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(Written by Felicia Trecek | September 07,2008)

Christ said in John 6:53, "Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you shall not have life within you." Christ was not promoting cannibalism. Although, some of his audience was repelled by this statement. Besides, drinking blood was forbidden in the law of God (Ref: Genesis 9:4). So, what did Christ mean by His statement in John 6:53?

Firstly; in John 6:63, Christ told His disciples the words that He spoke were Spirit and Life. And, Romans 1:20 informs us that we can understand the Spiritual through the means of the physical. Therefore, Christ's statement mainly reflected the Spiritual reality, but not entirely as you'll see.

In John 6:51, Christ said that His FLESH was the BREAD from heaven. Christ informed His listeners of this fact before His following statement in verse 53 - the verse in question. So, we can rightly say that His FLESH is synonymous with the BREAD from heaven.

During the last Passover meal with His disciples, Christ emphasized the bread and the wine. He told His disciples that the BREAD represented His BODY (flesh), and the wine represented His BLOOD. (Ref: Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:15-20) Christ told His disciples to EAT of the bread, and DRINK the wine from the cup. (Both elements are physical.) Notwithstanding, Christ also specifically told them that the wine additionally represented the new covenant.

Thus far, the symbolism facts are these:

HIS FLESH = BREAD FROM HEAVEN = HIS BODY
HIS BLOOD = WINE = NEW COVENANT

Christ's statement, recorded in John 6:53 (eat My flesh, drink My blood), foretold the new covenant ritual found in Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, and Luke 22:15-20. As followers and believers in Christ, we are to perform this same new covenant ritual every year. In Matthew 28:18-20, Christ gave this following charge to His disciples: "Teach all nations to guard all I have commanded you." Christ commanded the bread and wine ritual the night He was betrayed.

Christ also gave the same charge to the apostle Paul as He did to His twelve disciples. Notice 1-Corinthians 11:23-29. Paul told the Corinthians several important things.

Christ directly taught and told Paul about the new covenant Passover symbols. Please recall, the Apostle Paul was not a partaker in the last Passover with Christ before His death. Therefore, Paul stated that he learned this information directly from Christ.
And, Paul was told by Christ, specifically WHEN this bread and wine ritual event occurred. We eat the bread and drink the wine the same night that Christ was betrayed by Judas (1-Cor 11:23). Paul, was then giving this same charge to the Corinthian church that he received from Christ.
Very importantly, we continue to observe this ritual even today. Paul said that it proclaims the death of Christ until Christ returns.

Returning to Christ's statement in John 6:53, "Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you shall not have life within you." If we do not partake of the bread and the wine (His body and blood), we do not have Life within us. The New Covenant is the Life covenant. We contract with Christ for Life. The contract states that we must obey Christ's commandments, and follow His example. If we meet the contract obligations, then we'll receive eternal life with Christ.

Interestingly, the Jewish Mishnah (Pesahim 10:6) interprets the Passover wine as a metaphor for blood that seals a covenant (contract) between God and His people. (So, Christ's symbolism wasn't new to the Jewish/Hebrew customs.) With this statement in mind, notice the event of Abraham in Genesis 14. Melchizedek brought bread and wine during His encounter with Abraham. Abraham wasn't just doing lunch with Melchizedek. This Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High God was contracting with Abraham. In Genesis 17:4, we are informed that one of the promises within this covenant with Abraham was that Abraham would become a father of many nations. Regardless of the genealogy blood-line, Abraham becomes our father through belief based on Romans 4:16-17. Since Abraham becomes our Father when we believe and accept Christ, the contract (covenant) we enter with Christ isn't entirely "new". It was made with Abraham. Christ told the Jews that Abraham was glad to see the day of Christ (inferring that Abraham was given a vision), and Abraham rejoiced (Ref: John 8:56). Therefore, the blood of Christ was prefigured in the wine that Abraham partook of with Melchizedek. And, the contract was previously written before Christ was conceived in Mary. What we term as the "new" covenant, isn't actually new. The "new" covenant actually preceded the covenant at Mount Sinai, commencing with Abraham.

What are the Spiritual aspects of the blood and the bread?

THE BLOOD:
God told us that physical life is in the blood. (Ref: Gen 9:4). But, true everlasting LIFE is the Spirit of God (Ref: 2-Cor 3:6, John 6:63, Rom 8:10). We need the Holy Spirit running through our veins sort-of-speak. This occurs when we receive the Holy Spirit within our physical beings from God.

THE BREAD:
Christ said that He was the Bread from Heaven (John 6:32-33). We also know that He is The Word (John 1:1-4). So, we can rightly say that the Spiritual bread is the Word of God. We are unable to physically place this type of bread in our mouth. But, we can emotionally and intellectually eat of this Spiritual bread. We can accomplish this task by reading and studying The Word of God everyday. For example: have you ever heard the question, "what do you feed your brain?" Those Hollywood people like feeding your brain their ideals of living rather than God's ideals. To gain and maintain emotional and intellectual health, we need to feed our brains with the bread/food God supplies us.

Summary:

We do not possess true, everlasting LIFE if we do not contract with Christ through the means of the bread and wine symbols. And, the contract mandates that we must have already repented and been immersed in water (Ref: Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3, Acts 2:38). This is the ritual that God requires before He gives us the Holy Spirit. We are required to possess the Holy Spirit and allow it to run through our veins sort-of-speak. And, we must Spiritually eat His Word everyday in order to grow the Holy Spirit living within us. By eating this Spiritual food and growing the Holy Spirit, it sustains our life for God's Kingdom and life-eternal.

What Does it Mean to: Eat His Flesh and Drink His Blood?
(Written by Felicia Trecek \| September 07,2008) Christ said in John 6:53, "Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you shall not have life within you." Christ was not promoting cannibalism. Although, some of his audience was repelled by this statement. Besides, drinking blood was forbidden in the law of God (Ref: Genesis 9:4). So, what did Christ mean by His statement in John 6:53? Firstly; in John 6:63, Christ told His disciples the words that He spoke were Spirit and Life. And, Romans 1:20 informs us that we can understand the Spiritual through the means of the physical. Therefore, Christ's statement mainly reflected the Spiritual reality, but not entirely as you'll see. In John 6:51, Christ said that His FLESH was the BREAD from heaven. Christ informed His listeners of this fact before His following statement in verse 53 - the verse in question. So, we can rightly say that His FLESH is synonymous with the BREAD from heaven. During the last Passover meal with His disciples, Christ emphasized the bread and the wine. He told His disciples that the BREAD represented His BODY (flesh), and the wine represented His BLOOD. (Ref: Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:15-20) Christ told His disciples to EAT of the bread, and DRINK the wine from the cup. (Both elements are physical.) Notwithstanding, Christ also specifically told them that the wine additionally represented the new covenant. Thus far, the symbolism facts are these: HIS FLESH = BREAD FROM HEAVEN = HIS BODY HIS BLOOD = WINE = NEW COVENANT Christ's statement, recorded in John 6:53 (eat My flesh, drink My blood), foretold the new covenant ritual found in Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, and Luke 22:15-20. As followers and believers in Christ, we are to perform this same new covenant ritual every year. In Matthew 28:18-20, Christ gave this following charge to His disciples: "Teach all nations to guard all I have commanded you." Christ commanded the bread and wine ritual the night He was betrayed. Christ also gave the same charge to the apostle Paul as He did to His twelve disciples. Notice 1-Corinthians 11:23-29. Paul told the Corinthians several important things. Christ directly taught and told Paul about the new covenant Passover symbols. Please recall, the Apostle Paul was not a partaker in the last Passover with Christ before His death. Therefore, Paul stated that he learned this information directly from Christ. And, Paul was told by Christ, specifically WHEN this bread and wine ritual event occurred. We eat the bread and drink the wine the same night that Christ was betrayed by Judas (1-Cor 11:23). Paul, was then giving this same charge to the Corinthian church that he received from Christ. Very importantly, we continue to observe this ritual even today. Paul said that it proclaims the death of Christ until Christ returns. Returning to Christ's statement in John 6:53, "Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you shall not have life within you." If we do not partake of the bread and the wine (His body and blood), we do not have Life within us. The New Covenant is the Life covenant. We contract with Christ for Life. The contract states that we must obey Christ's commandments, and follow His example. If we meet the contract obligations, then we'll receive eternal life with Christ. Interestingly, the Jewish Mishnah (Pesahim 10:6) interprets the Passover wine as a metaphor for blood that seals a covenant (contract) between God and His people. (So, Christ's symbolism wasn't new to the Jewish/Hebrew customs.) With this statement in mind, notice the event of Abraham in Genesis 14. Melchizedek brought bread and wine during His encounter with Abraham. Abraham wasn't just doing lunch with Melchizedek. This Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High God was contracting with Abraham. In Genesis 17:4, we are informed that one of the promises within this covenant with Abraham was that Abraham would become a father of many nations. Regardless of the genealogy blood-line, Abraham becomes our father through belief based on Romans 4:16-17. Since Abraham becomes our Father when we believe and accept Christ, the contract (covenant) we enter with Christ isn't entirely "new". It was made with Abraham. Christ told the Jews that Abraham was glad to see the day of Christ (inferring that Abraham was given a vision), and Abraham rejoiced (Ref: John 8:56). Therefore, the blood of Christ was prefigured in the wine that Abraham partook of with Melchizedek. And, the contract was previously written before Christ was conceived in Mary. What we term as the "new" covenant, isn't actually new. The "new" covenant actually preceded the covenant at Mount Sinai, commencing with Abraham. What are the Spiritual aspects of the blood and the bread? THE BLOOD: God told us that physical life is in the blood. (Ref: Gen 9:4). But, true everlasting LIFE is the Spirit of God (Ref: 2-Cor 3:6, John 6:63, Rom 8:10). We need the Holy Spirit running through our veins sort-of-speak. This occurs when we receive the Holy Spirit within our physical beings from God. THE BREAD: Christ said that He was the Bread from Heaven (John 6:32-33). We also know that He is The Word (John 1:1-4). So, we can rightly say that the Spiritual bread is the Word of God. We are unable to physically place this type of bread in our mouth. But, we can emotionally and intellectually eat of this Spiritual bread. We can accomplish this task by reading and studying The Word of God everyday. For example: have you ever heard the question, "what do you feed your brain?" Those Hollywood people like feeding your brain their ideals of living rather than God's ideals. To gain and maintain emotional and intellectual health, we need to feed our brains with the bread/food God supplies us. Summary: We do not possess true, everlasting LIFE if we do not contract with Christ through the means of the bread and wine symbols. And, the contract mandates that we must have already repented and been immersed in water (Ref: Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3, Acts 2:38). This is the ritual that God requires before He gives us the Holy Spirit. We are required to possess the Holy Spirit and allow it to run through our veins sort-of-speak. And, we must Spiritually eat His Word everyday in order to grow the Holy Spirit living within us. By eating this Spiritual food and growing the Holy Spirit, it sustains our life for God's Kingdom and life-eternal.