John 6: 52-59
52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 53 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Observations for Living Today:
Jesus spoke not to the crowd on the street, but to those who followed Him into the synagogue. God provides a visible witness to the whole world (Ro 1:18), but He only communicates with those who really believe He exists, who by seeking Him and knocking on His door ask to be taught (Mt 7:7, Lk 11:9, Heb 8:11, 10:16 & 11:6). Jesus spoke God’s truth to the people gathered in the Capernaum Synagogue; facts that cannot be refuted, ever. Knowing He always spoke to the people in parables (Mt 13:35 & Mk 4:34), the confusion of those trying to understand prompted a legitimate question—“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Regarding how God reveals His plan to those who believe Him.
Each question the crowd asked God answered, expanding their spiritual understanding of the unseen reality of the heavenly Father. His answers presumed they recognize the truth of His statements in light of God’s relationship with Israel.
God reveals His plan to redeem man in understandable steps, although the final picture remains hidden even to the angels in heaven. Each revealed step moves mankind toward a fuller understanding of God’s glory (Heb 11:40 & 1 Pet 1:12).
God works gradually over time so man can understand Him, albeit not completely, at least accurately; we know in part, through a veil, and eventually we will understand God even as we are understood by Him, because Jesus removes the veil and makes God known (I Cor 13:12 & 2 Cor 3:16).
Consider how the picture came into focus over time by looking at what God said to Adam, Eve and Satan just before putting them out of the Garden of Eden. Before the first day of the world’s journey through the wilderness began, God told them of their victory over sin. The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, . . I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring (seed) and hers; he will crush (strike) your head, and you will strike his heel (Gen 3:15).” What a better picture we have today regarding the reality of His words—how much easier it is to understand how the offspring of Satan injures the offspring of Eve, and the offspring of Eve crushes/destroys the offspring of Satan (Rev 12 :11; Col 2:15 & 3:4; Ro 16:20; Heb 2:14; 1 Jn 3:8; Rev 3:21).
In the past God spoke through prophets, but now He speaks through His Son (Heb 1:3; Ro 16:26; 1 Cor 2:13; Eph 3:11; Col 1:27; 2:2, 15 & 3:1-3). Jesus spoke in parables for a reason: so each person who believed God could understand the truth He was revealing (Mt 13:11, 35; & 21:45; Mk 4:11 & 33; Lk 8:10 & Lk 10:21; 1 Cor 1:19, 27-30). Notice some believed His message, while others recognized the message as a threat to their power and status as leaders.
Jesus did not reveal everything, but only what was necessary according to God’s eternal plan. Even when the Apostle/disciples sat face to face with Jesus they were not able to be told everything He wanted them to know, because it was not time for it to be told. First He had to return to the Father; then when He came back, they would see Him again and would indeed rejoice in God’s power as He continued teaching them everything they need to know—each revelation of truth in its proper time (Jn 14:28). Know this—the part of God’s plan which is hidden, remains undisclosed for a very good reason and will only be revealed when, in God’s wisdom, it is beneficial for mankind to know it (Lk 10:21 & 1 Cor 2).
Do not be afraid of not knowing or understanding every part of God’s plan. Even Jesus did not know every part of God’s plan (Mt 24:36 & Mk 13:32), but He continued to trust God completely (Heb 2:17; 4:15 & 5:8). Because He was made like us in every way, we have an irrefutable example of what it takes to live a life of faith. Jesus always believed God could do what He said, just as He did, so we must do—to show we also believe what God has said is true (1 Pe 1:7 & Jas 1).
Regarding eating the flesh of Christ and drinking His blood.
Jesus did not suggest cannibalism; He never intended a literal interpretation of a physical act nor in a meta-physical sense like the magic of “transubstantiation” proclaimed by the Roman Catholic Church Councils (Fourth Council of the Lateran and Council of Trent).
The Catholic Church appears to have fallen into the same trap identified by Jesus, in which Judaism traded the will/purpose of God for the traditions of men. When God’s purpose was not understood, out of ignorance or when perceived as not supporting adequately the political/national interest of the leadership, additional interpretations and explanations were necessary, because God’s message was obviously not sufficient to the current circumstance. Consider the difference between a knowable fact and an assumption. An assumption is something thought to be true, because within the confines of the human experience it cannot be proven—i.e., absolutely unknowable. God’s words are absolute truth—facts; the human traditions explaining the what, how and why are unnecessary assumptions. By arguing over what happens to the bread and wine during a religious ritual, the spirit/intent of God’s words were set aside for a tradition taught by men trying to merge political and religious interests (Mk 7:6-9 & Mt 24:48-49). A better understanding of God’s spirit/intent is found by considering everything God taught us about the Body and Blood of Jesus:
- What Jesus said to the crowd following Him from the feeding of five thousand (Jn 6);
- What Jesus said to institute the “Lord’s Supper” (Mt 26:26; Mk 14:22; Lk 22:19);
- What happened on the road to Emmaus when two disciples recognized Jesus when He broke bread and gave it to them (Lk 24:30);
- What the Apostles taught us about eating the body and blood of Christ until Jesus comes again (1 Co 10:4, 16-18; 11:23-33).
Summary: everything Jesus said was true, but not as man interprets; Christ is the only teacher—from heaven He feeds us the words which proceed from the mouth of God—there is no other way, truth or life.
The kingdom of God is not about food and drink; it is about the spiritual things of God (Jn 7:37-40; Mt 6:25, 31-33). Jesus spoke to the crowd in the synagogue about spiritual food, not the flesh and blood of His physical body. Even when He ordained this ritual, His physical body (flesh and blood) was alive standing before them and He made no mention of the bread and wine being transformed or changed; nor did He say anything about such an act when He appeared before His Apostles and showed them He had real flesh and bones by asking them for food to eat (Lk 24:39). Consider what Jesus said about being fed by the Father:
- “I have food to eat you know nothing about. . . My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (Jn 4:32, 34)
- “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” (Jn 6:27)
- “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (Jn 6:29)
Summary: food is the work to be done and the work is to believe the one sent by God from heaven.
John 6 records how Jesus takes a disciple from the known to unknown; from human wisdom to spiritual truth. Jesus repeats the theme of His message to the crowd when He fed the five thousand: God feeds man not just with bread for the body, but also by every “word” proceeding from God’s mouth. There is perhaps no greater lesson for the church to learn than this. Manna in the wilderness was a sign of God’s power—a shadow of the reality to come in Jesus:
- God calls out to man: You cannot understand unless the Father draws you (Jn 6:44 & 65).
- Man must believe God: Those who learn from the Father come to Jesus (Jn 6:45).
- Man must be born of God to enter His kingdom: Only Spirit gives birth to spirit (Jn 3:3).
- Man must believe the one sent by God: Those who receive and believe in Jesus are born of God (Jn 1:13 & 5:24).
- Man must be fed by God to sustain life: Those who feed on the Bread from Heaven, who do what the word says, are living by faith, knowing they are dependent upon God for life (Deut 8:3; Mt 4:4; Lk 4:4).
Summary: only those who hear God and believe what He says, learn spiritual things; those who are born of God come to the one sent by God and feed on every word that comes from His mouth.
Reality in Christ:
As a Christian, reality begins and ends in believing what God said. I do not need to know or understand what God’s plan is for the whole world or even my life, for me to believe God; I only have to know God exists and His words are true. I do not need to know how God is going to do what He said; I just need to believe He can do it. I do not need to know why God does what He does; I just need to know God loves me as His child. Faith believes with certainty what God says is true; not requiring knowledge of what His plan is and how or why He is going to do it is a measure of the quality of one’s faith!
Just as Abraham believed what God said and lived by faith, so I must believe God (Ro 4:22). It had been 24 years since God promised to give Canaan to Abraham’s offspring, yet he still believed God would give him a son, even when He was 100 years old and his wife Sarah was 90 years old—well beyond child bearing age (Gen 12:7 & 17:17). He also believed whatever God wanted him to do would not interfere with the covenant God had with him, to bless the world though his son Isaac, therefore, when told to sacrifice him, He knew doing so would result in Isaac being returned to him—nothing could stop God’s promise from being fulfilled (Gen 22:1-19; Heb 11:17-19).
What does reality in Christ look like today? Whatever is happening to you day to day, know this, Jesus has spoken to the world and everything He said is true. We know God heard everything Jesus prayed for and the Father always answered His prayers. So the world would know God sent Jesus, He asked the Father to do some very specific things and He promised some awesome results for those who believed the message of the Apostles (Jn 17:20-26):
- That God would make them one, just as the Father was in Him and He was in the Father;
* So we would be in them and share the glory the Father gave Him in being one with God;
* So we would experience the full love God dwelling within us—the same love God had for the Son before the creation of the world;
* So we would know God loves us just like He loved Jesus;
- That we would be with Jesus where He is and see His glory;
- That Jesus would continually make the Father known to us;
* So the love God had for Jesus would dwell in us;
* So He Himself would dwell in us.
Whether you know how or why what God said will happen, know for sure it will happen! Therefore know these words to be true:
- "For my flesh is real food and my bloois real drink"--His body (flesh and blood) given in obedience, speaks then and now, the words of God so you can know the Father.
- "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him"--Enables one who believes to become one with Him; He dwells with you and you with Him—you are where He is and He is where you are and you cannot be separated.
- "Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me"—this life comes from God and is sustained by believing in the one He sent.
- "This is the bread that came down from heaven. . . he who feeds on this bread will live forever"—life begins now and you live forever; nothing can get between you and God’s love—you are more than victorious over sin—nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ro 8:28-39).
Just as God called out in the garden to Adam and Eve, so now today, God’s Son is calling out to those drawn by God. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Rev 3:20-22)
52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 53 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Observations for Living Today:
Jesus spoke not to the crowd on the street, but to those who followed Him into the synagogue. God provides a visible witness to the whole world (Ro 1:18), but He only communicates with those who really believe He exists, who by seeking Him and knocking on His door ask to be taught (Mt 7:7, Lk 11:9, Heb 8:11, 10:16 & 11:6). Jesus spoke God’s truth to the people gathered in the Capernaum Synagogue; facts that cannot be refuted, ever. Knowing He always spoke to the people in parables (Mt 13:35 & Mk 4:34), the confusion of those trying to understand prompted a legitimate question—“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Regarding how God reveals His plan to those who believe Him.
Each question the crowd asked God answered, expanding their spiritual understanding of the unseen reality of the heavenly Father. His answers presumed they recognize the truth of His statements in light of God’s relationship with Israel.
God reveals His plan to redeem man in understandable steps, although the final picture remains hidden even to the angels in heaven. Each revealed step moves mankind toward a fuller understanding of God’s glory (Heb 11:40 & 1 Pet 1:12).
God works gradually over time so man can understand Him, albeit not completely, at least accurately; we know in part, through a veil, and eventually we will understand God even as we are understood by Him, because Jesus removes the veil and makes God known (I Cor 13:12 & 2 Cor 3:16).
Consider how the picture came into focus over time by looking at what God said to Adam, Eve and Satan just before putting them out of the Garden of Eden. Before the first day of the world’s journey through the wilderness began, God told them of their victory over sin. The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, . . I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring (seed) and hers; he will crush (strike) your head, and you will strike his heel (Gen 3:15).” What a better picture we have today regarding the reality of His words—how much easier it is to understand how the offspring of Satan injures the offspring of Eve, and the offspring of Eve crushes/destroys the offspring of Satan (Rev 12 :11; Col 2:15 & 3:4; Ro 16:20; Heb 2:14; 1 Jn 3:8; Rev 3:21).
In the past God spoke through prophets, but now He speaks through His Son (Heb 1:3; Ro 16:26; 1 Cor 2:13; Eph 3:11; Col 1:27; 2:2, 15 & 3:1-3). Jesus spoke in parables for a reason: so each person who believed God could understand the truth He was revealing (Mt 13:11, 35; & 21:45; Mk 4:11 & 33; Lk 8:10 & Lk 10:21; 1 Cor 1:19, 27-30). Notice some believed His message, while others recognized the message as a threat to their power and status as leaders.
Jesus did not reveal everything, but only what was necessary according to God’s eternal plan. Even when the Apostle/disciples sat face to face with Jesus they were not able to be told everything He wanted them to know, because it was not time for it to be told. First He had to return to the Father; then when He came back, they would see Him again and would indeed rejoice in God’s power as He continued teaching them everything they need to know—each revelation of truth in its proper time (Jn 14:28). Know this—the part of God’s plan which is hidden, remains undisclosed for a very good reason and will only be revealed when, in God’s wisdom, it is beneficial for mankind to know it (Lk 10:21 & 1 Cor 2).
Do not be afraid of not knowing or understanding every part of God’s plan. Even Jesus did not know every part of God’s plan (Mt 24:36 & Mk 13:32), but He continued to trust God completely (Heb 2:17; 4:15 & 5:8). Because He was made like us in every way, we have an irrefutable example of what it takes to live a life of faith. Jesus always believed God could do what He said, just as He did, so we must do—to show we also believe what God has said is true (1 Pe 1:7 & Jas 1).
Regarding eating the flesh of Christ and drinking His blood.
Jesus did not suggest cannibalism; He never intended a literal interpretation of a physical act nor in a meta-physical sense like the magic of “transubstantiation” proclaimed by the Roman Catholic Church Councils (Fourth Council of the Lateran and Council of Trent).
The Catholic Church appears to have fallen into the same trap identified by Jesus, in which Judaism traded the will/purpose of God for the traditions of men. When God’s purpose was not understood, out of ignorance or when perceived as not supporting adequately the political/national interest of the leadership, additional interpretations and explanations were necessary, because God’s message was obviously not sufficient to the current circumstance. Consider the difference between a knowable fact and an assumption. An assumption is something thought to be true, because within the confines of the human experience it cannot be proven—i.e., absolutely unknowable. God’s words are absolute truth—facts; the human traditions explaining the what, how and why are unnecessary assumptions. By arguing over what happens to the bread and wine during a religious ritual, the spirit/intent of God’s words were set aside for a tradition taught by men trying to merge political and religious interests (Mk 7:6-9 & Mt 24:48-49). A better understanding of God’s spirit/intent is found by considering everything God taught us about the Body and Blood of Jesus:
- What Jesus said to the crowd following Him from the feeding of five thousand (Jn 6);
- What Jesus said to institute the “Lord’s Supper” (Mt 26:26; Mk 14:22; Lk 22:19);
- What happened on the road to Emmaus when two disciples recognized Jesus when He broke bread and gave it to them (Lk 24:30);
- What the Apostles taught us about eating the body and blood of Christ until Jesus comes again (1 Co 10:4, 16-18; 11:23-33).
Summary: everything Jesus said was true, but not as man interprets; Christ is the only teacher—from heaven He feeds us the words which proceed from the mouth of God—there is no other way, truth or life.
The kingdom of God is not about food and drink; it is about the spiritual things of God (Jn 7:37-40; Mt 6:25, 31-33). Jesus spoke to the crowd in the synagogue about spiritual food, not the flesh and blood of His physical body. Even when He ordained this ritual, His physical body (flesh and blood) was alive standing before them and He made no mention of the bread and wine being transformed or changed; nor did He say anything about such an act when He appeared before His Apostles and showed them He had real flesh and bones by asking them for food to eat (Lk 24:39). Consider what Jesus said about being fed by the Father:
- “I have food to eat you know nothing about. . . My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (Jn 4:32, 34)
- “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” (Jn 6:27)
- “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (Jn 6:29)
Summary: food is the work to be done and the work is to believe the one sent by God from heaven.
John 6 records how Jesus takes a disciple from the known to unknown; from human wisdom to spiritual truth. Jesus repeats the theme of His message to the crowd when He fed the five thousand: God feeds man not just with bread for the body, but also by every “word” proceeding from God’s mouth. There is perhaps no greater lesson for the church to learn than this. Manna in the wilderness was a sign of God’s power—a shadow of the reality to come in Jesus:
- God calls out to man: You cannot understand unless the Father draws you (Jn 6:44 & 65).
- Man must believe God: Those who learn from the Father come to Jesus (Jn 6:45).
- Man must be born of God to enter His kingdom: Only Spirit gives birth to spirit (Jn 3:3).
- Man must believe the one sent by God: Those who receive and believe in Jesus are born of God (Jn 1:13 & 5:24).
- Man must be fed by God to sustain life: Those who feed on the Bread from Heaven, who do what the word says, are living by faith, knowing they are dependent upon God for life (Deut 8:3; Mt 4:4; Lk 4:4).
Summary: only those who hear God and believe what He says, learn spiritual things; those who are born of God come to the one sent by God and feed on every word that comes from His mouth.
Reality in Christ:
As a Christian, reality begins and ends in believing what God said. I do not need to know or understand what God’s plan is for the whole world or even my life, for me to believe God; I only have to know God exists and His words are true. I do not need to know how God is going to do what He said; I just need to believe He can do it. I do not need to know why God does what He does; I just need to know God loves me as His child. Faith believes with certainty what God says is true; not requiring knowledge of what His plan is and how or why He is going to do it is a measure of the quality of one’s faith!
Just as Abraham believed what God said and lived by faith, so I must believe God (Ro 4:22). It had been 24 years since God promised to give Canaan to Abraham’s offspring, yet he still believed God would give him a son, even when He was 100 years old and his wife Sarah was 90 years old—well beyond child bearing age (Gen 12:7 & 17:17). He also believed whatever God wanted him to do would not interfere with the covenant God had with him, to bless the world though his son Isaac, therefore, when told to sacrifice him, He knew doing so would result in Isaac being returned to him—nothing could stop God’s promise from being fulfilled (Gen 22:1-19; Heb 11:17-19).
What does reality in Christ look like today? Whatever is happening to you day to day, know this, Jesus has spoken to the world and everything He said is true. We know God heard everything Jesus prayed for and the Father always answered His prayers. So the world would know God sent Jesus, He asked the Father to do some very specific things and He promised some awesome results for those who believed the message of the Apostles (Jn 17:20-26):
- That God would make them one, just as the Father was in Him and He was in the Father;
* So we would be in them and share the glory the Father gave Him in being one with God;
* So we would experience the full love God dwelling within us—the same love God had for the Son before the creation of the world;
* So we would know God loves us just like He loved Jesus;
- That we would be with Jesus where He is and see His glory;
- That Jesus would continually make the Father known to us;
* So the love God had for Jesus would dwell in us;
* So He Himself would dwell in us.
Whether you know how or why what God said will happen, know for sure it will happen! Therefore know these words to be true:
- "For my flesh is real food and my bloois real drink"--His body (flesh and blood) given in obedience, speaks then and now, the words of God so you can know the Father.
- "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him"--Enables one who believes to become one with Him; He dwells with you and you with Him—you are where He is and He is where you are and you cannot be separated.
- "Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me"—this life comes from God and is sustained by believing in the one He sent.
- "This is the bread that came down from heaven. . . he who feeds on this bread will live forever"—life begins now and you live forever; nothing can get between you and God’s love—you are more than victorious over sin—nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ro 8:28-39).
Just as God called out in the garden to Adam and Eve, so now today, God’s Son is calling out to those drawn by God. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Rev 3:20-22)
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