John 5:40
yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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John 5:40
yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Jesus points out a startling contradiction: the people he’s speaking to are diligently searching the Scriptures, believing life is found there, yet they actively refuse to come to Him, the very Source and substance of that life. It’s not about lacking information; it's about a willful opposition to where true life is actually found.
Jesus has just revealed himself as the source of eternal life, directly challenging the religious leaders who claim to find it in their study of the Scriptures. He points out that while they meticulously examine the Old Testament, they refuse to acknowledge him, the very Messiah the Scriptures testify about. This verse highlights their stubborn refusal to accept Jesus, despite all the evidence, as the ultimate reason they remain spiritually dead.
You might be searching everywhere for meaning, for purpose, for 'life.' This verse points to a singular source, a place you might be overlooking.
Jesus confronts the religious leaders who were meticulously studying the Scriptures, believing they held the key to eternal life. But Jesus reveals a crucial truth: while the Scriptures testify to Him, they aren't the ultimate source of life itself. Life, true abundant life, is found exclusively in coming to Jesus. He isn't just a teacher about life; He is life. The pursuit of life without Him is like admiring a map without ever taking the journey to the destination.
You can know all the right answers, follow all the rules, and still miss the point. What's the real reason people turn away from life?
Jesus pinpoints the core issue: 'ye will not come.' This isn't about an intellectual inability to understand, or a lack of information. The commentaries highlight that the problem lies in the will – a stubborn determination, an active refusal. They were capable of coming, they searched the Scriptures pointing to Jesus, but they were unwilling. This willful blindness or obstinacy is the deepest barrier. It’s easier to blame external factors, but Jesus points to our own internal resistance as the true obstacle to receiving the life He offers.
Understand the original words
zōē · Greek Noun
The fundamental essence of life, both physical and spiritual. Spiritually, it is found only in union with God through Jesus Christ, who is the Resurrection and the Life.
This verse arises during Jesus' earthly ministry, a time when many Jewish leaders, despite their deep study of the Scriptures, were unwilling to accept Jesus as the promised Messiah and the source of eternal life.
c. 20-30 AD— this verse
Jesus' Public Ministry in Judea
Jesus begins his public ministry, teaching, healing, and calling disciples in Judea and Galilee, directly challenging the religious establishment.
c. 30-33 AD
Jesus' Confrontations with Religious Leaders
Jesus engages in numerous debates and confrontations with Jewish leaders, particularly concerning his authority, his claims, and his understanding of the Law and the Sabbath.
c. 33 AD
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
Jesus is arrested, crucified in Jerusalem, and then resurrected, a pivotal event in Christian belief and the basis for the offer of 'life'.
This passage speaks of God raising up a prophet like Moses, to whom the people should listen. John 5:40 highlights the people's refusal to 'come' to Jesus, even though the Old Testament scriptures (like Deuteronomy) testified about Him and pointed towards Him as the source of life.
Matthew 11:28Jesus issues a direct invitation here: 'Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' John 5:40 presents the tragic counterpoint – the stubborn refusal to accept this very invitation, despite the promise of life.
John 3:19This verse states that people love darkness rather than light because their works are evil. John 5:40 echoes this sentiment, showing that the refusal to come to Jesus for life is a choice rooted in a deeper unwillingness to embrace His light and truth.
Romans 10:14-17This passage emphasizes that people cannot believe in Jesus without someone preaching about Him and that faith comes from hearing the message. John 5:40 shows the failure of the Jews to believe and come to Jesus, even though the Scriptures they searched were meant to lead them to Him.
barnesJohn 5:40: "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."
And ye will not come ... - Though the Old Testament bears evidence that I am the Messiah; though you professedly search it to learn the way to life, and though my works prove it, yet you will not come to me to obtain life. From this we may learn: 1. that life is to be obtained in Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and he only can save us. 2. that, in order to do that, we must "come to him" - that is, must come in the…
calvinJohn 5:37-40: "And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape."
- And the Father who hath sent me, himself hath testified concerning me; you have never heard his voice, or seen his shape. 38. And you have not his word abiding in you; for whom he hath sent, him you believe not. 39. Search the Scriptures; for you think that you have eternal life in them: and they are they which testify concerning me. 40. And…
Jesus points out a startling contradiction: the people he’s speaking to are diligently searching the Scriptures, believing life is found there, yet they actively refuse to come to Him, the very Source and substance of that life. It’s not about lacking information; it's about a willful opposition to where true life is actually found.
Jesus has just revealed himself as the source of eternal life, directly challenging the religious leaders who claim to find it in their study of the Scriptures. He points out that while they meticulously examine the Old Testament, they refuse to acknowledge him, the very Messiah the Scriptures testify about. This verse highlights their stubborn refusal to accept Jesus, despite all the evidence, as the ultimate reason they remain spiritually dead.
Jesus has just revealed himself as the source of eternal life, directly challenging the religious leaders who claim to find it in their study of the Scriptures. He points out that while they meticulously examine the Old Testament, they refuse to acknowledge him, the very Messiah the Scriptures testify about. This verse highlights their stubborn refusal to accept Jesus, despite all the evidence, as the ultimate reason they remain spiritually dead.
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"yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life." — Jesus points out a startling contradiction: the people he’s speaking to are diligently searching the Scriptures, believing life is found there, yet they actively refuse to come to Him, the very Sourc…