It will be noticed that his flesh did not come down from heaven, and that bread which came
down from heaven is that of which if a man shall eat, he shall not die. Then he follows with the
remark, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread"
(which came down from heaven) "he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh,
which I will give for the life of the world." Here he uses the flesh, as that which they saw and
dealt with in crucifying him, metonymically, or a part for the whole. The Jews, however,
understood him to mean his flesh literally, and so does the Romish church, and the Jews inquired,
"How can this man give us flesh to eat?" The Lord did not explain the matter to them, but added,
verse 53, "Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you have no life in
you."
They were looking at it in the literal sense, and did not see how they could eat his flesh, or how
the eating of it could give life. The doctrine of transubstantiation had not yet been born, and the
idea of the bread and wine being changed, in the ceremony of consecration, into the real flesh and
blood, so that they could eat the flesh and drink his blood in the communion, had not yet entered
into the minds of men. Nor did our Lord mean any such thing, but he himself, who came down
from heaven, is that bread of life which if a man shall eat, he shall never die. But the eating is not
literal any more than the bread is literal or the flesh. We partake of that bread, or of him who
came down from heaven, by hearing of him, believing on him, and being united with him. In
becoming his disciples, learning of him and following him in all things, we eat or partake of that
bread, or of him who is the way, and the truth and the life.
He proceeds: "He who eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, has eternal life; and I will raise him up
at the last day." See verse 54. He who believes on him, receives him, follows him, loves him and
obeys him, in the sense he intended, eats his flesh and drinks his blood; but not in the communion
any more than in the other part of his teaching, or other appointments. In coming to Christ, and
becoming his disciples, we are made partakers of him, of "the divine nature" and our salvation is
in him.
"My flesh is food indeed," says he, "and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood, dwells in me, and I in him." Following him a little further on, verse 57, he says, "As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that eats me, even he shall live by me. This is the bread that came down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead; he who eats this bread shall live forever." See verse 58. The eating is partaking of Christ, the bread that came down from heaven; this is done by faith, in receiving, following and obeying him; doing his commandments, that we may enter by the gates into the city and have a right to the tree of life.