What does it mean to eat of the Lord's body and drink of His blood?
Is this about communion? or is this symbolic? What does it mean to drink his blood in the spirit.
John 6:53
ESV - 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 you.
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Asked September 09 2014
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Wanda Jenkins
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Vincent Mercado
The whole chapter of John 6 is quite controversial because Jesus said two things that are utterly disgusting, almost unforgivable, for a First century Jew - "Eat my flesh" and "Drink my blood".
How can he say "Eat my flesh" and "Drink my blood" when cannibalism is prohibited in Judaism and it is against the Mosaic law to drink the blood of an animal, much more human blood?
The disciples who are following Jesus understood this literally that is why they are disgusted by it, saying it is a hard teaching. Hard teaching indeed! Yet Jesus stresses it even more (verses 53 to 56). Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.
And many of the disciples left, yet Christ offers no alternative or spiritual explanation. He didn't say, "Wait! I meant it symbolically." No, instead, he looks at his twelve and asks, "Do you wish to leave too?"
During communion, we eat and drink, literally, Christ's body and blood. It is not symbolic. There is no such thing as "drink his blood in the spirit".
If you were Peter, what would you say?