05.18.2014 New Testament: John 6.52–56

To read the Bible in a year, read John 6.44–71 on May 18, In the year of our Lord 2014

By Don Ruhl

When we come to the Scriptures, we get so concerned about making sure that we understand them, that our uptightness leads us astray, but if we would only relax and take it easy, we would discover what God means.

For example, Jesus spoke to the Jews of eating Him as the Bread of Life,

The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” (John 6.52).

They got all worked up and understood Him literally, but common sense would have told them that He spoke figuratively or metaphorically.

Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6.53–56).

He continued to speak poetically, because their hearts were not right, and He did not want them to see the truth, and because the metaphor of eating and drinking illustrated perfectly what we have to do with Jesus. We have to take Him into ourselves, like we do food and drink, and our bodies process those things, giving us life. Take Jesus into your soul. Ingest Him. Digest Him. Process Him. Then you shall live.