John 6:41-71
Today we have one of the “I am” verses from yesterday’s list: I am the living bread that came down from heaven. (v. 51) Jesus had earlier said in verse 48, “I am the bread of life.” To me there is something different between “bread of life” and “living bread”. I think of the former as “bread that gives life” and the latter as “bread that is alive” – that in the latter sense Jesus is walking, talking, breathing, living bread, and that as we feed on Him and His teachings we are fully nourished. In the end there’s probably little difference in the two phrases, but their differences caught my eye.
Another item that caught my eye was Jesus “foretelling” the Last Supper and His institution of our Communion celebration. He says it twice: Whoever feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day… {and} … Whoever feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. (vv. 54, 56) We speak it explicitly each Sunday just before Communion: “Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of Your dear Son Jesus Christ and to drink His blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by His body, and our souls washed through His most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in Him, and He in us.” When we speak those words at church, it somehow seems much more graphic than just reading Jesus speaking those words. I wonder, is there a hidden message there?
See also: May 25 / John 6:41-59; May 26 / John 6:60-71
Fred, I wonder if the hidden message is a more recent observation that “You are what you eat.” Jesus abides in us, as we abide in Him.
Interesting, Lou…!!
Starting at John 6:45, “…Everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to me”. The key word here is learn – we can always hear Jesus’ words (or read them), but do we learn anything from His words that changes us? Are we then changed enough to want to unite with Christ? Hear ——> Learn ——> Change ——> Unite with Christ.
Jesus observed that a whole lotta people were hearing but not so many learning. Could Jesus be trying another analogy or metaphor to get peoples’ attention to learn about Himself, i.e., eating His flesh and drinking His blood (repulsive as this is from the purely physical sense)? The whole point of this being to become united with Him.
Fred, I like your observation about how these words spoken at Church seem so graphic. Jesus has your attention….!!