What is the meaning of John 6:55? For • The word “For” reaches back to the promise in John 6:54 – “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life.” • Jesus is giving the reason His earlier offer is trustworthy: eternal life rests on something solid, not symbolic guesswork. • Scripture often uses “for” to ground an invitation in God’s unshakeable action (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). Here, the ground is the very substance of Christ Himself. My flesh • “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14). Jesus is no distant spirit; He took on a real human body. • His flesh points to the incarnation, the cradle and the cross held together. You can’t separate the manger in Bethlehem from the sacrifice at Calvary (Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 4:2). • Because His flesh is genuine, the salvation He brings touches our genuine human need. He meets us where we actually live—in bodies that hunger, suffer, and die. is real food • The term “real” underscores authenticity. Jesus is not offering a metaphorical snack; He is the true sustenance every soul requires (John 6:35). • Spiritual life demands nourishment just as physical life does. We live “not on bread alone, but on every word” (Matthew 4:4), and Christ is that living Word in flesh. • In the Lord’s Supper, bread reminds us that His body was given “for you” (1 Corinthians 11:23-24). Eating by faith means receiving all He accomplished—substitution, satisfaction, and strength for daily obedience. and • The conjunction ties body and blood into one redemptive package. Jesus does not parcel Himself out; He gives the whole of Himself. • Redemption is comprehensive: both cleansing and communion come together (Hebrews 9:22; 1 John 1:7). • The “and” invites us to receive the full gospel, not a half-portion. My blood • Blood in Scripture equals life poured out (Leviticus 17:11). Jesus’ blood is His life laid down to cover sin (Ephesians 1:7). • The cross was not an accident but the planned pathway to purchase a people (1 Peter 1:18-19). • Revelation 1:5 celebrates that He “released us from our sins by His blood.” The release is complete and permanent. is real drink • Just as food sustains, drink refreshes and cleanses. Christ’s blood truly satisfies the deepest thirst for forgiveness and fellowship (John 7:37-38). • In the cup of communion He says, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:24). Covenant language guarantees access—“confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19-22). • Drinking by faith means welcoming His cleansing flow daily, allowing it to wash over conscience and conduct alike. summary John 6:55 assures us that Jesus Himself is the believer’s complete nourishment. His real flesh and real blood—His incarnate life and atoning death—form the solid, literal foundation for eternal life. Feeding on Him by faith brings lasting satisfaction, cleansing, and communion with the living God. |
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