Read: John 6:41-59

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. (John 6:56)

Those marvelous words represent what was apparently a very offensive statement to these Jews. It sounds that way even to us if we take his words literally. Talk about eating human flesh and drinking human blood turns many people off. Evidently those listening to Jesus felt that way. You can hear the cynicism in their voices: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? What does he think we are—cannibals? This was most offensive to Jews because they had been taught all through the centuries that God did not want flesh in which there remained any blood. The word kosher means to cleanse; and it particularly refers to the preparation of meat. The Jews cannot eat any meat that has not had all the blood drained from it.

But in these words our Lord reveals the absolute necessity for receiving his life: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. That is unequivocal, isn’t it? There is no doubting what he has to say. This is absolutely essential to real life. If you do not have this, you are on a temporary slide into ultimate corruption and total death. The most you can do is merely preserve your life for awhile, and hold death at arm’s length. But death is inevitable unless you know the One who gives life. Then Jesus shows how that life is real: For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. It is the real kind of life that God intends for us.

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