“Truly, truly, 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 feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” (John 6:53–55)
Do you eat his flesh and drink his blood?
I have heard enough Catholic sermons and Roman Catholic friends bring this up that I have given it enough thought to read what Jesus said in those gospels He teaches on the subject.
Please look with me at the wonderful teaching you mentioned here from Jesus. To see what He is talking about, let's go back a few more verses.
"47
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
48 I am that bread of life.
49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
First note the topic he initiates.
"
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."
Q: What is the requirement for everlasting life?
A:. The same one He told Nicodemus?
St. John 3:16 " For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Here as elsewhere, He gives the literal...."believeth in him." AND
"He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."
That's very clear. Faith/ believe in Jesus for the gift of everlasting life.
Now Jesus gives the figurative (sometimes called type).
51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh,
which I will give for the life of the world."
Q;. Was Jesus a loaf of bread? Was He a plate of wafers.... literally?
A:. Of course not. These were reminders given as common symbols. The "51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven..." is Jesus. He mentioned the manna that came down from heaven as the old testament symbol to Moses's people. The Pharisees were reminded of this from Exodus.
Then He says that He is this bread. What kind of good works does sitting down for bread and wine take? None. It is eating. We are to be reminded that it's not our own works, it is His death that paid for all sins.
Does this sound like it takes work to believe?
No. It's as easy as eating, because He is the bread of life, just as the woman at the well was told that He is the water of life.
He was not a literal cup of water. It takes no effort to drink either.
Likewise, Jesus is the Door to the sheepfold.
Salvation is as simple as walking through a door. Jesus is the only way to heaven. You must believe what?
"
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."
Do you believe this?
