• Christ's submission to the Father's will is the cure for human pride. Only the humble are truly "given" by the Father and will not be rejected by the Son.

• The "Bread of Life" refers to Christ's Divinity that grants life not cut short by death. Belief in Him brings complete and eternal spiritual satisfaction.

• The tragedy of the crowd was their rejection of Christ despite seeing His miracles and hearing His Word. Their failure to believe stemmed from a deficiency in their own will.

• Faith in the Son grants immediate spiritual life, which is sealed by the promise of the physical resurrection of the body "on the last day."

Christ's Power

St. Augustine interprets verse 37 as a statement of Christ's sovereign power.

• The failure of some (like the unbelieving crowd) does not negate God's plan for the whole body of the people of God.

• Salvation is ensured because "everything that the Father gives Me will come to Me."

• The promise, "and I will not reject anyone who comes to me," provides complete assurance. Christ's acceptance of those given to Him is absolute.

St. Bede focuses on the word "All" in verse 37 [3] to explain the certainty for the saved.

• Christ uses the word "All," absolutely, to show the fullness of the number of those who believe. This signifies that every single person the Father inspires will certainly come to the Jesus.

• The Father "gives" these people to the Son not by a physical transfer, but through His "secret inspiration."

Alcuin of York elaborates on the mechanism of salvation:

• The Father's action, the believer's response, and the Son's promise.

  1. "Whoever the Father draws to believe in Me" emphasizes the the first movement of faith comes from the grace of God the Father. 

  2. The person who is drawn "by faith, shall come to Me, that he may be joined to Me." This shows that faith is the human means of responding to the Father's divine call.

  3. Those who come to Christ "in the steps of faith and good works," Christ "will not reject."

St. Augustine vividly describes the "inner place" promised by Christ.

• The inner place, where there will not be rejection, is "a great sanctuary, a secret chamber" that has no weariness (exhaustion), bitterness (evil thoughts or sorrow), or cross (pain or temptation).

• This final, unwavering state of eternal security is the fulfillment of the promise: "Enter you into the joy of your Lord" [4]

The Father and the Son

St. John Chrysostom delves into the intricate relationship between the Father's giving/will and the individual's belief/free will in salvation.

• The phrase "that the Father gives Me" from verse 37:

  1. Belief is "not the work of human cogitation," but requires a "revelation from on high" and a "mind devout enough to receive the revelation."

  2. However, those whom the Father does not give are "not free from blame." Their failure to believe stems from a deficiency in what "lies in their own power, the will to believe."

  3. Not believing in the Son is a virtual rebuke because it demonstrates that the person "transgresses the Father's will."

• "For I came down from heaven not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me" verse 38:

  1. There are not two separate wills between Father and Son, just one - the will of God. The will of the Father and of the Son are identical.

  2. Christ says He came to do nothing but the Father's will to show the unity of their purpose (salvation) and to reassure the listeners that He is acting with divine authority and not against God.

• Touching on a concept from St. Paul (from 1 Cor 15:24 "the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God and the Father...")

  1. When the Son "gives up the kingdom to God, even the Father," this does not mean He loses anything, just as the Father, "in giving, does not take from Himself."

  2. The Son is said to "give up to the Father" because it is through Him that humanity "are brought to the Father."

St. Augustine interprets Christ's submission to the Father's will as the essential remedy for human pride.

• The ultimate reason Christ "does not cast out those who come to Him" is His perfect humility.

  1. Human sin and separation from God began because the soul "was proud." "Pride casts us out, humility restores us."

  2. A doctor only provides a temporary cure if he treats the outward symptoms and ignores the root cause. Pride is the "cause then of all diseases."

• To eradicate pride, the Son of God himself "humbled Himself."

  1. "Why are you proud, O man? The Son of God humbled Himself for you." If a person finds it shameful to imitate a humble human, they should at least "imitate at least a humble God."

  2. The ultimate proof of Christ's humility is His absolute submission: "I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me."

  3. "Pride does its own will; humility the will of God."

St. Hilary of Poitiers serves to safeguard the doctrine of the unity of will within the Godhead.

• Christ is not doing something He does not wish to do.

• He "fulfills obediently His Father's will," and He does so because He is "wishing also Himself to fulfill that will."

St. Augustine establishes a direct link between Christ's submission and His promise.

• Christ came to teach humility "by being humble Myself."

• The person who comes to Christ "is made a member of Me, and necessarily humble," mirroring Christ by choosing not to do his own will, but the will of God.

• The person who was "cast out, as proud," and returns humble "is not sent away, except for pride again."

• Christ's commitment not to lose anything is a reflection of the Father's absolute will to save the humble: "And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me."

  1. "Every one of an humble mind is given to Him." All the saved are humble, the humble are the saved.

  2. The "swelling ones" (the proud) may perish, but "of the little ones none can" because "except you be as a little child, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." [5]

Christ's Assurance

St. Augustine interprets Christ's promise not to lose what the Father has given Him. [6]

• The saved are considered the "sons of God" even "before their new birth, or before they are born at all," by virtue of God's eternal purpose and providence. 

• Their salvation is certain and guaranteed by God's "unerring providence," meaning they "cannot possibly perish."

• Christ gives them "perseverance in good to the end." This gift of perseverance is given "only to those who will not perish." Conversely, "Those who do not persevere will perish."

St. John Chrysostom explains the purpose of Christ's assurance.

• Christ's assertion, "I should not lose anything," is intended to let believers know that He does not desire "his own honor, but their salvation."

• The resurrection is necessary because, as the Gospels testify, the wicked "will be cast out" in the general resurrection and judgment.

• Christ often mentions the resurrection to warn men "not to judge of God’s providence from present events." Believers must "carry on their ideas to another world," where God's ultimate plan for salvation and justice will be fully revealed.

St. Augustine details the concept of the "twofold resurrection" and emphasizes the unity of faith in the Father and the Son.

• The First Resurrection (Spiritual):

  1. This occurs by "becoming humble, and a member of Me" (Christ).

  2. It is the spiritual passing over to life, experienced immediately through faith: "by believing, by passing over to life." This is the acquisition of everlasting life in the present.

• The Second Resurrection (Physical):

  1. This is the physical raising of the body.

  2. This is what Christ refers to when He says, "But I shall raise him on the last day."

• Although Christ does not explicitly say believe in the Father, it is "the same thing to believe in the Father, and in the Son. For as the Father has life in Himself, even so has He given to the Son to have life in Himself."