THE GOSPEL: Flesh & Blood, Really?

The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” (John 6:52)

Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. (John 6:53-59) Jesus did not mean for us to become cannibals, which we now understand, but hearing this didn't make sense to them.  As we've studied previously, Jesus explained, Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. (Matthew 13:13; see THE GOSPEL: Jesus Teaches in Parables! Why?)

 

Jesus had just made clear that the ultimate purpose for God sending Him was for Him to be the final  sacrifice for sin.  (see THE GOSPEL: Can We Handle the Truth) When He says eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, He's saying that if we want to be saved and have an eternal relationship with God the Father, we have to accept Him and His sacrifice.  There are no other ways or alternatives.  All paths do not lead to God; only believing the Word of God, in Christ Jesus does!  Jesus is also the fulfillment of the Levitical commandment regarding tresspass and peace offerings.  An offering was made by the priests on behalf of the people for their trespasses and sins, and also to reconile and restore peace between them and God, which is exactly what Christ does for us. Those sacrifices, Every male among the priests may eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy. The trespass offering is like the sin offering; there is one law for them both: the priest who makes atonement with it shall have it. The flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day it is offered. He shall not leave any of it until morning. Moreover you shall not eat any blood in any of your dwellings, whether of bird or beast. Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people. (Leviticus 7:6-7, 15, 26-27)

Levitical law required the eating of the flesh of the sacrifice but not drinking the blood. For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.(Hebrews 10:1, 4; see HEBREWS: The Perfect Sacrifice, pt2 ) Only the blood of Jesus would be able to take away sins. Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” (John 6:60-65)

Well, this is the point in Jesus' ministry where, as the old saying goes, "the rubber meets the road". We must remember, These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.  He's speaking to devout Jews and Jewish religious leaders.  And basically He's telling them everything they've been taught to do and had been doing for nearly 2,000 years will be fulfilled by His death. We all know some people, and maybe we ourselves are this way, where we're more interested in acting religious than actually making sure we're righteous, right with God. From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve. (John 6:66-71) After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. (John 7:1)

 

Let's proclaim, just like Peter did, Lord, to whom shall we go? ... You are the Christ, the Son of the living God! Choose to accept Christ Jesus' free gift of salvation today; Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day!