mercy, grace etc. so we remain temporarily, children of the world)

• eventually, we might answer God's call on our lives and we begin more earnestly to follow His and His word.

• the next important step is to follow the same path as those Jesus called to repent and follow him. Baptism is one of the first things we might do.

The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mk 1:15

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38

This is where Christ comes in.

If we are to formally respond to God's invitation to walk with Him, we must do it through Jesus.

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. 18The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God John 3:17

Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name (Jesus') under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

So to recap, God calls us to Himself through His son. We are unable to find God on our own - we cannot approach Jesus on our own - because we don't believe who he is - we are unable to recognise his authority or what his sacrifice has accomplished. If we DO, then God has already begun a work in us - we might not be aware of it yet.

This whole process is arranged by God. He prepared His son to be the Lamb so that all men might be saved. But that salvation is on God's (the Father) terms, not ours. We are saved in Jesus because he is the one who died.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He (God) who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus (his return). Phil 1:6

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Slightly OT, but needs to be said. This is not the only day of salvation. God is not calling everyone in this life. That's what the resurrections are for)

Answer 3

You’re reading it slightly wrong because you’re assuming how the Father draws a person.

The claim

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—” ‭‭John‬ ‭6:44-45‬ ‭

They will be taught of God. That is how God draws. And where is God’s teaching, precepts, laws, commandments found?

“When I told of my ways, you answered me; teach me your statutes! Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works. My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word! Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law! I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me. I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame! I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭119:26-32‬ ‭

The assumption you’re making is that because the Father draws a person to Christ, the person knows the Father and is in the presence of the Father already. That’s not what Jesus had in mind.

That is incorrect. The person gets drawn to Jesus by the Father THROUGH the Word.

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:14-15, 17‬ ‭

The Father draws people through the OT

Anyone who responds in faith to the OT will be led to Jesus the fulfillment of the OT.

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” ‭‭John‬ ‭14:6‬ ‭

There is a reason for this. The Father has never been seen by anyone in Creation except the Son who existed prior to Creation and exists in Creation also.

“If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”” ‭‭John‬ ‭14:7‬ ‭

The order is

1. Father reveals His plan in Scriptures
2. Whoever believes the Scriptures gets drawn by the Father through the Scriptures to Jesus
3. Whoever accepts Jesus meets the Father through Jesus.

“not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.” ‭‭John‬ ‭6:46‬ ‭

“No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” ‭‭John‬ ‭1:18‬ ‭

Answer 4

First of all, we can't expect to fully understand God.

  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 
  so are my ways higher than your ways 
  and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa. 55:9, ESV)

John 6:37 is key to answering your question. God gave to Jesus those who came to him, but Jesus does not turn away those who come to him.

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. (ESV)

Those God gives to Jesus = those who decide to come to Jesus.

On the one hand, God is sovereign and all-knowing. When he created matter, he created time from beginning to end. Yet, on the other hand, he created people responsible for their decisions. See the following scriptures.

The scriptures tell us that people decide whether to follow Christ:

that whoever believes in him may have eternal lfe. For God So Loved the World 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3:15–18, ESV)

yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 (John 5:40, ESV)

If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority (John 7:17, ESV)

but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31, ESV)

On the other hand, there are the verses that say God chose us: John 6:37,44; 10:29

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (John 15:16, ESV)

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Rom. 8:29–30, ESV)

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, (Eph. 1:4–5, ESV)