“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
Parallel translations
- WEB No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day.
- KJV No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
- ESV No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
- NKJV No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
- NASB No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
- NLT For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
No one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him, and He will raise that person up at the last day. This verse teaches that saving faith depends on God's gracious initiative.
Overview
Jesus declares the inability of sinners to come to Him by their own power; the Father must draw them. This drawing is effective, for all who are drawn are promised resurrection. The verse is a cornerstone of the Reformed understanding of grace, yet it also extends the sure hope of being raised to all whom the Father brings to the Son.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 21
- John 6:65Then Jesus said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him.”
- Matt 11:25–27At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
- John 6:39–40And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day.
- Eph 2:4–10But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
- Matt 16:17Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven.
- John 12:32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw everyone to Myself.”
- John 6:45It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to Me—
- Titus 3:3–5For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
- Jer 31:3The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving devotion.
- John 5:44How can you believe if you accept glory from one another, yet do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
- Hos 11:4I led them with cords of kindness, with ropes of love; I lifted the yoke from their necks and bent down to feed them.
- John 3:3–7Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
- Col 2:12And having been buried with Him in baptism, you were raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.
- John 12:37–40Although Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still did not believe in Him.
- Rom 8:7–8because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
- Phil 1:29For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him,
- John 8:43Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.
- Song 1:4Take me away with you—let us hurry! May the king bring me to his chambers. We will rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love more than wine. It is only right that they adore you.
- Isa 44:18–20They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand.
- Jer 13:23Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Neither are you able to do good—you who are accustomed to doing evil.
- Matt 12:34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 6:44 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.
How traditions read this
Is saving grace effectual (Calvinism) or resistible (Arminianism)?
Conversion is wholly God''s work — we cannot come by our own reason or strength — yet God sincerely wills all to be saved, and the lost resist. Lutherans refuse to teach election to damnation.
Key points · Monergism in salvation; universal saving will; no double predestination.
Formula of Concord, Art. II, XI
God''s grace goes before everyone, enabling a real response (prevenient grace) — but it can be resisted. The drawing is genuine and universal, not irresistible.
Key points · "I will draw all people to myself" (Jn 12:32); grace resistible; conditional response.
Jacobus Arminius; John Wesley · The Remonstrance
"No one can come unless the Father draws him" — and all whom the Father draws do come (6:37). Saving grace is effectual: God renews the will so the sinner freely and surely chooses Christ.
Key points · The drawing of 6:44 is effective; "all that the Father gives me will come" (6:37); monergism.
Augustine; Calvin · Canons of Dort
Through "middle knowledge" God knows what each person would freely do in any circumstance, and orders the world to accomplish his purposes without overriding free will.
Key points · God''s knowledge of counterfactual free choices; sovereignty and freedom held together.
Luis de Molina; William Lane Craig
Each view is stated as that tradition would put it, with representative sources. Limitless Word presents them side by side and endorses none — see the methodology.