John 6:47-58
This sermon by Jesus did a lot to thin out the swelling crowds that were following Him. In fact, when He finished this statement, “Many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him” (John 6:66). What was so controversial about this particular sermon was that Jesus had invited people to enter into a covenant relationship with Him. By saying that He was the bread of Life, He was equating Himself with the manna in the wilderness, given by God to feed mankind. He was also offering a communion meal of bread and blood which had come to mean a permanent relationship for Israelites. As far as they were concerned, they were under an everlasting covenant with God, so to enter communion with Jesus would have been blasphemous.
The words of Jesus in John 6 were also difficult because they were so physically repulsive. “Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53), was construed as cannibalistic and sacrilegious. The Jews were to eat nothing unclean, of which human flesh would certainly qualify, and they were also forbidden from drinking blood. Was Jesus endorsing such unbelievable practices?
Noticing that His own disciples were struggling with His words, Jesus asked them, “Does this offend you?” (John 6:61). He then explained that it was the Spirit that does the quickening in a life, not the flesh. The words that He spoke were spiritual words, meaning that He wanted them to consume His body and drink of His blood spiritually, taking into them all that the body paid for and that the blood purchased.
This does not discount the power of the communion ceremony; but rather reinforces it. When we partake of the bread, we are partaking in what Jesus’ body accomplished for us at the cross. We see our sickness in His body and believe that when we partake, we are taking into us His perfect health and wholeness. When we drink the wine, we are partaking in what Jesus’ blood paid for at the cross. We see our sin covered by His blood, never to be held against us again and we believe that His blood provides safety and security for the believer from the curses of this world.
In John 6, Jesus does not break bread and hand it to the crowd, nor does He pour wine and drink from the cup as a visual of His body and blood. He is not preaching a physical eating and drinking, but rather an act of faith on the part of every man. Totally consume Jesus and what He accomplished. Do not leave any of Him left over. Just as Israel was to eat all of the lamb on Passover night, the saint should take all that Jesus is.
When the Master does break bread and pour wine at the Last Supper, every disciple there remembers this powerful sermon from John 6. As they partook of the bread and wine, they remembered what it stood for and no doubt began to form a doctrinal pillar in their mind regarding the communion ceremony. So important was the bread and wine to the early church that they apparently partook every single time they got together (Acts 2:42). Paul was so convinced of the observance that of all the things that Jesus did, this is the only one that he shared verbatim (1 Corinthians 11:24, 25).
Leave nothing of Jesus on the table today. Consume His love and passion; His grace and favor; His healing and wholeness. It is all available for you; do you want it?
This sermon by Jesus did a lot to thin out the swelling crowds that were following Him. In fact, when He finished this statement, “Many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him” (John 6:66). What was so controversial about this particular sermon was that Jesus had invited people to enter into a covenant relationship with Him. By saying that He was the bread of Life, He was equating Himself with the manna in the wilderness, given by God to feed mankind. He was also offering a communion meal of bread and blood which had come to mean a permanent relationship for Israelites. As far as they were concerned, they were under an everlasting covenant with God, so to enter communion with Jesus would have been blasphemous.
The words of Jesus in John 6 were also difficult because they were so physically repulsive. “Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53), was construed as cannibalistic and sacrilegious. The Jews were to eat nothing unclean, of which human flesh would certainly qualify, and they were also forbidden from drinking blood. Was Jesus endorsing such unbelievable practices?
Noticing that His own disciples were struggling with His words, Jesus asked them, “Does this offend you?” (John 6:61). He then explained that it was the Spirit that does the quickening in a life, not the flesh. The words that He spoke were spiritual words, meaning that He wanted them to consume His body and drink of His blood spiritually, taking into them all that the body paid for and that the blood purchased.
This does not discount the power of the communion ceremony; but rather reinforces it. When we partake of the bread, we are partaking in what Jesus’ body accomplished for us at the cross. We see our sickness in His body and believe that when we partake, we are taking into us His perfect health and wholeness. When we drink the wine, we are partaking in what Jesus’ blood paid for at the cross. We see our sin covered by His blood, never to be held against us again and we believe that His blood provides safety and security for the believer from the curses of this world.
In John 6, Jesus does not break bread and hand it to the crowd, nor does He pour wine and drink from the cup as a visual of His body and blood. He is not preaching a physical eating and drinking, but rather an act of faith on the part of every man. Totally consume Jesus and what He accomplished. Do not leave any of Him left over. Just as Israel was to eat all of the lamb on Passover night, the saint should take all that Jesus is.
When the Master does break bread and pour wine at the Last Supper, every disciple there remembers this powerful sermon from John 6. As they partook of the bread and wine, they remembered what it stood for and no doubt began to form a doctrinal pillar in their mind regarding the communion ceremony. So important was the bread and wine to the early church that they apparently partook every single time they got together (Acts 2:42). Paul was so convinced of the observance that of all the things that Jesus did, this is the only one that he shared verbatim (1 Corinthians 11:24, 25).
Leave nothing of Jesus on the table today. Consume His love and passion; His grace and favor; His healing and wholeness. It is all available for you; do you want it?
