John 6: 52-59….He repeats and expands

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, 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 feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on 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 whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

Comment: If you can read again or think about yesterday’s devotional it might help. Jesus continues talking about ‘eating His flesh’ but adds now ‘drinking His blood’. This is against the background for him having claimed to have come down from heaven – that is to being the promised Messiah. It is not at all surprising that only some and even then in an inadequate way understood this talk. The disciples, who became the apostles didn’t until later! But Jesus having laid down the concept kept adding to the teaching. Then at the Last Supper, His last meal and big teaching session made it conceptually clear to them. He, the Lamb of God, showed Himself as the Sacrificial (Passover) Lamb not to save from Slavery (Egypt) but from the consequences of sin. After that revelation, the next day, when He died as that Sacrificial Lamb. God showed that He had accepted His sacrifice by the Resurrection. So we can at last understand that eating is believing and drinking is following – taking Him into our lives. This is all acted out for our understanding and memory and participation every time we take ‘Holy Communion’.

Prayer: Lead me to Your Son, O God.