The Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Readings:
Psalm 72
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+72&version=KJV
Genesis 22:1–18
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen+22%3A1-18&version=KJV
Gospel: John 6:52–59
52The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
Commentary:
These verses constitute the ending of the Bread of Life Discourse (vv. 22-58), given at the synagogue in Capernaum (v. 59), Jesus’ hometown as an adult (Matthew 4:13). The discourse follows the stories of the feeding of the five thousand (vv. 1-15) and Jesus walking on water (vv. 16-21).
The fact that Jesus delivers this discourse in his hometown makes it especially difficult for his listeners to accept his words—provocative words and claims that appear to be exaggerated. Jesus’ neighbors ask him for a validating sign, and mention Moses’ gift of the manna in the desert as an example of the kind of sign that they expect (v. 31). Jesus corrects them—“It wasn’t Moses who gave you (past tense) the bread out of heaven, but my Father gives you (present tense) the true bread out of heaven” (v. 32). He then identifies himself as the bread of life (v. 35).
Jesus’ listeners complain about his apparent grandiosity. How can this local boy, their neighbor, claim to be bread from heaven (v. 41)? How can his Father give them the true bread from heaven? They know his father, Joseph (v. 42)—an ordinary carpenter—not a baker of heavenly bread.
Jesus responds by making even bolder claims. The Israelites ate manna in the wilderness, but the manna sustained their lives for only a few years—they died long ago. By contrast, Jesus claims to be “the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (v. 51). Small wonder that these listeners find his words difficult!
“The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?‘” (v. 52). This phrase, “the Jews,” refers to the Jewish religious leaders, who are in most cases Jesus’ opponents. “Flesh” is a provocative word, raising the specter of cannibalism. It is especially provocative in a culture that distinguishes so precisely between clean and unclean meat and emphasizes strict observance of dietary laws. The first consideration for any Jew, contemplating the eating of any flesh, would be whether that flesh is permitted or forbidden. No observant Jew would consider eating human flesh.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you,” (v. 53a). These words make emphatic that which follows.
“Except ye eat(phagete) the flesh (sarx) of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you” (v. 53b). The title that Jesus uses for himself here is Son of Man—the title that he uses in lieu of messiah. It has the advantage of having none of the militaristic connotations associated with the title, messiah. People expect the messiah to raise an army, to drive out the Romans, and to re-establish the great Davidic kingdom. They have no such expectations regarding the Son of Man.
The first significant issue here is whether Jesus’ words are Eucharistic (referring to the Lord’s Supper) or simply incarnational/sacrificial (referring to the incarnation and the cross). The question is significant. Is Jesus emphasizing participation in the Eucharist here? Should a sermon based on this text emphasize participation in the Lord’s Supper? Scholars are divided on this question, and raise a number of points for consideration— three of which favor not emphasizing participation in the Eucharist:
- First, the word “flesh” (sarx) in verse 51c is unusual. In all of the accounts of the institution of the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24), the word is “body” (soma)—not “flesh” (sarx). However, Jesus spoke Aramaic, not Greek, and the distinction in Aramaic is less than clear cut.
- Second, the word “flesh” brings to mind, not the Lord’s Supper, but the Incarnation—”The Word became flesh, and lived among us” (1:14). It could be that the emphasis of 6:51-58 is incarnational rather than Eucharistic.
- Third, in verse 47, Jesus established belief as the condition for receiving eternal life. In verse 53, his language changes, and eating his flesh and drinking his blood become the condition for receiving eternal life. If we interpret this eating and drinking to be participation in the Eucharist, it sounds as if any person who partakes of the bread and wine is guaranteed salvation regardless of any other consideration, such as belief or baptism. It is difficult, based on our reading of other New Testament passages, to believe that could be the case.
However, other considerations favor a Eucharistic interpretation—suggesting that Jesus is speaking, at least in part, about participation in the Lord’s Supper:
- The crowd’s mention of manna (“bread from heaven”) as the kind of sign that they expect Jesus to perform (v. 31) constitutes the background of 6:51. Jesus responds by identifying himself as “the bread of life” (v. 35) and “the living bread that came down from heaven” (v. 51). He then says, “Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (v. 51c). The language seems to become Eucharistic at this point.
- The Gospel of John does not include an account of the institution of the Lord’s Supper, but instead tells only the story of the foot washing (13:1-20). Some scholars think of 6:51-58 as the Johannine equivalent of the institution of the Lord’s Supper.
- At the beginning of this Bread of Life discourse, John establishes that the Passover is near (6:4). This is significant, because the Passover ritual involves the sacrifice and eating of the Pascal (Passover) lamb. Earlier in this Gospel, John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to be “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (1:29), and the Lord’s Supper in the Synoptics is a Passover meal. The Passover context, then, gives Jesus’ words a decidedly Eucharistic flavor.
My conclusion is that incarnational, sacrificial, and Eucharistic emphases are intertwined in 6:51-58, and that the emphasis shifts to favor the Eucharistic at verse 51c. If this is correct, it is appropriate, perhaps even important, to emphasize participation in the Lord’s Supper when preaching from this text.
A second significant issue has to do with the relationship of belief and eating and drinking as requirements for receiving eternal life. Jesus first establishes belief as a requirement (v. 40), and then establishes eating and drinking as a requirement (v. 53). Do these function independently? Are we saved either by belief or by eating/drinking—or are both required? We know that faith is required. In this verse, Jesus states that eating his flesh and drinking his blood are also required.
We should also note two things that were happening at the time of the writing of this Gospel that might have influenced the author to emphasize the eating of Jesus flesh and the drinking of his blood:
- The first was the influence of Docetic and Gnostic heresies, both of which considered flesh to be evil and denied that Christ could have a physical body. 6:53ff. emphasizes the physical nature of his body—perhaps, in part, to counter these heresies.
- The second was Jewish discrimination against Christian believers. Christians who observed the Lord’s Supper were likely to be banned from synagogues. It is possible that, by emphasizing the Lord’s Supper as a requirement for receiving eternal life, the author intends to push fence-straddlers off the fence. Such participation is important, not only for their personal religious lives, but also as a visible witness to their faith. As Paul says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
“Whoso eateth (trogan) and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life” (v. 54a). Jesus shifts from the polite word for eating (phage) to a much coarser word (trogan) —munch—a word more commonly used for animals munching on their feed. Trogan, like sarx, is provocative—designed to get attention. Jesus will continue to use trogan through the rest of this discourse.
As noted above, observant Jews would find the talk of eating human flesh abhorrent. Leviticus 17:10-14 also prohibits the consumption of blood.
“hath eternal life” (v. 54a). The promise is not only eternal life (available now—realized eschatology) but also resurrection (available only later—final eschatology) (Brown, 292).
Jesus flesh and blood are true food and drink, bringing us sustenance at the deepest level of our being, in contrast with manna, which fed only the body.
In our culture, we are bombarded by advertisements for things as diverse as toothpaste and sports cars, each claiming to meet our deepest needs. Such claims are empty, and ultimately disappoint. However, when we believe in Jesus and partake of his flesh and blood, he strengthens and sustains us in ways that nothing else can.
However important the Eucharist might be, it is one of the means by which we experience the presence of God. Other means include the reading of scripture, prayer, Christian fellowship—and many others.
“and I will raise him up at the last day” (v. 54b). The term, “the last day,” is eschatological (having to do with the end of time), and is associated with judgment. Jesus’ promise in this verse is that, “at the last day,” he will raise up the person who eats his flesh and drinks his blood—raise him/her to eternal life.
“For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed” (v. 55). Earlier in this discourse, Jesus told the people who had experienced the feeding of the 5000, “Most certainly I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled. Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you” (vv. 24-25). The manna that their ancestors experienced in the wilderness was not true food—did not give them life (v. 49). The bread that Jesus used to feed the 5000 on the mountaintop was something less than true bread, because it satisfied the people’s hunger only momentarily. By way of contrast, Jesus’ flesh and blood are true food because “if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (v. 51)—and “has (present tense) eternal life” (v. 54).
56“He that eateth (Greek: trogon) my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth (Greek: menei—from meno) in me, and I in him.”
The promise to those who eat and drink is that they abide in Jesus and Jesus in them. This concept of “abiding in” or “dwelling in” (meno) is important in this Gospel:
- Jesus promises the disciples that the Spirit of truth will abide with them and will be in them (14:17).
- He invites the disciples, “Remain in me, and I in you”—likening such abiding to the relationship between vine and branches (15:4-7).
- He says, “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love” (15:10).
- In his High Priestly Prayer, he prays for the disciples, “that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me” (17:21). While the word, meno, is not found in this prayer, the concept of deep relationship is.
- Paul expresses the same idea in different words when he talks about Christians being “in Christ” (Romans 8:1; 1 Corinthians 15:18; 2 Corinthians 5:17, etc.).
“As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me (Greek: trogon) even he shall live by me” (v. 57) The phrase, “living God,” is common in both Old and New Testaments, but this is the only occurrence of “living Father.”
Jesus establishes the life-giving chain of authority. The “living Father” sent him, and he lives because of the Father. In like manner, the person who feeds on him (believes in him/ accepts him/participates in the Eucharist) will live. As the Father gave him life, so he gives us life.
“This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers (hoi pateres—the fathers—ancestors)did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth (Greek: trogon) of this bread shall live for ever..”
As noted above, it was Jesus’ listeners who first mentioned manna, referring to it as “bread out of heaven” given by Moses (v. 31). Jesus corrected them. It was not Moses who gave them bread, but God. Manna was not the true bread from heaven, but was only a type (a foreshadowing) of the true bread from heaven. Jesus identified himself as the bread of life (v. 35) and the living bread (v. 51). He has already reminded his listeners that the manna could not be the bread of life, because their ancestors, who ate it, died in the wilderness (v. 49), and he reiterates that thought here.
The death that the ancestors died was a physical death, but some rabbis believed that the wilderness generation had died spiritually and had thus forfeited any claim on eternal life (Brown, 284).
Jesus is promising eternal life (v. 54)—a quality of spiritual life that we can begin enjoying now rather than a continuation into infinity of physical life. In his High Priestly Prayer, Jesus will define eternal life in terms of the relationship of the believer to the Father and the Son: “This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ” (17:3).
“These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.” (v. 59). This is the first of five times that the words, “synagogue” or “synagogues”, are used in this Gospel. Here and in 18:20, the mention of the synagogue has a neutral character, but the other three instances speak of those who have have believed in Jesus being banished from the synagogues (9:22; 12:42; 16:2).
Capernaum is Jesus’ hometown as an adult (Matthew 4:13; 9:1; Mark 2:1). It is the home of Peter’s mother-in-law (Matthew 8:14)—and possibly of Peter and Andrew as well. Jesus performed many miracles in Capernaum, including healing the centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:5-13) the woman with the hemorrhage, and Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:21-43).
But Jesus warned, “You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, you will go down to Hades. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in you, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, on the day of judgment, than for you” (Matthew 11:23-24).
[source: Sermon Writer]
Benediction
O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
Thought for the Day:
I’m looking forward to the future, and feeling grateful for the past.
Mike Rowe
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