"The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum." John 6:52-59
How can one eat Jesus' flesh and drink His blood? The Jews did not grasp Jesus' meaning, nor do many in our day.
Jesus is not indicating that Christianity is some kind of cult in which the faithful literally eat human flesh and drink human blood. Even in the Lord's Supper, participants do not chew Jesus' flesh and drink and digest His blood. Rather, as they partake of the bread and wine, they partake of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for the sins of all the world -- His body given into death for our sins and His blood shed for the remission of our sins.
But Jesus' words in John 6:52-59 are not a specific reference to the Supper Jesus later commanded His followers to observe in remembrance of Him and His innocent sufferings and death on their behalf. The Lord's Supper had not yet been instituted when Jesus spoke these words. And, if He were referring specifically to partaking of the Lord's Supper, then those not able to partake of Christ's Supper, regardless of the reason, could not be saved and have life in them.
Rather, Jesus here refers to partaking of His body and blood by faith. The children of Israel ate of the manna from heaven and yet died. Those who partake of Jesus' body and blood -- of His sacrifice for the sins of the world -- by faith in Him have eternal life and Jesus will raise them up on the Last Day!
The one who partakes of Jesus, the Bread of Life, by faith -- trusting in Christ Jesus who gave His body into death for our sins and shed His blood upon the cross to make full atonement for all our iniquities -- has the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. As Jesus said, "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me."
The question is this: Do you partake of Him? Do you trust in His holy life and His innocent sufferings and death for the forgiveness of all your sins? If you do not partake of Jesus, you can have no life in you; you are eternally lost and condemned. If you do, through faith, partake of His flesh and blood, you have the forgiveness Jesus won for you when He gave His body into death and shed His holy and precious blood to make atonement for your sins and redeem you.
When we, in this way, eat His flesh and drink His blood, Jesus dwells in us -- not in the sense that He enters our mouth and passes through our digestive system, but in the sense that He comes into us and gives us life in fellowship with the Father.
It's really as simple as this: "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (1 John 5:12).
-- Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible. Opinions expressed are those of the author.