I wrote this article to show what Jesus is talking about in John chapter 6 where He gives His famous Bread of Life Discourse.
In order to understand what Jesus meant in John 6 and how the Jews understood Him, we have to step back and look at the Gospel of John as a whole. There are a lot of patterns that follow in the Gospel of John. There are also a lot of similarities in the OT. Let's take a look at how John begins his Gospel:
[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
[2] He was in the beginning with God;
[3] all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
[4] In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
[5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
[2] He was in the beginning with God;
[3] all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
[4] In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
[5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Notice the similarity between John's Gospel and the story of Creation in Genesis 1:
[1] In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
[2] The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.
[3] And God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
[4] And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
[5] God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
[2] The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.
[3] And God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
[4] And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
[5] God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
Notice how the words chosen by John echo the Creation story in Genesis. What is the reason for this? Why does John do this? I believe Catholic and Protestant scholars agree that there is a new creation happening here. Jesus came to establish a new creation and a more spiritual one. NOT just a spiritual one, but a spiritual one that uses the material one (old creation). The two will now be joined. Christianity believes that our bodies will be raised on the last day. So we don't do away with the body and keep the soul in the end. No, the body eventually follows. The old creation is not done away with but it is "advanced" and glorified by God. This is very important in understanding John's Gospel.
If one reads what the Jews were waiting for in 1st Century AD, one would find that they were waiting for a Messiah that would save them from the Romans. They were waiting for someone who did what Moses did. They were waiting for a new Exodus. This is important in understanding John's Gospel because Jesus is the new Moses leading the people out and so He is establishing a new Exodus. There are a lot of similarities between what Moses did and what Jesus did.
For one, there is the Passover. The Passover is VERY important in understanding John 6. The context of John 6 IS the Passover. Also, the manna from heaven is very important in understanding John 6. Obviously, the manna is mentioned over and over in John 6. The feeding of the people in John 6 is also key in understanding John 6. There is a lot going on in John 6 that a lot of people skip over and miss. Everything in it is key and in order to understand it we have to look at the Gospel of John as a whole.
So here is what we need to keep in mind when reading the Gospel of John and particularly John 6:
A.) Jesus is the new Moses leading us out to a different type of Exodus
B.) Manna from Heaven
C.) Old Creation vs. New Creation
D.) Passover
Now let's deal with how the Jews could have understood Jesus and what Jesus really meant. In order to do that, we have to go back and see how others understood Jesus prior to John 6 and after John 6 to see if there is a pattern happening. First let's look at John 3:
[1] Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicode'mus, a ruler of the Jews.
[2] This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him."
[3] Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
[3] Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Jesus speaks to Nicodemus about being born "again" or being born "anew" and how did Nicodemus understand Him? Literally? Let's find out…
[4] Nicode'mus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
Indeed, he understood Jesus to be speaking literally. We all know that Jesus did not mean this literally but spiritually. I have yet to see an Early Church Father deny that Jesus is talking about Baptism here. Jesus is talking about Baptism and there is no way around it. The context is Baptism because before this encounter with Nicodemus, Baptism is mentioned. We see this in John 1:29-33 where there is a talk about Baptism, water, and the Spirit. Remember the theme in John's Gospel is Old Creation vs. New Creation. The Baptism of water that John was performing was part of the Old Creation. The New Creation is the Baptism that Jesus will give which will give us the Holy Spirit. How do we know that this Baptism of Jesus involves water? We will find that out soon.
Is there anything else that suggests that the context is Baptism? Yes. RIGHT after the encounter with Nicodemus, what happens? John 3:22 says:
22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judea; there he remained with them and baptized.
Context, context, context. The context is clearly Baptism. In fact, John 3:22 to John 4:2 is talking about Baptism.
Let's continue reading the text to see what happens next…
[5] Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
So the question above that I posed was: How do we know that the Baptism Jesus is talking about involves water? Well, for starters, it is a no-brainer that Baptism requires water. Also, Jesus says "…born of WATER and the Spirit…" What does He mean by water? The waters of Baptism. What does He mean by Spirit? We receive the Holy Spirit when we are baptized. Think about the Old Creation vs. New Creation. The Old Creation talked about the Spirit of God hovering over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:2). The New creation uses the material of the old creation (water) to bring upon the Holy Spirit in Baptism. The Old is not done away with, it is fulfilled in many, many ways in the New.
[6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
This verse is VERY important in understanding John 6. Protestants like to use a certain verse in John 6 that talks about the words of Jesus being spirit and life and the flesh avails (or profits) nothing. That verse is taken out of context and it must be understood using the mind of the Scriptures, not the modern mind of ours. What does Jesus mean by "…born of the flesh is flesh…born of the Spirit is spirit."? The flesh is the Old Creation and it is an earthly way of understanding things. The spirit is the New Creation and it is a more heavenly and spiritual way of understanding things. Nicodemus is earthly and so he understood the Words of Jesus to be literal. But Jesus is not talking literal in the same way Nicodemus is thinking, Jesus is speaking in spiritual terms. Nicodemus misunderstands Jesus here. THIS is very important in understanding John 6. Augustine even talks about this in his Tractates on John 3. He connects this story with John 6.
[7] Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born anew.'
[8] The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit."
[9] Nicode'mus said to him, "How can this be?"
Nicodemus now doubts what Jesus is saying and that's why he says "How can this be?" Perhaps the shift is now from a lack of understanding to a lack of belief.
[10] Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this?
[11] Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony.
[12] If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
Verse 12 is key. Notice Jesus does NOT say "If I have told you earthly things and you do not UNDERSTAND, how can you UNDERSTAND if I tell you heavenly things?" He said "BELIEVE" not "UNDERSTAND". Jesus used earthly matters such as water to describe a heavenly thing such as receiving the Holy Spirit. The context of the encounter shifts from a lack of understanding to a lack of belief.
13] No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man.
[14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up,
[15] that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."
[16] For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
[17] For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
[18] He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
[14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up,
[15] that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."
[16] For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
[17] For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
[18] He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Earlier I stated that Jesus is the new Moses and is bringing out a new Exodus. How does Baptism relate to this? Well we know that Moses parted the Red Sea and led his people out of Egypt and into the wilderness. What happened when the Egyptians followed? They were drowned. What were the Jews to the Egyptians? Slaves. What do the Egyptians represent? Sin. How were the Egyptians killed? Water. How are our sins "killed" or washed? Water (Baptism). Notice the parallels between the Old and the New. Is the Catholic Church reading her beliefs into the text? Well, since Catholics wrote the Scriptures, I would say no. But for one who doesn't believe that, I must now prove that what I have said is true using Scripture. Let's go to Saint Paul. In 1 Corinthians 10:1-2, St. Paul writes:
[1] I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,
[2] and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
[2] and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
St. Paul sounds like he is equating the parting of the Red Sea with Baptism. Baptism is how we cross from death (sin) to life (being washed) and enter into the journey in the "wilderness". What happened in the wilderness is important in understanding John 6. We will touch up on this more when we get to John 6. But first, let's move to John 4.
[4] He had to pass through Samar'ia.
[5] So he came to a city of Samar'ia, called Sy'char, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
[6] Jacob's well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as he was with his journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
[5] So he came to a city of Samar'ia, called Sy'char, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
[6] Jacob's well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as he was with his journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
The sixth hour is the same exact time of Jesus' Crucifixion. Keep that in mind because it plays a huge role in understanding what is going to take place here.
[7] There came a woman of Samar'ia to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."
"Give me a drink" implies that He is thirsty. Where else in the Gospel of John was Jesus ever thirsty? The obvious answer is when He was on the cross and said "I thirst." He is thirsting for her soul on one level and on another level he is thirsting for physical water since He is understandably tired.
[8] For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
[9] The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samar'ia?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
Primarily, Jesus is talking about spiritual water and she understands Him literally. Keep that in mind…
[10] Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, `Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."
Living water…what does He mean by this? Is this spiritual? Indeed it is. How did she understand it? Let's continue and see…
[11] The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water?
[12] Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?"
How did she understand Him? LITERALLY. Were His words literal or spiritual? Spiritual. What is this in reference to? What does Jesus mean by water? Let's continue reading and see…
[13] Jesus said to her, "Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again,
[14] but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
There are a few possibilities here by what Jesus means by Water and Thirst and here they are:
A.) Baptism where we receive the Holy Spirit (water).
B.) Eucharist where we drink the Blood of Christ (thirst).
C.) Life with Christ where it satisfies us. The water that He is speaking about can mean a spiritual life that satisfies and the water that she is talking about is earthly and physical which is tied with a worldly and sinful life.
All 3 are true in my opinion. But, this isn't about my opinion but it is about truth. So how can we prove this? Let's take the first one and go from there.
A.) Baptism where we receive the Holy Spirit (water).
How can the water that Jesus is speaking about be Baptism? Because we have established that Baptism is how we receive the Holy Spirit. Once we have the Holy Spirit, that's when we have eternal life. Let's take a look at a key passage in John to understand this more. John 7:38-39:
[38] He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, `Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'"
[39] Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
[39] Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Do you see a pattern here in John's Gospel? Living Water seems to be tied with the Spirit. Belief is something necessary in order to receive this Living Water. Now you may ask, "You Catholics baptize babies, how can a baby believe?" That is an appropriate question and one that we can go into details to deal with but it would be a side track. For now, I will say two things. In a baby baptism, there is a belief that comes from a parent or guardian. There are places in Scripture where a father or a mother comes up to Jesus because their son or daughter is sick or even dead. Does Jesus say "Well, since the offspring doesn't have any faith in me, I cannot help you!" No, He says "It has been granted to you according to YOUR faith." Also, Baptism is the new circumcision. Babies were circumcised and therefore it is safe to acknowledge that babies can be baptized. There is a lot more we can say about this but let's move on to something that is more on topic.
Let's move on to B:
B.) Eucharist where we drink the Blood of Christ (thirst).
The Old Creation was physical while the New Creation is spiritual that uses the material of the Old Creation to provide us with satisfaction. You may ask, "How can this water possibly be about the Blood of Christ? I thought the Blood of Christ is supposed to be symbolized by wine! You are jumping to conclusions here…" Let's examine this more closely. Where can we go in the Old Testament to find the Jews drinking water that satisfied them? The Rock that Moses stroked twice. This water satisfied them physically. Some questions to ask are: "What does the Rock represent? What does the water represent? What does striking the rock represent?" Let's go back to Saint Paul and continue what we have already started above from 1 Corinthians 10:
[1] I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,
[2] and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
[2] and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
We have already made a connection to Baptism with this as Saint Paul does as well. We cannot receive the Eucharist until we have been Baptized. The same with the Jews. They could not eat the food or drink the drinks until they had first passed through the Sea. What does Saint Paul say after?
[3] and all ate the same supernatural food
[4] and all drank the same supernatural drink. For they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
Did you catch that? What supernatural food is St. Paul talking about? The Manna from heaven. What supernatural drink is he talking about? Obviously the Water that came from the Rock. What did the Rock represent? Christ. This is VERY telling. What does it tell us? Well, first of all, we have to examine the story. We have one more question to answer and that question is "What does striking the rock represent?" It represents Crucifixion. What flowed from the Rock when Moses striked it? Water that quenches physical thirst and therefore saved them on their way to the Promised Land. Does St. John have this idea in mind in his Gospel? Where can we go to show that the Water that satisfied them foreshadows Baptism AND the Eucharist? Let's go to the Crucifixion of Christ according to John. John 19:32-34:
[32] So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him;
[33] but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
[34] But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.
[33] but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
[34] But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.
This is the bingo. The Rock that Moses striked gave the Jews water that satisfied their physical thirst. When the Rock (Christ) is speared on the Cross, He gives water (Baptism) and Blood (Eucharist) that satisfies our spiritual thirst. We can quote the Church Fathers on this and show that they believed the Water and Blood that flowed from Christ symbolize Baptism.
Think of it more deeply: Who is the Rock? Christ. What did they do with the water that flowed from Christ? They drank it. What do we do with the Blood that flowed from the side of Christ? We drink it. KEEP THAT IN MIND. Just as they drank the water that flowed from the Rock (who is Christ) and were physically satisfied (Old Creation), so too do we drink the Blood that flowed from the side of Christ and we are spiritually satisfied (New Creation).
But that's not all! Who is Christ? The Head of the Church. Who is the Church? His Body. Let's think back to the Creation account. Who is the head? Adam. Where did Eve come from? Adam's Body. Who was Eve? His spouse. See the connection? The Water (Baptism) and the Blood (Eucharist) that flowed from Christ symbolizes the birth of the Church. Just as God put Adam to sleep in order to bring forth his spouse, so too did Jesus have to "fall asleep" (death) in order to bring forth His spouse, the Church. The first tree (in the garden) brought forth sin while the second tree (Cross) brought forth life. What did Eve bring forth? Death. What does the Church bring forth? Life. That is why the Church cannot err. Not because she is perfect by her own power but because Christ (the Head) will NOT let her fall into apostasy. If the Church falls into apostasy, then Christ failed the same way Adam failed by letting Eve fall into sin. The Church MUST be spotless and without blemish because the Head of the Church is Christ and He will NOT lead her to any errors. Christ did not need Martin Luther or Zwingli or Calvin to come and rescue His spouse from teaching error. She has never taught error because Christ will never allow her to teach error. If one doesn't want to believe that then they are saying that Christ (the new Adam) is the same as the old Adam because they both failed to keep their spouse from falling.
What does this prove? It proves that the Gospel of John is the Gospel of Sacraments. Don't look at your Church today where Baptism isn't essential to salvation nor is the Eucharist and conclude that the Early Church believed as such. No, look at the Scriptures and the Early Church Fathers and see how worship was centered on the LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST. They believed that Baptism was essential to salvation and was required to receiving the Spirit and having your sins forgiven. This isn't a Catholic invention. THIS IS THE FAITH OF THE EARLY CHURCH. Now I said that there are many Early Church Fathers who believed that the water and the blood that flowed from Christ symbolize Baptism and the Eucharist. I will quote one, our good friend St. Augustine:
2. Then came the soldiers, and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they broke not His legs: but one of the soldiers with a spear laid open His side, and immediately came there out blood and water. A suggestive word was made use of by the evangelist, in not saying pierced, or wounded His side, or anything else, but opened; that thereby, in a sense, the gate of life might be thrown open, from whence have flowed forth the sacraments of the Church, without which there is no entrance to the life which is the true life. That blood was shed for the remission of sins; that water it is that makes up the health-giving cup, and supplies at once the laver of baptism and water for drinking. This was announced beforehand, when Noah was commanded to make a door in the side of the ark, Genesis 6:16 whereby the animals might enter which were not destined to perish in the flood, and by which the Church was prefigured. Because of this, the first woman was formed from the side of the man when asleep, Genesis 2:22 and was called Life, and the mother of all living. Genesis 3:20 Truly it pointed to a great good, prior to the great evil of the transgression (in the guise of one thus lying asleep). This second Adam bowed His head and fell asleep on the cross, that a spouse might be formed for Him from that which flowed from the sleeper's side. O death, whereby the dead are raised anew to life! What can be purer than such blood? What more health-giving than such a wound?
-Tractate on the Gospel of John 120,2. (Taken from http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1701120.htm)
Now HOW can we be sure that Saint Paul was talking about the Eucharist when he was talking about spiritual food and spiritual drink in 1 Corinthians 10? Context, context, context. Let's take a look:
[1] I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,
[2] and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
[3] and all ate the same supernatural food
[4] and all drank the same supernatural drink. For they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
[5] Nevertheless with most of them God was not pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
[6] Now these things are warnings for us, not to desire evil as they did.
[7] Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to dance."
[8] We must not indulge in immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.
[9] We must not put the Lord to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents;
[10] nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.
[11] Now these things happened to them as a warning, but they were written down for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come.
[12] Therefore let any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
[13] No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
[14] Therefore, my beloved, shun the worship of idols.
[15] I speak as to sensible men; judge for yourselves what I say.
[16] The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
[17] Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
[18] Consider the people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar?
[19] What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?
[20] No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons.
[21] You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
[22] Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
[3] and all ate the same supernatural food
[4] and all drank the same supernatural drink. For they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
[5] Nevertheless with most of them God was not pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
[6] Now these things are warnings for us, not to desire evil as they did.
[7] Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to dance."
[8] We must not indulge in immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.
[9] We must not put the Lord to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents;
[10] nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.
[11] Now these things happened to them as a warning, but they were written down for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come.
[12] Therefore let any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
[13] No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
[14] Therefore, my beloved, shun the worship of idols.
[15] I speak as to sensible men; judge for yourselves what I say.
[16] The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
[17] Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
[18] Consider the people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar?
[19] What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?
[20] No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons.
[21] You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
[22] Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
Clearly, the context is the Body and Blood of Christ. So Saint Paul would agree that the water that flowed from the Rock is a foreshadow of the Cup that we drink (Eucharist). But how can the New Creation of the Bread and Wine be a better creation when it is just a symbol? How can it be any better than the first? The first one DID something. It satisfied physically. The new one, if it is just a symbol, will not satisfy us either physically nor spiritually. It is JUST bread and wine that we eat and drink a tiny bit of. How can it be greater? It can't! Unless it IS the Body and Blood of Christ. That is how it will satisfy us spiritually. Just like Baptism can't satisfy us because of the Water but it is because we receive the Holy Spirit, so too in the Eucharist it CANNOT satisfy us because materially it is just bread and wine. It satisfies us BECAUSE WE RECEIVE CHRIST. How else can the Church become the Body of Christ unless the Church receives the Body of Christ? We are called the Body of Christ because He feeds us with His Body.
Notice the language that Saint Paul uses and how he compares the sacrifice to demons with the Christian sacrifice. Why does he even bring the sacrifice to demons into it? Why does he even talk about sacrifices? Why didn't he just talk about the "sinners" who do their thing and us "saints" who do our thing? Because the Bread and the Cup are the Christian sacrifice that are offered to the Father just like the meals of the pagans are demonic sacrifices that are offered to their gods. Why do you think the Church Fathers used terms such as "altar" and "sacrifice" when speaking about the Eucharist? This is straight out of Scripture. Saint Paul assumes you already know that the Bread and the Cup are the Christian sacrifices that are offered to the Father. Why ELSE would he compare it to the demonic sacrifice meals? What's more is that the context of Chapters 10 and 11 of 1 Corinthians is the Eucharist.
What about C? Let's move on to C:
C.) Life with Christ where it satisfies us. The water that He is speaking about can mean a spiritual life that satisfies and the water that she is talking about is earthly and physical which is tied with a worldly and sinful life.
Briefly: We cannot have life unless we have the Spirit. We cannot abide in Christ unless we drink His blood (which is what He (Christ) says in John 6). Option C is possible when options A and B come into play (according to the Scriptures).
Let's go back to the Woman at the Well. What does she say to Jesus?
[15] The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."
Ahh! There is a two-fold meaning to this. There is a sense of sarcasm by this woman and also a sense of belief. The sarcasm stems from the fact that she believed Him to be speaking physically and the belief stems from the fact that she believed Him to be speaking spiritually. Bottom line is, she understood Jesus to be speaking in literal terms even though it was ridiculous for Jesus to mean what He said literally.
The bottom line that I am making in regards to John 3 and John 4 is that both Nicodemus and the woman took Jesus' words literally. They were WRONG. They had a mind of an "Old Creationist" and were living in the physical. Jesus was speaking about REALITY under the forms of SACRAMENTS. The Gospel of John is the Gospel of Sacraments. It is full of Sacraments. The people who Jesus encounters have the physical mind and are still thinking in terms of the Old Creation while Christ is speaking about spiritual things because He is bringing about a New Creation that involves sacraments. Now although they were wrong in understanding Christ, we will see that just because Christ wasn't speaking literal, doesn't mean the reality is not there. Spiritual does not mean symbolic. There is no verse in the Bible that says that something understood spiritually is equivalent to something understood symbolically. Spiritually understood is just as REAL as any understanding. Keep that in mind as we move on to another example of misunderstanding Jesus in John's Gospel. This one is not related to the Sacraments but it is very telling.
The passages we will be looking at come from John 8. We will look at examples of how the Jews misunderstood Jesus. Every time He spoke, He was speaking in spiritual terms and they understood Him in worldly terms. They keep taking His words literally when He is speaking spiritually but at the same time there is a great deal of reality to His words. Let's examine a few examples:
[12] Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
[13] The Pharisees then said to him, "You are bearing witness to yourself; your testimony is not true."
[14] Jesus answered, "Even if I do bear witness to myself, my testimony is true, for I know whence I have come and whither I am going, but you do not know whence I come or whither I am going.
[15] You judge according to the flesh, I judge no one.
[16] Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone that judge, but I and he who sent me.
[17] In your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true;
[13] The Pharisees then said to him, "You are bearing witness to yourself; your testimony is not true."
[14] Jesus answered, "Even if I do bear witness to myself, my testimony is true, for I know whence I have come and whither I am going, but you do not know whence I come or whither I am going.
[15] You judge according to the flesh, I judge no one.
[16] Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone that judge, but I and he who sent me.
[17] In your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true;
Notice how Jesus accuses them of judging according to the FLESH. They keep understanding Him to mean things literally. This is VERY important in understanding John 6 and how the Jews understood Jesus. There is a pattern here where the Jews keep interpreting the words of Jesus in a fleshly and worldly way.
[18] I bear witness to myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness to me."
[19] They said to him therefore, "Where is your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my Father; if you knew me, you would know my Father also."
Again, He is speaking about God the Father and they understood Him as meaning His earthly father.
[20] These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
[21] Again he said to them, "I go away, and you will seek me and die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come."
[22] Then said the Jews, "Will he kill himself, since he says, `Where I am going, you cannot come'?"
Yet again, same thing keeps happening; they misunderstood Him again. They were partly right in their understanding. They understood "I go away" to be in reference to death. We know that Jesus has to die first in order to go there (heaven). Let's keep going…
[23] He said to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.
[24] I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he."
[25] They said to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Even what I have told you from the beginning.
[26] I have much to say about you and much to judge; but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him."
[27] They did not understand that he spoke to them of the Father.
[24] I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he."
[25] They said to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Even what I have told you from the beginning.
[26] I have much to say about you and much to judge; but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him."
[27] They did not understand that he spoke to them of the Father.
This is self-explanatory. Verse 23 pretty much affirms what I have been talking about. Also, verse 27 shows that they have misunderstood Him. You may be thinking "Cut to the chase, we get it!" But everything I am showing you is important in understanding the Gospel of John and particularly John 6.
[28] So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me.
[29] And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him."
[30] As he spoke thus, many believed in him.
[31] Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples,
[29] And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him."
[30] As he spoke thus, many believed in him.
[31] Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples,
[32] and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
[33] They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham, and have never been in bondage to any one. How is it that you say, `You will be made free'?"
[34] Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin.
[33] They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham, and have never been in bondage to any one. How is it that you say, `You will be made free'?"
[34] Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin.
Literal understanding: Slavery to men.
Spiritual understanding: Slavery to sin.
The reality is that there is still slavery. The spiritual meaning does not take away from the fact that there is still slavery being involved.
[51] Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death."
[52] The Jews said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets; and you say, `If any one keeps my word, he will never taste death.'
[52] The Jews said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets; and you say, `If any one keeps my word, he will never taste death.'
Literal understanding: Never dying a physical death.
Spiritual understanding: Never dying as in living forever in heaven.
Again, the reality is that there is still death involved.
[53] Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you claim to be?"
[54] Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God.
[55] But you have not known him; I know him. If I said, I do not know him, I should be a liar like you; but I do know him and I keep his word.
[56] Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad."
[57] The Jews then said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?"
[54] Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God.
[55] But you have not known him; I know him. If I said, I do not know him, I should be a liar like you; but I do know him and I keep his word.
[56] Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad."
[57] The Jews then said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?"
The climax of my point is approaching. They misunderstand Him once again and think He LITERALLY means that in His flesh He has been alive long enough to have seen Abraham. Of course, the spiritual meaning is that Jesus has seen Abraham because He created Him since He is God.
[58] Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."
[59] So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.
[59] So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.
Here they take His words to be literal. He is claiming the very name of God (I AM). They finally understand His claim that He is making. He is claiming to be God. Now that there is finally an understanding, what follows is belief. Do they believe? Obviously not. Their faith is dead.
Let's bring everything and summarize what we know so far. Let's take each story one by one.
A.) Nicodemus: Nicodemus thought Jesus was talking about literally entering into his mother's womb again in order to be born again. That means He took Jesus' words to be literal. Jesus' words were spiritual and His words were in reference to Baptism where we are born again in a spiritual way. Notice how there are two ideas of being born again. There is the literal and physical and there is the spiritual and heavenly. The spiritual idea does not take away from the fact that there is still a need for being BORG AGAIN.
B.) The Woman at the Well: The Woman at the Well took Jesus' words to mean literal and had a physical mind at first. Her understanding of Jesus was that He was talking about having water that will quench her thirst forever so that she will never have to come and draw water from a well. Jesus' words were spiritual and He meant it in reference to quenching her spiritual thirst. She was thinking physical; He was thinking spiritual and specifically, Sacraments. The spiritual understanding does NOT take away from the fact that there is still a thirst involved and also water involved that quenches thirst. The spiritual understanding is not equated with a mere symbolic understanding. It is a sacramental understanding. When she finally understood His words, she had a choice: Belief or unbelief? She believed and so followed.
C.) John 8: The Jews kept taking the Words of Jesus to be literal. He spoke about slavery to sin (spiritual) and they understood Him to mean slavery to men (physical). That does NOT take away from the fact that there is still slavery involved. The spiritual does not take away from the reality of slavery. In fact, the spiritual meaning of slavery is a worse kind of slavery than the physical.
D.) John 8 continued: Jesus was talking about knowing Abraham and existing before Abraham and He was speaking in terms of the spiritual (the fact that He is God). The Jews understood Him to be talking about the physical. That did NOT take away from the reality that Jesus STILL knew Abraham and the fact that He existed BEFORE Abraham (even though it wasn't the same way they understood it). When they finally understood His words, they had a choice: Belief or unbelief? They chose to kill Him so obviously they had no faith.
There are plenty of more examples in the Gospel of John. But the point being is that, just because the people understood Jesus' words to be literal while Jesus meant them spiritually, it doesn’t take away from the fact that the words are still true and a reality. The spiritual understanding gives us the reality of what Jesus meant. Keep this in mind as we go into the text of John 6. The same pattern will follow. We need to examine yet a couple of more texts before moving on to John 6. Let's take a look at John 2:
[1] On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;
[2] Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples.
Notice how John doesn't tell us who is getting married. Who is getting married here? We will find out what this marriage is all about in a spiritual level.
[3] When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine."
So they lack something. Mary notices that "they have no wine." Who is "they"? Primarily, the people at the party. Secondarily, this is a passage about everyone. Before Christ came, no one really had "wine" that would satisfy. What are we thirsting for? We are thirsting for God.
[4] And Jesus said to her, "O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come."
Jesus just called His mother "O Woman…" Is he breaking one of the 10 commandments here or is there something else going on? I don't want to get too deep into this (perhaps I will write another paper on what Jesus meant another time). I would just like to note that there is an echo to the creation account in Genesis. Remember, John starts his Gospel echoing the creation account. He continues this echo in John 2. There is an echo of the OT throughout the Gospel of John. We will see this theme return in John 6. Jesus is referring to Mary as "woman" because she is the new Eve. What did Eve do to Adam? She led him to perform his first sin. What does the new Eve (Mary) do to the new Adam (Jesus)? She asks Him to do His FIRST miracle. There is a lot more going on and a lot more we can say but we can leave that for another day. Let's move on…
[5] His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
[6] Now six stone jars were standing there, for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
[7] Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim.
[8] He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast." So they took it.
[9] When the steward of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward of the feast called the bridegroom
Who are the servants? Who do they represent? They represent the Apostles who are called to serve. Who does the steward represent? He represents us, the laymen. The Apostles are the ones that make the miracle of the Eucharist possible and Jesus is the one that turns the wine into His Blood. Same thing is happening here. The servants make this miracle possible because they had to "Do whatever he tells you…"
Just a side note: This reminds me of "Do this in remembrance of me…" I'm not even sure if there is a connection there but it would seem like there is.
How do we know that the steward represents the laymen? The key to understanding this is verse 10…
[10] and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now."
Who said this? The steward did. What does he mean by this? What is meant by the good wine and the poor wine? Well, on one level, he meant what he said merely in regards to the wine. But on another level, this is what is meant when John writes it:
"Every man serves the good wine first (good wine is Jesus), and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine (the poor wine represents the prophets of the OT), but you have kept the good wine until now (good wine means Jesus)."
In other words, Jesus is the good wine and the prophets of the OT are the poor wine. That isn’t to take away from the prophets of the OT. That is there because John wants us to know that there is someone greater than the prophets here. God Almighty Himself is here. The Prophets of the OT came first and did their work, but now, Jesus is the best wine which is saved for last. This is why in John's Gospel, there is a recurring theme of: "Are you greater than…(Abraham, Jacob, Moses)…" The answer is YES because He is the good wine which is saved for last. So he is basically saying "you have given us the poor wine first (the prophets) and you have saved the best wine for last (Jesus)."
What does this have to do with the Eucharist? Well the wine is obviously in reference to the Eucharist. Since Jesus is the best wine in this story, it is a representative of the fact that the wine of the Eucharist is really Jesus (the best wine). The bridegroom is Jesus. How do we know this? Because the steward called the BRIDEGROOM over and said the thing about good wine and poor wine to Him. He said that to the Bridegroom (Jesus). The servants represent the Apostles (they would be the Bishops and Priests for us today). The steward represents the people of the Church. Since the people of the Church are the ones being fed the Eucharist by the Bishops and Priests. Who is the spouse? The Church!
So when Mary says "They have no wine…" she is talking about something more than just wine. She is talking about something that will quench the spiritual thirst that we have. Only Jesus can do this. Jesus is both the bridegroom and also the wine. The same way He is also the High Priest AND the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Please note that the above interpretation is a second level interpretation. John does this over and over. The passages usually have a double meaning. I really don't think that John would be wasting time, ink and paper talking about a wedding that has no spiritual background or meaning behind it.
What follows after this story? Let's take a look:
[13] The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
[14] In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business.
[15] And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.
[16] And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; you shall not make my Father's house a house of trade."
[17] His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for thy house will consume me."
[18] The Jews then said to him, "What sign have you to show us for doing this?"
[19] Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
[20] The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?"
[21] But he spoke of the temple of his body.
[22] When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
23] Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did;
[24] but Jesus did not trust himself to them,
[25] because he knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for he himself knew what was in man.
[15] And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.
[16] And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; you shall not make my Father's house a house of trade."
[17] His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for thy house will consume me."
[18] The Jews then said to him, "What sign have you to show us for doing this?"
[19] Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
[20] The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?"
[21] But he spoke of the temple of his body.
[22] When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
23] Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did;
[24] but Jesus did not trust himself to them,
[25] because he knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for he himself knew what was in man.
Let's take a look at two things going on here. What is the theme here? The theme is the temple. Why is that important? Because the Temple is the dwelling place of God. It is where God dwells. Why is that important? Because Jesus is the NEW TEMPLE. Particularly His Body is the new temple. Since the Old Temple had the dwelling place of God, how much more would the New Temple have the dwelling place of God? Heck, the New Temple IS God. It is His Body. Since the context is in regards to the Temple (where God is worshipped and dwells), then we have to make that connection to the New Temple. How did the first Christians worship God? What was the center of their worship? The Eucharist. Why? Because it IS the New Temple and has the Real Presence of Jesus' Body.
Do you think that it is a coincidence that the story of the wedding (representing the Blood of Christ) and the story of the Temple (representing the Body of Christ) are placed one after the other? The big picture is really the Body and Blood of Christ. How can we be sure of this? Notice how I bolded the word "Passover". John sometimes tells us what feast it is before going on with his story. Usually, what Jesus says has a reference to what feast day it is. This time it is the feast of the Passover which is where the lamb is slain, cooked, and then eaten. Who is the Lamb of God? John tells us in chapter 1:29:
[29] The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Jesus is the Lamb of God. And now finally, let's dig into John 6. But we will start with the end of John 5, because it is important in understanding John 6.
[45] Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; it is Moses who accuses you, on whom you set your hope.
[46] If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me.
[47] But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"
[46] If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me.
[47] But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"
Why is this important? Because it was God who gave the people a Passover and Moses was the instrument and mediator. Moses told the people what they needed to do in the Passover. So in order to understand what Jesus is about to do and say in John 6, we have to have an understanding of what Moses did in the Passover. But why the Passover? Because it is the context of John 6. Just the Passover? No, but also the Manna from Heaven. Let's now dig into John 6 and see what will happen.
[1] After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiber'i-as.
[2] And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased.
[3] Jesus went up on the mountain, and there sat down with his disciples.
[4] Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.
[2] And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased.
[3] Jesus went up on the mountain, and there sat down with his disciples.
[4] Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.
Right away, we see Passover. Why is this so important? As stated earlier, John starts off a story with what feast day it is and relates it to the Words that Jesus is about to preach. One example of this is in John 13:1 where Jesus is talking to His Disciples after the Last Supper. What feast does he mention? The Passover! Why? Because the Lamb of God is about to be slain for the forgiveness of sins. Some of us are familiar with the Passover account and some are not. For those who are not, I will briefly address it here.
The feast of the Passover can be found in Exodus 12.
[1] The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
[2] "This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you.
[3] Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they shall take every man a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household;
[4] and if the household is too small for a lamb, then a man and his neighbor next to his house shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.
[5] Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old; you shall take it from the sheep or from the goats;
[6] and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs in the evening.
[7] Then they shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat them.
[8] They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.
[9] Do not eat any of it raw or boiled with water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts.
[10] And you shall let none of it remain until the morning, anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.
[11] In this manner you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's passover.
[12] For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.
[13] The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
[14] "This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance for ever.
[2] "This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you.
[3] Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they shall take every man a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household;
[4] and if the household is too small for a lamb, then a man and his neighbor next to his house shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.
[5] Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old; you shall take it from the sheep or from the goats;
[6] and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs in the evening.
[7] Then they shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat them.
[8] They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.
[9] Do not eat any of it raw or boiled with water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts.
[10] And you shall let none of it remain until the morning, anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.
[11] In this manner you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's passover.
[12] For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.
[13] The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
[14] "This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance for ever.
Notice the theme here. The lamb is slain and the FLESH SHALL BE EATEN. What happens with the BLOOD? It is to be "put on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat them." There is a theme here of a Lamb (Jesus is the Lamb) and eating flesh (hmm…) and using the blood for something so significant that if it is not done, it is bad news for that household. Now we know that John told us that it is the feast of the Passover. Jesus is going to preach to them and use the Passover feast to bring up the Eucharist for the first time. Now that we have a general understanding of what Passover is, we can better understand the Words of Jesus in John 6.
But first, let me remind you that Christ is the new Moses and is here to give us something greater than what Moses gave. This is a New Creation that is being set up here by Jesus. The New Creation fulfills the Old; it doesn’t abolish it. Let's continue with our text from John 6:
[5] Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?"
"Lifting up His eyes…" Why would John even write that? Everything in this Gospel has significance. What is the significance of this? Lifting up of the eyes is what the High Priest does when He says the High Priestly prayer (Please turn to John 17:1 and see what Jesus does before giving His famous High Priestly prayer).
Why is that so significant? Because already, John is trying to direct us to a sacrificial context. He has already talked about the Passover where the lamb is slain and eaten. Here, he gives us a clue that Jesus is the High Priest. Christ is both the High Priest AND the Lamb of God. Let's continue with the text:
[6] This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.
[7] Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little."
[8] One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him,
[9] "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?"
[10] Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
[11] Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.
[7] Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little."
[8] One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him,
[9] "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?"
[10] Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
[11] Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.
"given thanks…" What is that in the Greek? It literally says "Eucharisita…" Coincidence? Or is John making a point? He keeps hinting at something here. Hmm. Let's take a look at how the Gospel of Mark says it. But first, I must make it clear that John knew of the other 3 Gospels and how they told the story of Christ. He knew how similar they were. The purpose of his Gospel is to give you the background behind the other Gospels and also to tell you what the other Gospels did not include. His Gospel is not opposed to theirs, his Gospel completes theirs. What I am about to show is a good example of this. So how does the Gospel of Mark say it? Here it is:
[41] And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all.
What does that remind you of? Well it should remind you of this:
[22] And as they were eating, he took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body."
Coincidence? I don't think so.
John assumes that you have read the Synoptic Gospels and you already know that the words of the miracle of the loaves echo the Last Supper where Jesus GIVES US HIS BODY in the Eucharist. That is why John wrote "and gave thanks" because he wanted us to have the Eucharist in mind when reading what is about to happen. There is no coincidence and there is a reason why John has that particular order of his Gospel. Those who have ears…
Let's continue:
[12] And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost."
What does that remind you of? It should remind you of this:
Exodus 16
[23] he said to them, "This is what the LORD has commanded: `Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay by to be kept till the morning.'"
The context is this: The Jews are hungry and have no food. They are in the wilderness. They complain and God hears them and sends them manna from heaven (bread). He tells them that none of it should be left on the ground or else the sun will ruin it. They are not allowed to leave any of it behind.
And…
[32] And Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded: `Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.'"
[33] And Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the LORD, to be kept throughout your generations."
[34] As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony, to be kept.
[33] And Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the LORD, to be kept throughout your generations."
[34] As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony, to be kept.
People wonder why we Catholics have tabernacles where we place the Eucharist there. If God commanded the Jews to place mere bread from heaven (manna) on the Ark for a reminder of what the Lord did for them, then how much more are we to put the Body of Christ in a tabernacle which is also a reminder of what Christ did for us on the Cross ("do this in remembrance of me").
Now if you haven't read Exodus 16 as a whole, I suggest you read it now before continuing with the rest of this paper. It is key in understanding what is about to take place. Let's continue:
[13] So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten.
Why 12 baskets? Because of the 12 Tribes of Israel. What is the big deal about the 12 Tribes of Israel? Because they represent the Old Creation. The New Creation has a different kind of 12. It has the 12 Apostles and every priestly lineage must go back to one of the 12 in order for the priest or bishop to have a valid ordination. I think there is a reason why 12 baskets were filled. Since this is the Gospel of the Old vs. New Creation, then what would a Jew think of when they hear the number 12? The 12 tribes of Israel. What would a Christian think of when he/she hears the number 12? The 12 Apostles. What is the context? Eucharistia…Whoever has ears…
Let's continue…
14] When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!"
[15] Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
[15] Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
[16] When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,
[17] got into a boat, and started across the sea to Caper'na-um. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
[18] The sea rose because a strong wind was blowing.
[19] When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat. They were frightened,
[20] but he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."
[17] got into a boat, and started across the sea to Caper'na-um. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
[18] The sea rose because a strong wind was blowing.
[19] When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat. They were frightened,
[20] but he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."
[21] Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
A better translation would be "I AM; do not be afraid."
What is going on here? Why does John move from the miracle of the loaves to the calming of the storm? Besides the fact that that is actually what happened, there is more to it than that. The idea of belief in Jesus is being presented. This is very important in understanding the rest of John 6. Faith is required before one can accept what Jesus is about to say. Faith in who and in what? Faith in Christ. Faith that HE IS THE GREAT I AM. It must first be established that the words that Jesus is about to speak are not from a mere man, but they are from ALMIGHTY GOD HIMSELF.
Let's continue…
[22] On the next day the people who remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.
[23] However, boats from Tiber'i-as came near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
Why does John tell us that? He is reminding us of what took place prior to the calming of the storm. He is bringing us back to bread and the Eucharistia (given thanks) so that we can properly understand what Jesus is about to say and what is about to take place. Let's continue:
[24] So when the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Caper'na-um, seeking Jesus.
[25] When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"
[25] When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"
[26] Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
[27] Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal."
[27] Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal."
The word "seal" is very interesting. It is used in a context of sending one out to carry out a mission. Like the Father sends the Son and the Son sends the Apostles. What does that remind you of? It should remind you of John 20 where Jesus says "As the Father has sent me, so too I send you…" He sends them out with the mission to forgive sins and gives them the authority to do it. He gives them a priestly mission. So it is an interesting word to use in this context because it sounds like He is up to something here…
And now Jesus is going to start talking about faith. In order to understand what Jesus is about to say, you have to have faith in Jesus and trust Him. Let's continue…
[28] Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?"
[29] Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."
[30] So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform?
[29] Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."
[30] So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform?
That's kind of odd. Did he not just perform a sign? What does that remind you of? It should remind you of the Jews who followed Moses. God kept performing signs for them so that they can survive the wilderness and they kept doubting and wanting to go back to being slaves to the Egyptians. In fact, this is where the story is heading…
[31] Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, `He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
[32] Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
[32] Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
Let me give you a little background about what happened with Moses and the Jews. They were enslaved by the Egyptians. God calls Moses to lead his people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Fast forward a few chapters and we have Moses and his people in front of a Red Sea with the Egyptians chasing them. Moses parts the Red Sea and the Jews pass through without a problem. When the Egyptians follow, the water no longer becomes parted and it drowns them. Above, we established that this symbolized Baptism. Now that their "sins" (Egyptians) are washed away, they are now in the wilderness. This is where they start to face temptations and start to murmur and complain. They tell Moses that they wish they were back in Egypt under the slavery of the Egyptians. Why? Because they are hungry. What does God do for them while they're in the wilderness? He sends them Manna from heaven.
Why is that so significant? It's because this foreshadows a lot about the Christian life. We are baptized and our sins are washed. We enter the wilderness and face temptations. How does God sustain us? By feeding us the Bread of Life (the Eucharist) which is a spiritual nourishment. What does He give us when we are thirsty? The Blood of Christ which is also for spiritual nourishment. What was the purpose to their journey? To make it to the Promised Land. What is our Promised Land? Heaven. Just as the manna and the water from the Rock was essential for them to survive and make it to the Promised Land, so too for us is the Body and Blood of Christ that we eat and drink in the Eucharist essential for us to make it our Promised Land (Heaven). Let's continue…
[34] They said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always."
[35] Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.
[36] But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
The context here is belief. Jesus has not yet spoken about the Eucharist. All this is a great preparation for what He is about to tell them. But first, there needs to be a belief in Him. Not necessarily an understanding, but a belief and trust in His Words.
[37] All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out.
[38] For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me;
[39] and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day.
[40] For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
[41] The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven."
[38] For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me;
[39] and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day.
[40] For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
[41] The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven."
[42] They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, `I have come down from heaven'?"
How did they understand Him? Literally! How did Jesus mean it? Spiritually! Let's think about this. Even though the meaning is spiritual, there is still reality to it. The reality is that Jesus is really the Bread which came down from Heaven. He really DID come from heaven. Literally, He came from the womb of Mary but spiritually He is from Heaven since He is God. They misunderstand Him and think He was speaking in literal terms but He wasn't. He was speaking in spiritual terms and yet His words still mean that He came down from Heaven as the Bread of Life. That is VERY important in understanding how they are about to understand Him.
Now why did I bold the murmuring part? Because it should remind us of something. What should it remind us of? This:
[2] And the whole congregation of the people of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness,
[3] and said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."
[4] Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or not.
[3] and said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."
[4] Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or not.
Notice the similarities? This is why John chooses His words carefully. It all has deeper meanings. This is why we should slow down when reading the Bible. There are many hidden treasures in it that are very telling. Just as the Jews murmured at Moses in the wilderness and God had to send them Bread from Heaven; so too do we murmur in our wilderness and God has to sustain us by giving us the True Bread from Heaven (Body of Christ in the Eucharist). This whole context is Eucharist. If you are still doubting this, I suggest you go back and read 1 Corinthians 10 where Saint Paul compares their spiritual food (manna) and spiritual drink (water from the Rock) to our spiritual food (Body of Christ) and spiritual drink (Blood of Christ).
There is something very interesting that happened in Exodus in the context of God sending the people manna from heaven. This is something that is very telling. In Exodus 16:8 we read:
[8] And Moses said, "When the LORD gives you in the evening flesh to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your murmurings which you murmur against him -- what are we? Your murmurings are not against us but against the LORD."
And also Exodus 16:12:
[12] "I have heard the murmurings of the people of Israel; say to them, `At twilight you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"
I don't think that John uses the word murmuring by accident. He is up to something. As we ready those two verses in Exodus, we see a lot of connections between Exodus and John 6. What Jesus is about to say (in reference to eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood) is not to be downplayed and only to be understood as believing in Him and coming to Him. Certainly, those two things MUST be there in order to understand Jesus' Words. But it isn't all Jesus is about to say. There is so much more going on here. The flesh, the bread, the blood, the eating, the satisfying the hunger, the bread from heaven, the manna, the sacrifice of the Passover, the feeding of the 5000, the raising of the eyes to heaven, the murmuring, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. This is all salvation history! Let's continue…
[43] Jesus answered them, "Do not murmur among yourselves.
[44] No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
[45] It is written in the prophets, `And they shall all be taught by God.' Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.
[46] Not that any one has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father.
[47] Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.
[48] I am the bread of life.
[49] Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
[50] This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die.
[44] No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
[45] It is written in the prophets, `And they shall all be taught by God.' Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.
[46] Not that any one has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father.
[47] Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.
[48] I am the bread of life.
[49] Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
[50] This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die.
So the context is still belief in Jesus. Things are about to take a turn here and Jesus' Words are going to go from belief to something else. Verse 50 is very interesting. He says "This is the BREAD which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die." Notice how He says BREAD. Now what is this Bread? Let's continue to verse 51 and see:
[51] I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."
The bread is the flesh of Christ! So in that verse alone, we have living bread that we must eat which is the flesh of Christ. This is where everything turns around! This is the climax of what we have been discussing this whole time. This is why I showed examples of how the people kept taking Jesus' words to be LITERAL. Does it change now? Do they take His Words to be literal again this time? Let's find out…
[52] The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
"You have no bucket to draw with, how can you get this living water?"
"How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
"You are not yet 50 years old and you have seen Abraham?"
"It has taken 46 years to build this Temple and you will you raise it up in 3 days?"
"Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, `I have come down from heaven'?"
After all those, are we now to believe that they all of a sudden didn't take Him literally this time? That is wishful thinking! We have to be consistent and follow the patterns of this Gospel.
Now, al though they understood Him to mean it literally, it doesn't mean they are right. Literally would mean that they would have to chop Him off right in front of their eyes and start eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood right there. THAT is how they understood Jesus. They are still thinking as "Old Creationists." But this is NOT how Jesus meant it. Jesus meant it spiritually. Spiritually would be eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood in the Eucharist! The whole context of John 6 is the Eucharist. But first, faith is required. Is understanding required now? We will find out soon. Let's continue and see if Jesus is about to correct their understanding:
[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;
[54] he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
[55] For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
[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 will live because of me.
[58] This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever."
[59] This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Caper'na-um.
[54] he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
[55] For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
[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 will live because of me.
[58] This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever."
[59] This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Caper'na-um.
Jesus did not correct their misunderstanding. He took it even further! You will not find that anywhere else in any of the examples I have shown. He never repeats it and emphasizes what He is talking about anywhere else more than He does here. This means that Jesus is saying "I stand by what I said and I am NOT backing away from it. Just trust me on this. If you want to stay, stay; if you want to leave, go."
No one had ANY idea that He was talking about the Eucharist here. But this is where belief comes in. This is why Jesus spoke about believing in Him before He started to talk about eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood. Faith requires trust and trust is what follows faith. The way to know if you have true faith is to see how much you trust the Lord. What happens next? Let's see:
[60] Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?"
They lack true faith; therefore, they lack the trust. They flee. Does Jesus correct what He had previously said? Let's find out…
61] But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, "Do you take offense at this?
[62] Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before?
[62] Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before?
There is so much meaning behind these two verses. A lot of people skip over these verses as if Jesus just changed the subject from flesh and blood to the ascension. Nothing can be more further than the truth! First of all, we see that Jesus does not correct or clarify what He said about eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood. Verse 62 is key. Here is what Jesus means:
A.) First of all, why does He even bring up the ascension? Because THIS whole thing about Flesh and Blood eating has to do with the New Creation. THEY are thinking that He is talking about eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood in His OLD flesh which is the one they see in front of them. He is NOT talking about eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood prior to the ascension. The Flesh we eat and the Blood we drink of Christ is the one that is going to be resurrection from the dead and glorified and ascended. We know that Jesus had a different body when He resurrected. THAT is the Body that He will feed us, not the fleshly one that they see in front of them.
B.) In previous verses, Jesus kept telling the people that He is the Bread that came down from heaven. Those verses are very important in understanding verse 62. Ascending into heaven, Jesus then will give us the TRUE BREAD that we may eat of and not die. The previous bread of the OT (Manna) can be eaten and you can die physically because it doesn't give eternal life. The TRUE BREAD (Jesus) comes down from Heaven in the form of Bread and is fed to us that we may have eternal life.
C.) "Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before?" In other words, "Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? Would you then believe? Would you then understand? Would you then know that I am talking about spiritual things here and not physical?"
Let's continue…
63] It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
In other words, understanding this according to the flesh will give no benefit. Since eating Christ's Flesh and drinking His Blood as He was in front of them wouldn’t do anyone any good. This is something that is to be understood spiritually. Spiritually understood, IT WILL GIVE LIFE. How is it spiritually understood? Eating the Body and Blood of Christ under the appearance of bread and wine. How do we know that this is to do with the Eucharist? Well other than the big clues that John keeps giving us, there is still more. Let's continue…
[64] But there are some of you that do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him.
[65] And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."
[65] And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."
Again, belief is required. Belief comes first, then understanding eventually follows. God will help us understanding. Also, look at verse 65. Belief in the Eucharist is a gift. We should thank God for it every single day!
[66] After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.
[67] Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?"
[68] Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life;
[69] and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."
[68] Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life;
[69] and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."
They did not understand what Jesus was talking about yet. The Eucharist had yet to be given. John doesn't give us an account of the Last Supper because he assumes you have read the other 3 Gospels. He did not need to repeat the Last Supper a fourth time. So he gave us John 6 instead. Let's continue and see what happens next…
[70] Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"
[71] He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was to betray him.
[71] He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was to betray him.
This is very telling. Notice how the betrayal of Judas is brought up. When does the devil enter into Judas Iscariot? This is the key! It happens at the Last Supper! Which is where EVERYTHING Jesus just said becomes clear to the Apostles. I bet there was a huge sigh of relief when Jesus took bread and said "This is my body…"
Let's take a look at the Last Supper account which will be our finale:
[18] He said, "Go into the city to a certain one, and say to him, `The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at your house with my disciples.'"
[19] And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the passover.
[19] And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the passover.
John 6 started with a Passover as well…
[20] When it was evening, he sat at table with the twelve disciples;
[21] and as they were eating, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
[22] And they were very sorrowful, and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I,
[22] And they were very sorrowful, and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I,
Lord?"
[23] He answered, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me, will betray me.
[24] The Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."
[25] Judas, who betrayed him, said, "Is it I, Master?" He said to him, "You have said so."
[23] He answered, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me, will betray me.
[24] The Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."
[25] Judas, who betrayed him, said, "Is it I, Master?" He said to him, "You have said so."
John 6 talks about Judas betraying Jesus as well…
[26] Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." [27] And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you;
[28] for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
John 6 talked about eating the Flesh of Christ (Body) and drinking His Blood too. THIS is the spiritual understanding. To eat His Flesh and drink His Blood in the Eucharist. That is the whole point of John 6. There is a New and better Creation. The Old is not done away with, it is fulfilled.
May the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit and may the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist sustain us all in our wilderness until we are arrive at our Promised Land. Amen.
(The translation used was from the RSV and the website to credit for the translation is: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/r/rsv/browse.html)
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