11.12.17-John 6:51-59, “The Flesh and Blood of Christ?”

Bible Text: John 6:51-59 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: John

Read John 6:51-59… Jesus is teaching at the synagogue in Capernaum,

where He and the disciples arrived after a very long night. The people He fed the day before on the mountain are seeking more free food, physical food!

Jesus says, “I Am the Living Bread!” This is the 5th time in chapter 6 that Jesus claims to be the living [or true] bread [of God] that came down out of heaven (cf. verses 33, 35, 48, 50, 51).

In verse 33 we are told the bread of God [the bread out of heaven] “gives life to the world.”

In verse 50 we are told that anyone who “eats” the true bread that comes down from heaven, which is also the flesh of Jesus, will not die, i.e., will live forever.

Here in verse 51, Jesus says, “anyone who eats this bread” [His flesh, He Himself, a person, God’s Son], will live forever.

Physical food [bread] is no good to us if we do not eat it; in the same way that spiritual truth is of no use to us if we don’t take it in, i.e., if we don’t believe it and act upon it there is no benefit to us.

Food in our cupboards or in the fridge will not satisfy our hunger until we take it out and eat it. When we eat food that contains carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, fiber, vitamins, etc., it becomes part of our body, it changes us.

The same is true spiritually, you can know a biblical [spiritual] truth, but if you don’t appropriate it, applying it to your life, you will not receive any benefit from it.

In verse 52 the Jews are arguing, grumbling, quarreling among themselves, in their ignorance I might add, saying, “How can this man Jesus give them His flesh to eat?” How can Jesus personally provide for them what they need to be made right with God?

Read again verses 53-56… Jesus doesn’t explain the meaning of what He is saying to them, but they should fully understand that He is not suggesting that they actually eat His flesh and drink His bread. They should know this without doubt, as it is central to the teaching of the Torah.

Genesis 9:3-4, “Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.”
Leviticus 17:10-12, “Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood-I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people. For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. Therefore I say to the Israelites, ‘None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood.’”

God forbade the eating of flesh with blood in it, as well as the eating of blood itself!

Jesus uses some very difficult metaphors that actually apply to Him; He is the bread, the flesh and the blood that is necessary for a person to have eternal spiritual immortal life, not temporary biological mortal life.

Jesus, the bread from heaven, must be eaten, taken in; this is synonymous with believing in and receiving Him as the Christ, Lord and Savior (see John 6:40).

Do you see? The priority is to believe in God’s Son, that He came to forgive our sins, taking our punishment upon Himself, thus providing us with forgiveness and eternal life, making us right with God (see John 6:27-29).

Jesus is not saying we must drink His literal blood or eat His literal flesh; but that we must genuinely believe and trust in His sacrificial death; for He is the Lamb of God; His body was given and His blood was shed to provide forgiveness and eternal life with God.

The reason the Jews are unable to understand is that they are unwilling to consider a crucified Messiah [Savior]; that is inconceivable to them, even though the Scriptures are clear that this is the plan of God.

John 1:29, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Lambs were sacrificed on an alter; Jesus took away our sin by His death on the cross.

John 3:14-15, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.” 1Corinthians 15:3-4, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

Hebrews 9:12, “He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.” 15, “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance – now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. 22, “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

Hebrews 9:26-28, …“He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.”

Hebrews 10:5-7, “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for Me; with burnt

offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am – it is written about Me in the scroll – I have come to do your will, O God [cf. Psalm 40:6-8].’” 10, “And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

1Peter 3:18, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,

John 12:32-34, “‘But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.’ He said this to show the kind of death He was going to die. The crowd spoke up, ‘We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, The Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

Do you see that the metaphors of bread, flesh, blood, are not speaking of literal bread, flesh or blood; but are clearly speaking of God’s spiritual provision through which we are granted forgiveness and eternal life – an eternal spiritual and intimate relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

The message of salvation is very clearly revealed in the Scriptures. In Mark 1:14, 17, Jesus commands us to “Repent” [of our sins], to “Believe” [in Him for salvation], and to “Follow” [by feeding upon and obeying His Word].
Acts 2:21, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Acts 2:36-38, “‘Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.’ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”

Baptism was the public identification with and declaration of Jesus as Lord [Almighty God] and Christ (Messiah, Savior].

Acts 16:29-31, “The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.’”

Do you see? You cannot eat or drink something to be saved, neither can baptism save anyone; in fact no ritual or good works can save you. Salvation is through Jesus Christ alone. His blood was shed and His body was put to death, on the cross; He took our punishment and paid full price for our sins, reconciling us with God (see Romans 3:10-12, 19-24; 6:23; 5:8-11; 8:1-2; 10:9-10, 13).

Read again verses 57-59… Jesus is the Word of God; and so, to feed on Christ is to feed on the Word of God (see John 1:1-4, 14, 18). Jesus is the Bread Who came down from Heaven, the Spiritual Bread of God Who provides Spiritual Life to all those who believe in Christ.

Matthew 4:1-4, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’ Jesus answered, ‘It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” [cf. Deuteronomy 8:3].

Everything Jesus said came straight from the Father, everything Jesus did was given Him to do by the Father.

Everything we need for life on earth [physical temporary life], and everything we need for life in heaven [spiritual eternal life] we are given in and through Jesus Christ: crucified, resurrected and coming again.
2Peter 1:1-4, “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

This is not about eating bread, eating flesh, or drinking blood; this is about repenting of sin, believing in Jesus Christ for forgiveness, and obeying God’s Word.

God required a perfect, divine and eternal sacrifice to be offered on the alter; that alter was the cross at Calvary, the shed blood and dead body of Jesus Christ was that sacrifice.

Jesus is the Bread of God, the True Bread, the Bread of Life, Who came down from the Father in Heaven to offer up His own flesh [or body] unto death, allowing His own blood to be shed, for our sins, so that all those who believe in and receive Him are granted forgiveness and eternal life.

Pastor Mike <‘(((><