Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, 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 eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.”

John 6:53-56

What an unbelievably astonishing thing for Jesus to say! It certainly astounded and confused those listening to Him on that day and has continued to astound and confuse to the present day. How are we to understand these words of the Lord? Perhaps when you read them you are scratching your head in bewilderment thinking that we could not possibly be meant to take this literally, or even seriously.

There were those who listened to these words as they were originally spoken, and then walked away, turning their backs on this Man who obviously had lost His mind. Who, after all, in their right mind and with clarity of thought would ever utter such absurd words as these? Surely this is what must have been going through the minds of His listeners. The reaction of many shows their response to Jesus’ assertion.

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying: who can understand it?”… From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.

John 6:60, 66

Even then, on that day, the people were saying that this was a hard saying and asked how they were to understand it. And that sentiment has not changed even to the present day. We still admit quickly that it is a very difficult and hard saying.

However, Jesus actually explained the statement as He continued speaking. The text tells us that Jesus knew that His disciples were complaining about these difficult words, so He gave a clarifying statement which would alleviate their confusion. Read carefully this next explanatory remark:

He [Jesus] said to them, “Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.”

John 6:61b-64

Jesus was stating emphatically that there was a vital spiritual truth behind His words. Note carefully His statement concerning the flesh profiting nothing. In essence He was saying that even if they could, right then and there, turn to cannibalism, eating His flesh and drinking His blood, it would be of no profit to them. There is no benefit to that physical possibility. However, there is a spiritual power behind His words that shed light on this most profound and difficult saying.

Jesus said that the words He had spoken were spirit and life. There is a spiritual power behind the reality of His words. We actually observe this each time we participate in Communion. We are given a morsel of bread, and a cup of wine (or grape juice – according to our particular churches practice), and are told that we are partaking in the body and the blood of the Lord which was given for us. Symbolically we are remembering the Lord’s sacrificial death as we remember His body being bloodied and bruised, and His blood being poured out as He died for us. It is in that sacrifice that He ultimately gives life to those who believe.

Sadly, however, there are many today, just as there were on that day, who are offended by His words, and turn to follow Him no more. Genuine, sincere believers should never be offended at the words of Jesus, but should be ready, as Peter says, to bear testimony to His amazing, saving grace. And when, if ever, we are asked by an inquisitive person seeking the truth as to what Jesus meant when He said that we had to eat His flesh and drink His blood, then tell them quickly and excitedly that it was through the sacrifice of Jesus body, and the pouring out of His blood, that He secured our salvation. And it is through that sacrifice, and only through that sacrifice that we have the assurance of life.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!