The Bread And Wine of Christ

Jesus’ words in John 6 are packed with deep meaning, and while they may sound strange at first, they hold an essential truth about life and faith. In this passage, He tells the people that unless they “eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood,” they cannot have life in them. This is not a literal command to consume His body and blood like we would food and drink. Instead, Jesus is speaking symbolically to explain a profound spiritual truth. Jesus, John 6, bread of life, flesh and blood, eternal life, spiritual nourishment, communion with Christ, faith, sacrifice, resurrection, manna, spiritual food, relationship with Jesus, Christian faith.

What Jesus means is that in order to truly live, we need to fully take Him into our lives—not just hear His words, but accept Him completely. To "eat" His flesh and "drink" His blood is a way of saying we must embrace Him with all that we are. When we take food and drink, they become part of us, nourishing our bodies and giving us strength. In the same way, Jesus is telling us to allow His life, His sacrifice, and His teachings to become part of who we are. It’s about more than intellectual belief; it’s about a deep, life-changing trust in Him. By accepting His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection, we are accepting the true source of life.

When Jesus says that those who "eat His flesh and drink His blood" will have eternal life and be raised up on the last day, He’s talking about the promise of life after death. This is not just physical life; it’s a spiritual, eternal life. Believing in Jesus means more than just living here and now—it means that when we die, we will be raised up to live forever with Him. The “last day” refers to the time when Jesus will return, and everyone who has put their faith in Him will experience the resurrection. It’s the hope of eternal life that Jesus promises to those who truly follow Him.

In verse 55, Jesus explains further by saying, “My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.” What He means is that His body and blood are not just symbols or abstract concepts. They are the true spiritual food and drink that sustain us, just as regular food and drink sustain our physical bodies. His sacrifice on the cross is what gives our souls the nourishment they need to live. The teachings of Jesus, the truth He shares, and His death and resurrection are the foundation of our faith. Without Him, there is no true life.

In verse 56, Jesus brings this even deeper by saying, "He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, dwells in me, and I in him." This is where Jesus talks about the kind of relationship He wants to have with those who believe in Him. When we accept Jesus into our lives, we don’t just get a set of teachings to follow; we enter into a living, ongoing relationship with Him. He dwells in us, and we dwell in Him. This means that Jesus becomes a part of who we are. His power, His presence, and His life become intertwined with ours. It’s not a relationship of rules or rituals—it’s an intimate, personal connection with the Savior. And this connection is the source of true life.

Then in verse 57, Jesus compares this to how He lives by the Father. Just as Jesus depends on the Father for His life, those who believe in Him will depend on Him for their life. Jesus is the source of our spiritual life, and through Him, we receive everything we need to live. This is the heart of the Christian faith: that we are not living by our own strength, wisdom, or power, but by the life that Jesus gives us.

Finally, in verse 58, Jesus makes a powerful statement. He says, "This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eats of this bread shall live forever." He compares Himself to the manna that God gave to the Israelites in the desert. Manna was a miraculous food that sustained the people of Israel during their journey, but it was temporary. The Israelites ate it, but they eventually died. Jesus, on the other hand, is the true "bread" from heaven. He’s offering something far greater—something that will give us eternal life. When we accept Him and believe in what He has done for us, we receive the gift of life that never ends. The manna was physical and temporary, but Jesus is spiritual and eternal.

So, when Jesus says we need to eat His flesh and drink His blood, He is inviting us into a relationship that goes beyond surface-level belief. It’s about truly accepting Him, His sacrifice on the cross, and the life He offers. It's about trusting Him with everything we have and are, making Him the center of our lives, and allowing Him to live in us. When we do that, we are united with Him, and He promises to give us the gift of eternal life—a life that will never end. This is the hope that Jesus offers to everyone who believes in Him, and it’s the life-changing truth at the heart of the gospel.

I hope this message blessed you. If so, please leave a comment. I look forward to hearing from you.

Anna M. C. Hazen  2025

The image is AI generated on chatgpt.