"Truly, truly, I say unto you, except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have not life in yourselves." John 6:53-54
These words come near the end of Jesus' teaching the day after he fed the 5000.
It is the only miracle recorded by all four gospels, other than the Resurrection.
John alone tells us that it was Jesus who instructed the disciples to gather up what was left, "that nothing be wasted." Those that Jesus fed came seeking him the next day, and found him in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Jesus knew that they came because he fed them. He said, " work not for the food that perishes, but for the food that abides unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you:" He was trying to lift their hearts above the physical to see that he would give them much more than the day before.
They were eager to work, "what must we do that we may work the works of God?" Jesus replied, "this is the work of God , that ye believe on him whom he has sent." They understood the self-reference, but fell back to thinking of the manna and Moses. Jesus replied by pointing to his Father, who had given them the true bread out of heaven that gives life to the world. They asked for this bread. Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life: ..." (verse .35)
Jesus continued to say that though they had seen him, they believed not .
"Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?" Because they judged by appearances , they could not taste his grace.
Then Jesus spoke even more troubling words:
"No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him :
and I will raise him up in the last day." (verse 44)
Jesus continued and they said said, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
Their perplexed question shows how important it is to think above the flesh.
As Jesus continued to speak, we see that he made it more difficult to accept him. His words changed from, "I am the bread of life:"
to "...eats my flesh and drinks my blood..." -- clearly more difficult to accept.
"He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life;
and I will raise him up at the last day."
What teacher would knowingly make his words more difficult?
This was Jesus.
Our destiny depends on how we receive his words.
Their reasoning and their partial knowledge , kept them from receiving him.
Jesus went on to say that it is the spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing: his words are spirit and life.
"But there are some of you that believe not ." (verse 64)
Because they could not see beyond Joseph and Mary, they could not eat of him.
John then adds the explanation,
"for Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not ,
and who it was that should betray him."(verse 64)
This knowledge is staggering, and these words are irreducible.
"Upon this many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." Then Jesus asked the twelve, " Would you also go away?" Peter replied, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou has the words of eternal life."
We do not have life in ourselves.
He who gave us life, is our life.
He alone sustains our life, like a vine its branches.
The words of Jesus in this dialogue are some of the most inviting,
and repelling, of any that he spoke.
We must yield our selves, to receive him .
"and he died for all, that they that live,
should no longer live unto themselves , but unto him ,
who for their sakes died and rose again." 2 Corinthians 5:15