Discovery BoxJohn 6:44-46 
Context6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, 1 and I will raise him up at the last day. 6:45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ 2 Everyone who hears and learns from the Father 3 comes to me. 6:46 (Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God – he 4 has seen the Father.) 5
1 tn Or “attracts him,” or “pulls him.” The word is used of pulling or dragging, often by force. It is even used once of magnetic attraction (A. Oepke, TDNT 2:503).
sn The Father who sent me draws him. The author never specifically explains what this “drawing” consists of. It is evidently some kind of attraction; whether it is binding and irresistible or not is not mentioned. But there does seem to be a parallel with 6:65, where Jesus says that no one is able to come to him unless the Father has allowed it. This apparently parallels the use of Isaiah by John to reflect the spiritual blindness of the Jewish leaders (see the quotations from Isaiah in John 9:41 and 12:39-40).
2 sn A quotation from Isa 54:13.
3 tn Or “listens to the Father and learns.”
4 tn Grk “this one.”
5 sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author. Although some would attribute these words to Jesus himself, the switch from first person in Jesus’ preceding and following remarks to third person in v. 46 suggests that the author has added a clarifying comment here.
