What does "true food" and "true drink" signify in John 6:55? The Verse in Focus “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.” – John 6:55 Setting the Scene • The crowd had just eaten literal bread and fish (John 6:1-14). • They chased Jesus looking for more food; He answered with a call to desire the “food that endures to eternal life” (6:26-27). • Jesus identified Himself as “the bread of life” (6:35). • The language intensifies: “eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood” (6:53). Verse 55 crowns the thought. Word Snapshot • “True” (alēthēs) – genuine, dependable, the real thing in contrast to what is temporary or symbolic. • “Food” (brōsis) / “Drink” (posis) – that which sustains life. So, Jesus claims His flesh and blood are the ultimate, lasting nourishment. Why His Flesh and Blood Are ‘True’ Nourishment • Only His sacrifice satisfies God’s righteous requirement (Hebrews 10:10). • Physical bread sustains for hours; Christ’s atonement sustains forever (John 6:49-51). • In Him “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14), making salvation tangible and historical. Spiritual Reality, Not Cannibalism • Eating and drinking are vivid metaphors for personal appropriation. Compare: – “Taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8). – “Your words were found, and I ate them” (Jeremiah 15:16). • Verse 63 clarifies: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing.” The act is spiritual, yet based on literal events—His bodily crucifixion and poured-out blood. Union and Life • “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him” (John 6:56). • This abiding union imparts: – Present fellowship (John 15:4-5). – Resurrection hope (John 6:54). – Ongoing satisfaction: “He who comes to Me will never hunger” (6:35). Foreshadowing the Lord’s Supper • Jesus later took bread and cup, saying, “This is My body…This is My blood of the covenant” (Matthew 26:26-28). • Paul calls the cup “a participation in the blood of Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:16). • The ordinance continually points back to the once-for-all sacrifice, reminding believers where true nourishment lies. Key Takeaways for Believers Today • Christ alone feeds the deepest hunger and quenches the deepest thirst of the human soul. • Appropriation is personal; mere proximity to Jesus’ words or His people is not enough. • Communion is meaningful because it rests on the historic reality of the cross and the ongoing reality of abiding in Christ. • Eternal life, assurance, and daily strength flow from receiving Jesus—His flesh broken, His blood poured out—by faith (1 John 5:11-12). Summary Snapshot True food and true drink in John 6:55 signify the crucified, resurrected Christ Himself—taken in by faith, continually nourishing, eternally sustaining, and unmatchably real compared to every other source of sustenance. |
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