EAT MY FLESH!

John 6:51-59

INTRODUCTION: We as believers in Jesus Christ and those who believe the Bible truly is the living Word of God must not pretend these are easy words to understand. How can Jesus tell His followers to eat his body and drink His blood? As we take communion today we will share a little wafer of bread and drink a little grape juice and not think much about it. But that was not the reaction the first generation of Jesus followers reacted when Jesus told them to eat His flesh and drink His blood: John 6:52.

I. EATING THE THINGS OF GOD!

Those who doubted Jesus words may have been closer to His true meaning than those who just go through the motions of taking communion without even thinking of its true meaning. Our Lord Jesus wasn’t the first to talk about eating the things of God: Psalm 34:7-9; Ezekiel 3:1- 3. We use those same idioms today as we say “We devoured the book!” “We are going to chew over a matter.” “That is something I just cannot stomach!” But our Lord Jesus went beyond these analogies and Jesus insisted that we need to feed on Him and in doing that we will gain new life now and everlasting life in the world to come. When we receive communion in faith, the Holy Spirit flows through our lives carrying the very life of Jesus Christ into our minds, hearts, and bodies.

II. JESUS CHRIST IS OUR SACRIFICIAL LAMB!

Our Lord unpacked His words by using the words “flesh” and “blood!” The Jews knew these were the words associated with ritual sacrifice. The sacrificial lamb had its flesh torn open and its blood spilled out on the altar of sacrifice. Jesus was claiming to be the lamb of God that would be offered for the sins of the world. John 1:29-34. Our Lord Jesus meant to shock His followers with His words. Crucifixion was a cruel and terrible means of execution. We must remember today why the cross is not only the central theme in our church but in all the churches of Christianity! One reason is that because our Lord Jesus suffered Himself He will be able to stand with us in our times of suffering: Hebrews 4:15-16. When we gaze upon the cross of our Lord we will find life by eating the body and drinking in the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ: John 12:32-33.

III. REFOCUSING OUR LIVES IN CHRIST!

Truly feeding on Jesus flesh and drinking His blood means to take a long gaze and not just a fleeting glance at what Jesus has done for us on the cross. Jesus said “It is finished!
:John 19:28-37. Everything necessary for our salvation was accomplished by our Savior on the cross. We need to “look and live” as we trust in our Lord’s finished work for our salvation. The real shock of the cross is not just that Jesus died but that He died to pay for our sin! The shock is that our Creator God was willing to stay on that cross until all that was necessary to wash away our sins was accomplished by the broken body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross! We need to come to communion with our eyes wide open in wonder! The Creator God had His own body broken and His own blood spilled out to pay for our sin! Know that He is with you in your suffering and offers you forgiveness if you will turn from your sin and turn toward Him instead: John 6:56-59. 1 Corinthians 11:22-32.