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.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The word for "looks on" here isn't just casual seeing; it's a deep, earnest contemplation that prepares the heart to believe. Jesus is highlighting that true faith begins with a focused, intentional engagement with who He is, not just a fleeting glance. This active beholding, rather than passive observation, is the pathway the Father has appointed for receiving eternal life.
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.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just spoken about being the "bread of life" and how those given to Him by the Father will come to Him, and He will not cast them out. He's explaining that His coming and the Father's will are intrinsically linked, aiming to preserve all those entrusted to Him. This verse then clarifies the practical outworking of that divine will for every individual.
Jesus says it's the Father's will that everyone who 'looks on the Son' and believes should have eternal life. But what kind of 'seeing' are we talking about?
The word Jesus uses here for 'sees' isn't just a casual glance. It's more like 'to behold' or 'to contemplate' – an earnest, focused observation.
Think about it: Many people saw Jesus physically during his ministry. They saw his miracles, heard his teachings. But Jesus pointed out, 'you have also seen me, and do not believe' (John 6:36).
This means the 'seeing' that leads to eternal life isn't just about visual perception. It's about seeing with spiritual understanding, recognizing who Jesus truly is – the Son of God, the Bread of Life, the Savior. It’s the kind of seeing that prepares the heart to believe.
Jesus clearly states the Father's will in this verse. What are the two essential components that unlock eternal life?
The will of the Father, as revealed by Jesus, boils down to two interconnected actions from us: seeing (as we just discussed) and believing.
The Two Pillars:
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This is the Father's clear plan: for us to truly see and trust the Son, leading to present eternal life and future bodily resurrection.
If it's God's will and He promises to raise us up, what role do we actually play? Is it all up to Him?
This verse beautifully illustrates the partnership between God's sovereign will and human responsibility.
God's Initiative:
Our Response:
While God initiates and guarantees the eternal outcome, our response of seeing and believing is crucial. As one commentator put it, God gives the grace, but we must use it. It's not a passive waiting game; it's an active engagement with the Savior, empowered by His grace. Our believing is the evidence that we are indeed among those God has given to His Son.
Understand the original words
zōēn aiōnion · Greek Noun phrase
The divine life of God that begins for the believer at the point of faith and continues into eternity; it is defined by a restored, living relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
huios · Greek Noun
The Second Person of the Trinity, the incarnate Word, who is both fully God and fully man, through whom salvation is exclusively mediated.
This verse is a foundational statement of the Gospel, mirroring John 6:40 by linking belief in Jesus (the Son) with the gift of eternal life, highlighting God's love as the motivation.
Romans 8:29-30This passage parallels the idea of God's predestined plan for salvation, stating that those God foreknew, he predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, whom he called, justified, and glorified—a theological echo of the Father's will being carried out in salvation.
1 John 5:11-12This passage reinforces the concept that eternal life is found exclusively in God's Son, stating that whoever has the Son has life, directly supporting John 6:40's assertion that believing in the Son is the path to eternal life.
Matthew 11:28Jesus' invitation to 'come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden' speaks to the act of 'looking on the Son and believing' by presenting an accessible pathway for weary souls to find rest and life in Him, fulfilling the Father's will.
vincentJohn 6:40: "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
And this (δέ)The best texts read γὰρ, for. There is a logical connection between the last sentence and the following. The Father's will in preserving and raising up that which he has given to the Son, includes in its fulfillment the believing contemplation of the Son and its issue in eternal life.Of Him that sent m…
calvinJohn 6:34-40: "Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread."
- They said therefore to him, Lord, give us always this bread. 35. Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth in me shall never thirst. 36. But I have told you that you have also seen me and do not believe. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will not cast out; 38. For I came down from heaven, not to do my own w…
The word for "looks on" here isn't just casual seeing; it's a deep, earnest contemplation that prepares the heart to believe. Jesus is highlighting that true faith begins with a focused, intentional engagement with who He is, not just a fleeting glance. This active beholding, rather than passive observation, is the pathway the Father has appointed for receiving eternal life.
Jesus has just spoken about being the "bread of life" and how those given to Him by the Father will come to Him, and He will not cast them out. He's explaining that His coming and the Father's will are intrinsically linked, aiming to preserve all those entrusted to Him. This verse then clarifies the practical outworking of that divine will for every individual.
Jesus has just spoken about being the "bread of life" and how those given to Him by the Father will come to Him, and He will not cast them out. He's explaining that His coming and the Father's will are intrinsically linked, aiming to preserve all those entrusted to Him. This verse then clarifies the practical outworking of that divine will for every individual.
"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.”" — The word for "looks on" here isn't just casual seeing; it's a deep, earnest contemplation that prepares the heart to believe. Jesus is highlighting that true faith begins with a focused, intentional…
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Last reviewed October 2026