John 6:51-58
"The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, 'How can this man give us his
flesh to eat?'"
1. WHAT JESUS DID _NOT_ MEAN
a. He did not mean Cannibalism.
He did not mean literally eating and drinking his flesh and his blood. A
literal eating and drinking of Christ's body and blood was an idea utterly
revolting to all Jews, and to all Christians too. Eating flesh, except of
ritually kosher animals, and drinking any blood, is plainly forbidden
throughout the Old Testament Scriptures. To make the eating and drinking of
flesh and blood a condition of salvation is to make salvation depend on an
external act, when it is by faith alone, not by works. Cannibalism is an
animistic, non-Christian, superstitious rite, repugnant to the ancient Greeks
and Romans as well as to the Jews and to us. Some Romans did accuse the early
church of Cannibalism, because they misunderstood what was going on at the Holy
Communion service.
b. He did not mean Communion.
To make the reception of Holy Communion a condition of salvation would shut out
of heaven so famous a convert as the Penitent Thief on the cross next to Jesus,
along with all deathbed converts. Forgiveness does not depend on being
baptised, and eternal life does not depend upon receiving Holy Communion.
"Whosoever will" may come (Revelation 22:17); not "whosoever gets baptised and
receives Holy Communion may come". When Jesus instituted Holy Communion at The
Lord's Supper, he said "Do this in remembrance of me", not "Do this in order to
get to heaven". It was Bread that he gave them to eat, representing his broken
body; it was Wine that he gave them to sip, representing his shed blood. We are
to do this to remind us of the Cost of our salvation, not to get ourselves
saved. We can only receive Holy Communion after we have gotten saved by
becoming believers in Him.
2. WHAT JESUS _DID_ MEAN
a. His Flesh and Blood means his Atonement.
His Flesh was wracked and broken by his scourging and crucifixion. His Blood
was shed from his many wounds, ending with the final spear thrust through his
heart and lungs causing blood and water to ooze out. His Body was offered as a
sacrifice for sin. His blood was poured out as an atonement for sin. "For the
life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to
make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement for
the soul" (Leviticus 17:11). All the sacrificial lambs that were offered in the
Old Testament pointed forward to Jesus Christ, "the Lamb of God who takes away
the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
b. Our Eating and Drinking means our Faith in his Atonement.
We obtain our salvation by faith in Christ's Atonement: by faith in what He
achieved for us, in our place, upon the Cross. We deserve the eternal death
penalty for our sins; but Jesus took our death sentence on our behalf. When we
take this fact on board, when we believe it in our hearts, then it can be said
that metaphorically, symbolically, we have "eaten and drunk" it. It becomes a
part of us the moment we believe it. Receiving Bread and Wine at Communion
reminds us of the cost of our reconciliation with God, "lest we forget". As
Christ commanded, we who believe in Christ "do this" today, in remembrance of
Him.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Ben
--
Revd Ben Crick BA CF, and Mrs Joanna (Goodwin) Crick
<ben.crick@argonet.co.uk>
232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm
