A few weeks ago (as I write this) I was having a discussion with a cousin about the Biblical prohibition against blood. The following morning I began to get further revelation about blood, which I shared later with this cousin. In one of his comments he brought up Jesus’ words regarding eating His flesh and drinking His blood. This teaching is from John 6 and I felt that I had a bit of understanding on it but I was led to do a bit more study.
As I studied this and read what others believed about it I found that it is as confusing to many today as it was to those hearing Jesus’ words at the time He spoke them. Many of His own disciples said, verse 60, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” And, in verse 66 we read that “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”
So, just what was Jesus teaching us? How does one eat His flesh and drink His blood? Was Jesus teaching cannibalism? Or, is Jesus’ teaching totally contrary to the Biblical prohibition against blood? Let us look at what Jesus was teaching and come to understand.
First, we need to look at the context of this whole chapter. Verse 1 and 2 of John 6 tells us that Jesus had gone over the sea of Galilee and that a great multitude had followed Him. Why were they following Him? It says that they “saw His miracles which he did on them that were diseased.” Their reason for pursuing Him was because of the miracles of healing. Let us keep this in mind.
We continue to read of the setting. Jesus and His disciples went up into a mountain, and as an aside it gives a note of the timing, near the Passover feast. Jesus looked out and saw that the people, a great company, had come to Him. Matthew 14 and Mark 6 gives more details but the account here focuses in on the feeding of the crowd of about 5000 men, plus women and children, with five barley loaves and two small fish.
Following the feeding of the crowd Jesus went up into the mountain to pray, verse 15, and His disciples got into a boat and put out to sea, verses 16 and 17. They were on their way toward Capernaum and it says that as it became dark a great wind came up, verses 17 and 18. They continued to row but were not making much headway. But, as they were looking out from the boat they saw Jesus walking on the water and coming near the boat. He spoke to them, told them that it was He, Jesus, and not to be afraid. (Verses 19-20.) This whole passage is filled with accounts of miracles. We find that when they had received Him into the boat, it says, “and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.”, verse 21.
The next day, the people they had fed and left behind, saw that Jesus and His disciples were now gone. And, they also noted that Jesus had not gone into the boat with His disciples, verse 22. Verse 24 says that they saw all of this and apparently came to the conclusion that they had all gone across to Capernaum. So, they “also took shipping, and came to Capernaum.” Now this is where we begin to read of Jesus’ teaching regarding eating His flesh and drinking His blood.
Notice Jesus’ very first statement to the people, verse 26, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because of the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.” Initially, in verse 2, we read that they came to Him because “they saw the miracles He did on them that were diseased.” But, Jesus pointedly says that this is not why they are here now, BUT because they got their bellies filled.
He didn’t stop speaking about their thinking and approach to food. In verse 27 He tells the crowd that had come to Him, “ Don’t work for physical food that doesn’t last, that spoils and perishes.” (Paraphrased.) He indicates that it satisfies our appetite for a very brief time and then we are hungry again. He tells them and us of the food, the meat, that truly satisfies and will be lasting, food for the Spirit, although this wasn’t perceived by most of His listeners. He makes this clear a bit later. He says that this food is the food we need to be working for, the “meat which endureth unto everlasting life.” And, this food, He says is the food that He shall give. He states that God the Father has sent Him with this meat, this food. The Father has “sealed” Him.
What did He mean by this? To be “sealed” carries a number of meanings, such as, to mark a person or thing; something that proves or confirms or attests to something; a mark or a sign that confirms and authenticate and places something beyond a doubt; something that proves one’s testimony that he is what he professes to be. Notice how some other translations of this last phrase from John 6: 27 is rendered. The Amplified says, “for God the Father has authorized and certified Him and put His seal of endorsement upon Him.” The Message says, “and what He does are guaranteed by God the Father to last.” The New Literal Translation states, “for God the Father has given me the seal of His approval.” One more, The Passion Translation, states, “for God the Father has destined me for this purpose.”
Notice the question that the people ask, verse 28. “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?’ Or, as one translation renders it, “What exactly does God want us to do?” They, as many of us, felt that it was about their performance, their doing something. Jesus’ next statement reveals several things. Let us read verse 29. “Jesus answered and said unto them, ‘This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.’” He did not lay out a bunch of things that one must do, but, just believe on Him. And, that He says is the “work of God.” One could get on a soapbox about “god’s work” and all of the “things” we have been told we must be doing to do “God’s work.
The key point in His answer to them is “believe on Him.” He continues to emphasize this as He continues His teaching, as we shall see.
In verse 30 the people want a sign. “Show us something that we can see, something that we can believe in.” Now watch what they bring up in verse 31, “Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” To paraphrase what they say, “You fed the 5000 BUT we have Moses who fed millions for 40 years. Your one time event doesn’t seem all that great!”
In the following verse we see Jesus’ response. He tells them that Moses wasn’t the one who supplied the manna and He adds, but my Father gives you the TRUE bread from heaven. In verse 33 He continues, “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” This was a most powerful statement, but the people did not understand what He was telling them. They thought He was talking about some kind of super- food, some miracle food that would keep one alive physically if they ate of it. Notice verse 34, “Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.” Or, as we might paraphrase it, “Lord, give us this bread and don’t ever stop!”
Of course they did not understand His words. He responds, verse 35, “I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” I would call your attention to what He says here, “he that believeth on me.” This is the same thing He told them in verse 29.
But, Jesus doesn’t stop His response with what we read in verse 35. In verse 36 we read His additional words, “But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.” This is the third time we have Jesus telling them and us that it is about believing on Him. Jesus’ response continues with verses 37-40.. “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” Did you notice, He has now told us four times that it is about believing on Him.
All of this was going right over the heads of the Jewish crowd. In verse 41 we read of their murmuring at Him because He said He was the bread that came down from heaven. We see in verse 42 that they attempt to discredit Him because they knew His “daddy and mamma” so how could He say He came down from heaven?
Jesus responds in the following verses, 43-51. He told them not to murmur among themselves. He told them that no man could come to Him except that the Father who had sent Him would draw them. He again states that He would raise them up at the last day. Jesus is continuing to speak about everlasting life, not sustained physical life that could be continued by some kind of super-food. In verse 45 He quotes from an Old Testament prophesy, Isaiah 54:13. And, He tells them that every man that has heard and learned of the Father comes to Him, Jesus. He throws another kink into their lack of understanding when He tells them that no man has seen the Father, other than he which is of God (and He had been telling them that He was the one who had come from the Father) and He states boldly, “He hath seen the Father.”
Notice what He says next, verse 47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” How many times has He now stated that? If our count is correct it is five times.
Jesus makes a very clear statement in verse 48, “I am that bread of life.” The bread He had been speaking of over and over, the bread which He said that Father was giving from heaven, which if one came to Him should never hunger.
Jesus refers back to their statement about manna. He makes it clear, verse 49, that their fathers that ate of it in the wilderness were all dead. But, He states again, verse 50, “This is the bread which came down from heaven, that a man may eat of this bread, he shall live for ever....” This, of course, is what He has been repeating over and over to them and us. But, He continues, “and the bread that I give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” This statement really caused the Jewish crowd consternation. Verse 52 say that they “strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus added more consternation when He said, verse 53, “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.” Whoa! Not just eat His flesh but drink His blood!
Jesus isn’t through with His statement. He continues in verse 54-58, “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.” (vs, 54-56) He continues with verse 57, “...he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” In verse 58 Jesus says, “...he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.”
Let us rehearse what Jesus has just told those there, and us.
Verse 29 “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”
Verse 35 “...he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
Verse 36 “...and believe not.” Again, this is about believing on Him.
Verse 40 “...and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the
last day.”
Verse 47 “...He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
In all of these verses Jesus says that everlasting life comes because of believing on Him. Keep this in mind as we look at a few more statements that Jesus made.
Verse 51 “...if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever:”
Verse 53 “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life
in you.
Verse 54 “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise
him up at the last day.”
Verse 57 “...so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.”
Verse 58 “...he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.”
Perhaps we have read through this teaching on eating His flesh and drinking His blood and never noticed that Jesus repeatedly tells us that it is the one that believes on Him that will live for ever, that will have everlasting life. And, then He states that it is the one that eats His flesh and drinks His blood that shall live for ever, have eternal life, shall live. IS there two ways to receive everlasting life? NO! Believing on Him and eating His flesh and drinking His blood is the same thing.
Why couldn’t those listening to Him and many of us reading this teaching understand this? He tells us. Verse 59 states that He spoke all of this in the synagogue. His disciples asked, verse 60, how can anyone “hear” or understand this teaching. Jesus knew that they, His disciples were having a hard time with this. In verse 61 He asked them if these words offended them. He continued His question to them in verse 62, “What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before?’ And, I’m sure that they were having a hard time processing that question. Jesus then gives them, and us, the answer to why they and many of us have had difficulty understanding what He had been teaching. Verse 63, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
If we, like the Jews Jesus was speaking to, try to understand His words in the natural we won’t grasp what He was saying. Those words have to be revealed by the Spirit,
As I wrap up this study I want to address something that one individual said regarding eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking His blood. He understood that it was and is the equivalent to believing on Jesus. However, I do take issue with a statement he made, and I quote it. “John 6:35 is clear that to believe in Jesus is equivalent to eat Jesus [and will never be hungry] and to come to Jesus is equivalent to drink Jesus [and will never get thirsty]. This shows that eating and drinking Jesus’ flesh and blood by faith is a one time event or else, are we to believe [if it is literal] that we need to re-eat and re-drink Jesus’ flesh and blood? This would contradict Jesus’ words that we will never get hungry or thirsty if literal consumption was meant in John 6:35.”
I can agree that to receive salvation we are to believe and we are saved. (Acts 16:31) However, we can not stop believing. It appears that “believing” and “eating His flesh and drinking His blood” is describing a relationship, one that continues and grows.
Grammar is “proof” that we are to continually partake of Him. The word translated “eateth” in verses 54, 56, 57, and 58 is Strong’s number G5176. Mr. Strong gives us the meaning of “eating” but he does not give us any grammatical notations. This can be found, however, in The Complete Word Study New Testament edited by Spiros Zodhiates, Th. D. His notations shows this word is a Present Active Participle. Notice his explanation. “The present participle expresses continuous or repeated action. Since in Greek the time of the action represented by participles is relative to the main verb, the present participle is used to signify action that is contemporaneous with the leading verb, whether that action occurs in the past, present, or future.” And, as mentioned, he shows this word to be “active” rather than “passive.” It is a continuous action.
The Greek word translated “beleiveth” used in verses 35 and 47 is Strong’s number G4100. The Complete Word Study shows that this word is also a Present Active Participle. It shows a continuing to “put faith in,” a continuing to “believe.”
There are a few translations of the Bible that have made this clear. One of those is Green’s Literal Translation. I found this comment on-line about this translation. “In addition every precaution was taken to preserve the particulars of the text; each verb is carefully scrutinized to maintain its tense, number, voice and mood; the case of each noun examined to retain its proper function in sentence; each participle carefully translated to preserve its aspect.”
Here is how Mr. Green translated these verses we have been looking at. Verse 35, “...and the one believing into Me will not thirst, never!” Verse 47, “...the one believing into Me...” Verse 54, “The one partaking of My flesh and drinking of My blood...” Verse 56, “The one partaking of My flesh and drinking of My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” Verse 57, “...also the one partaking Me,...” Verse 58, “...the one partaking of this Bread will live forever.”
He uses words ending in “ing.” Believing, partaking, and drinking all indicate a continuous action. Notice what Webster’s dictionary has to say about participles. This is under the entry for “participle.” “In English ...the present participle ends in -ing (asking) and the past participle most commonly ends in -ed or -en (asked, spoken).” As we noted from Mr. Zodhiates notation in his Word Study “the present participle expresses continuous or repeated action.”
It appears that “believing” and “eating and drinking” is much more than a one time event. Most all of us are familiar with the “Lord’s Prayer” or the instruction by Jesus on how to pray. Before He gave the outline prayer He stated that the Father knows the things we have need of before we ask, verse 6. In verse 11 is the well known line, “Give us this day our daily bread.” I believe that most of us have taken this to mean our physical food, but when we examine all that He said I don’t think this is what He was referring to. Dropping down to verse 25 He states that we should take no thought for our life, what we are to eat or drink, or wear. He continues to show how God takes care of the birds. He tells us to consider the flowers and how He provides for them and that we need not be anxious about what we are to wear. In verse 31 He says, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? Notice His point in this, verses 33 and 34. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. ...”
Why would Jesus tell us in the early part of the chapter to pray daily for our food and then tell us to take “no thought” concerning what we are to eat or drink? With what we have studied in John 6 and what we read here it seems that the daily food we are to be speaking to the Father about is the Spiritual food, His flesh and His blood, that Jesus says we need to be partaking of. We need to be ingesting Him, the Word, daily.
Garry D. Pifer
7/19/19
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