Partake of Jesus’ Body and Blood

I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
The Jews therefore quarrelled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
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. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
          John 6:48-58


Jesus has told us that He is the bread of life and to acquire eternal life we must partake of that bread - partake of the body of Christ. The Jews argued about the meaning of this saying. Surely, Jesus wasn’t condoning cannibalism? Surely, He wasn’t telling them to eat Him?

Jesus goes on to say that not only is His body food, but His blood is drink. Those who partake of Jesus’ body and blood have eternal life and will be raised up by Jesus in the last day. Those who partake also abide in Jesus. As the Israelites received bread from heaven (the manna), so now all have access to a greater bread from heaven: Jesus Christ!


And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
          Matthew 26:26-28


As we meet around the table, we have the bread and fruit of the vine, which represent the body and blood of Jesus. As we partake, let us remember that as we partake, we are joining Christ - abiding in Him, and He in us.

                -- John Thrower Jr.