Connect John 6:64 with other scriptures on God's omniscience and human belief. Opening Verse “But there are some of you who do not believe, for Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.” (John 6:64) God Knows from the Beginning • Jesus’ knowledge is immediate and exhaustive; “had known from the beginning” leaves no gap between God’s awareness and human action. • That omniscience embraces both unbelief (“do not believe”) and specific betrayal (“who would betray Him”). • His foreknowledge is never vague data; it is personal, relational knowledge that penetrates motives and choices. Old Testament Echoes of Divine Foreknowledge • Psalm 139:1-4 — “O LORD, You have searched me and known me… before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.” • Isaiah 46:10 — God “declares the end from the beginning.” • Jeremiah 1:5 — “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” • 1 Samuel 16:7 — “The LORD looks at the heart.” These passages underline a timeless truth: nothing about a person’s future belief or unbelief ever surprises God. New Testament Testimony to Jesus’ Omniscience • John 2:24-25 — Jesus “knew all men… He Himself knew what was in man.” • John 13:11 — He “knew the one who was going to betray Him.” • Acts 1:24 — “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all.” • Hebrews 4:13 — “No creature is hidden from His sight.” Omniscience belongs to God alone; Jesus displays it openly, affirming His deity. Human Belief and Responsibility Scripture never presents divine foreknowledge as canceling human accountability. It affirms both realities side by side. • John 3:18 — “Whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” • Acts 13:48 — Those “appointed for eternal life believed,” highlighting God’s sovereign initiative married to genuine faith. • Romans 10:9-10 — Confession and belief are commanded, showing real responsibility. • 2 Timothy 2:19 — “The Lord knows those who are His,” yet “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” Christ’s perfect knowledge neither coerces unbelief nor negates the call to believe; it stands as the backdrop against which each heart’s response is revealed. Living in the Light of His Omniscience • Comfort: The One who fully knew our weaknesses still came to save (Romans 5:8). • Sobriety: Hidden unbelief is never hidden from Him (Luke 8:17). • Assurance: If He knows His own from the beginning, He also keeps them to the end (John 10:27-29). • Urgency: Today is the day to believe, because the God who already knows tomorrow graciously commands faith now (Hebrews 3:15). |
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