John 6:38-40

³⁸ For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. ⁴⁰ For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

Jesus doing the Father’s will …

Welcome to the IPC Lenten Devotional for 2022!  Our journey together, as a church family, begins today and will continue until Easter. We will study Jesus as he teaches, interacts with his disciples, works miracles to demonstrate that he is truly God the Son, and offers himself as a substitute sacrifice on the cross. The process will lead us to the truth of an empty tomb. 

We will look at not only what happened, but also, why it happened? As an answer to why this happened, Jesus repeats one specific truth three times in these three verses. Three times he tells us about his Father’s will.

First, in v. 38, he explains that the reason he came down from heaven was not just because he wanted to, but rather it was the very will of God the Father. This will of God the Father expresses his eternal love for you and me. Romans 5:8 describes it this way: But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Stop for a moment and consider deeply this expression of God the Father’s love for you. It was his will to send Jesus from heaven to earth because he loves you and me! But there’s more!

Second, in v. 39, Jesus explains the promise contained in this will of God the Father that sent him from heaven to earth. He says, “This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”   Not only does the will of God the Father demonstrate his love for us, but it also contains an eternal promise. It is the will and promise of the Father not to lose those he has given to Jesus and to raise it up on last day. Stop for a moment and consider this aspect of God the Father’s will for us. It is his love, but more. It is also his promise to both not to lose but rather to keep and to raise up on the last day.  His will is the promise of eternal life with him. Stop for a moment and consider this truth.

Third, in v. 40, Jesus again explains the will of the Father: “…the will of my Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son and believes in him should have eternal life.”  The will of the Father has also a plan and way for us to enter eternal life. His will is for us to understand what Jesus has done and to believe that he died for our sins.  We understand that he took my place and your place in giving his life as a substitute for ours by dying on the cross. …the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). And, it is exactly that specific sacrifice which God the Father accepted as complete and full payment on our behalf. God the Father did not sweep our sins under the rug or simply say, “Oh, they’re not really that bad.” No, not at all. God the Father’s will prepared a way of salvation and eternal life for us. Consider these truths!

Jesus’ own promise in v. 40 to us is: “and I will raise him up on the last day.” 
Are you ready?