John 6:51-58 While physical food alleviates the hunger of the body, spiritual food alleviates the hunger of the soul

John 6:51-58 While physical food alleviates the hunger of the body, spiritual food alleviates the hunger of the soul

51 I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” 52 Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “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 yourselves. 54 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.

Background

After Jesus fed the 5000 people with a miraculous multiplication of bread, they ran after Him for more bread. Jesus redirected them to His flesh and blood that are able to give them eternal life. He shifted their attention from the cares of life to doing the will of God. Christ’s flesh and blood although abhorrent, imparts into men the blessing to live life to the full. Today’s devotions teaches us: While physical food alleviates the hunger of the body, spiritual food alleviates the hunger of the soul.

Observation

I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.

Jesus contrasted Himself, the bread of life with the manna (food) that their fathers ate in the wilderness. The entire generation of Israelites who dwelt in the wilderness fed on manna, and yet they died. Here, Jesus did not refer to physical death but rather spiritual death. For “the food of heaven… the bread of the angels” (see Psalm 78:24) did not remove their sinful nature. In fact, they became gluttons having no regard for God or His precepts. While their food was in their mouths, the anger of God rose against them and killed some of the stoutest ones (Psalm 78:30-31). Indeed, those who ate the heavenly manna experience physical death. But more importantly, they experience spiritual death because of their disobedience and unbelief. Their souls are forever imprisoned in the depths of hellish darkness.

He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day.

The words that Jesus said were beyond controversial; nothing was more grotesque than saying, “and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” And Jesus went on to say, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life.” Blood of animals was prohibited by law as drink let alone drinking the blood of a human being. They knew that Jesus was not speaking literally to imply cannibalism. Jesus’s words was meant to foretell that which is grotesque and shocking: the sacrifice of the Son of God for the sins of the world.

The use of a man as an atoning sacrifice was considered as abhorrent and unacceptable as cannibalism. In giving His flesh as food and blood as drink, He laid down His life as an atoning sacrifice. However, it also requires the people to eat His flesh and drink His blood, something they were not willing to do. To them, eating human flesh and drinking human blood was objectionable as repentance and living a life of truth. But if they were willing to do what was instructed of them, they would receive eternal life not only on earth, but a resurrected life in heaven: and I will raise him up on the last day.

For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.

Jesus used the word “true” to denote a quality of everlasting life. Hence, true food and true drink implies spiritual sustenance that imparts eternal life. Jesus employed the word “true riches” in Luke 16:11 to denote heavenly and eternal riches as opposed to temporal earthly wealth. Jesus’s flesh and blood (true food and true drink) contains the transferable qualities of immortality.

When Jesus speaks of eating His flesh, He alludes to the notion of suffering with Him in the course of the gospel work. Hours before Jesus was arrested, He ate the Passover supper with them saying, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” (see Luke 22:15). Here, He broke bread saying “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (See Luke 22:19). The broken bread symbolises Jesus’s body being crushed for the sins of the world. Eating the broken bread identifies the believer’s suffering with Jesus’s broken body, thus strengthening him with grace for the gospel work. At the same time, it reminds the believer of the resurrection body that he will be receiving on that day: I will raise him up on the last day.

Drinking His blood symbolises the covenant that He makes with believers: “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” (see Luke 22:20). The covenant entails putting His Spirit within us regenerating us towards His likeness and perfection. The blood covenant empowers us to with Christ’s own authority to destroy the devil’s work. The blood covenant protects from the devil’s influences and attacks keeping us on the narrow path.

By eating His flesh, we make the commitment to suffer with Jesus to be resurrected with Him on that day. By drinking His blood, we depend on the indwelling Spirit that regenerates, empowers and protects us from all evil.

As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.

The Son depended on the Father for His own life as well as for everything He does. Hence, the Son who derives life from the Father has authority to impart life to those who believe in Him. The life of the Father is translated to us through the Son.

Truth

No matter what people do to us, we are not to give up on them.

We must not give up even when people are ungrateful and unfaithful towards us.

The broken bread signifies Jesus’s resolve to not give up on evil people but to forgive them by yielding His life on the cross. The moment at the cross presents an occasion for His tormentors to be wiped out (as the Law requires) because they have crucified a righteous man. As God was about to punish the people (according to the stipulations of the Law), Jesus called on the Father to forgive them so that they might live to repent of their sins. However, the preservation of the persecutors also meant certain death for Jesus. The broken bread signifies perfect love and forgiveness as demonstrated by Jesus. For He would rather die so that the people may receive a second chance at eternal life.

The broken bread was often misconstrued by the churches at large. The broken bread was not about our forgiveness, but our attitude of forgiveness towards our persecutors. As Jesus suffered to bring salvation to evil by never giving up on them, so we should do the same. Even if people forsake us, we must endeavour to forgive and be ready to lend a helping hand when they face the consequences of their misdeeds. We must not let unfaithful and ungrateful people erode our perception of humanity at large. Many will be born again forsaking their unfaithful ways because of your perseverance.

We are not to give up proclaiming new revelations that concerns Christ.

The broken bread also signifies Jesus’s relentless determination to bring fresh revelations of heaven to the earth. Jesus’s persecutions were for a large part attributed to His controversial teachings. Jesus faced fierce oppositions from mainstream religion that harped on established traditional teachings as opposed to the progressive revelations of Christ. The true disciples of Christ will progress in divine wisdom through heavenly visions and the angels. Make no mistake about it, as Christ and Paul were persecuted for their revelations, we too will face them. As we eat the broken bread, we continue to receive new revelations and develop them to maturity as Christ did.

No matter how dire our circumstances may be, all things are possible with God.

The blood covenant of Christ makes the impossible possible. The hindrances that stand against mankind that deprive man of the eternal life is forever broken by the blood of Christ. Therefore, we must use the blood of Christ to break the attacks of the devil. The blood covenant is a perpetual covenant effect even to this day and forever. We invoke the blood by wielding it like a sword or a gun. Like any weapon that must be used repeatedly until we destroy the enemy, we must invoke the blood continually until the enemy is annihilated.

The attacks of the devil include the following:

• Temptations of bodily lust in the form of sexual perversion through pornography.
• Temptations of hatred, anger and vengeance that changes our attitude towards people.
• Demonic thoughts of confusion and anxieties that take away our peace distracting us from the tasks at hand.
• Temptations of worldliness that draws our desires towards glamour and material possessions.
• Temptations of selfishness that depletes our love for God and for marginalised people.

While physical food alleviates the hunger of the body, spiritual food alleviates the hunger of the soul.

People are empathetic to hunger of the body, but apathetic to the hunger of the soul. By reason of the fact that for most, their body may be alive, but their soul or spirit is dead. Hence, they do not feel hunger in their spirit. Because their spirit is dead, they do not experience the abundance of joy, love, peace and righteousness of the Holy Spirit. Physical food and material wealth gives comfort to the body, but can never impart comfort to one’s spirit.

Many churchgoers were trapped in the pursuit of earthly blessings. They want spiritual abundance and yet could not let go of their love of the world. They go through Christian life thinking that they could have both. But Jesus said,

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” – Matthew 6:24

Therefore, believers should not worry about material security: ”as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on… for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself…” – Matthew 6:25, 32-34

For them, life centred on the Spirit as required by eating and drinking Jesus’s flesh and blood is objectionable. They attend weekly services consuming Jesus’s bread and blood but not digesting them. They are like those who have Bulimia Nervosa who eats food in a short amount of time followed by purging. And their bodies like their souls remain deprived as before.

Digesting the spiritual food of Christ requires more rigor than physical food. Eating and digesting the bread of life is not as easy and natural as eating physical bread. It requires discipline and hours of study to understand what was written centuries ago. It requires deep soul searching in order to decipher the Spirit’s voice as He speaks into our life. It requires the putting down of our idiosyncrasies, life philosophy, and pride. It requires us to be held accountable towards others so that they can help facilitate our transformation. Digesting the flesh and blood of Christ is rigorous and leaving our comfort zone is excruciating. Many churchgoers prefer to focus on teachings that concern forgiveness of sin, problem solving and acquisition of more wealth. They suppose personal sanctification is irrelevant, a boring endeavour that leads to nowhere. Many church pastors encouraged this philosophy by parading their own “blessedness” in overseeing a large congregation and being wealthy. This was precisely what Jesus was alluding to when He asked them to eat and drink His flesh and blood. In one day, Jesus’s “church” shrunk from 5000 people down to 12.

The more we eat of Christ’s flesh, the more we grow love and perseverance. The more we drink of Christ’s blood, the more we grow in power and purity to embark on projects far beyond our natural abilities. The integration of Christ’s attributes into our being must be followed up with perseverance in our current endeavours. The flesh and blood of Christ when consumed regularly and conscientiously will increase our abilities and the blessing to live life to the full.

Application

Are you accustomed to worrying over family, livelihood problems? One who consumes Christ’s flesh and blood does not worry over these things as he puts his trust in God. Try shifting your focus from problem solving to gathering wisdom through bible study. By starting the day reading the Bible and seeking God’s wisdom and directives, you will find your problems solved along the way. Proverbs 3:5-6 says,

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.

Are you discouraged because the people whom you served left you at your time of need? Are you despaired because people whom you respected rejected your biblical convictions and revelations? Continue to study the word and associate with people who pursue Christ as opposed to knowledge.

Dear Lord, help me to understand your Word when I read them. Cause me to forgive and to never give up on people. Help me see people as Christ would see them. Impart into me your wisdom, love and authority so that I may overcome the temptations and challenges of life. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.