Are Jesus' claims in John 6 literally true?

Question

In John 6, Jesus said, "‘I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.’ The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’" (John 6:51–52).

Jesus again repeated his words, but with even greater emphasis, and introduced the statement about drinking his blood: "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; he who 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" (John 6:53–56).

Answer 1

Some say that in John 6 Jesus was not talking about physical food and drink, but about spiritual food and drink. They quote John 6:35: "Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.’" They claim that coming to him is bread, having faith in him is drink. Thus, eating his flesh and blood merely means believing in Christ.

But there is a problem with that interpretation. As Fr. John A. O’Brien explains, "The phrase ‘to eat the flesh and drink the blood,’ when used figuratively among the Jews, as among the Arabs of today, meant to inflict upon a person some serious injury, especially by calumny or by false accusation. To interpret the phrase figuratively then would be to make our Lord promise life everlasting to the culprit for slandering and hating him, which would reduce the whole passage to utter nonsense" (O’Brien, The Faith of Millions, 215). For an example of this use, see Micah 3:3.

Fundamentalist writers who comment on John 6 also assert that one can show Christ was speaking only metaphorically by comparing verses like John 10:9 ("I am the door") and John 15:1 ("I am the true vine"). The problem is that there is not a connection to John 6:35, "I am the bread of life." "I am the door" and "I am the vine" make sense as metaphors because Christ is like a door—we go to heaven through him—and he is also like a vine—we get our spiritual sap through him. But Christ takes John 6:35 far beyond symbolism by saying, "For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed" (John 6:55).

He continues: "As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me" (John 6:57). The Greek word used for "eats" (trogon) is very blunt and has the sense of "chewing" or "gnawing." This is not the language of metaphor.

Answer 2

Yes. It is true. I am not sure what you mean by "literally". His flesh is not literally bread. If it were, when he was baptized he would have soaked up water, become mushy and fallen apart. But it is true that Jesus is the bread of life and we Christians take his flesh and blood when we commune. Some Christians believe its symbolically done with bread and wine, others believe the bread and wine become flesh and blood within the believer, others believe that they are spiritually flesh and blood but physically bread and wine. None the less, when we commune with God we join spiritually with him by taking on or taking in Jesus.

Answer 3

"Eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood"...

To receive the body and blood of Christ, is a divine precept, insinuated in this text; which the faithful fulfil, though they receive but in one kind; because in one kind they receive both body and blood, which cannot be separated from each other.
Hence, life eternal is here promised to the worthy receiving, though but in one kind.

Ver. 52. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh for the life of the world.

Ver. 58. He that eateth me, the same also shall live by me.

Ver. 59. He that eateth this bread, shall live for ever.

Answer 4

Er No, of course it is not literal. How could we literally eat the flesh or drink the blood of someone who no longer physically exists. Just as bread and water are essential for life so the partaking of the figurative bread and water of Christ leads to eternal life. This bread and water is the knowledge and love of Christ and acceptance of the sacrifice of his flesh and blood on our behalfs.

Answer 5

He could have been referring to Proverbs 1-8, the wisdom chapters. If you read those you will see that Jesus is "wisdom" incarnate. That is why he is called "logos" later on by the Greeks.

All you have and practice wisdom have life. That is what the mystery of Jesus is. Wisdom. Something that is avaliabe to all people of all generations and all times, regardless of religion.

Please read Proverbs 1-8 and compare it with John 1. You will see the truth.

Answer 6

Jesus claimed to be a door --

John 10:9 "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."

and a vine --

John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

And Jesus claims to be bread and wine . . .

These are all metaphors, not literal.

Godspeed.

Answer 7

Pst: John is the only "verily, verily" gospel account;
In which Jesus plays two parts: OT Law & NT Law.
Eg: 2 resurrections in John 5, latter unto damnation.
Far better to be: in "Christ: is the end of the law";
For in him is no law law = no sin = no death sting.

Pst: e-life of e-salvation is "through Jesus-->Christ".

The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen.

Answer 8

You do understand the concept of symbolism?

John 16:25
"Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.

Answer 9

That,s where the understanding of God,s word come,s in, the eating of the flesh is acceptance of his death for you and the blood is accepting his blood covers your sin and cleans you up.

Answer 10

if you were christian, i would say :"how dare you question what jesus said". if not, then we can speak this philosophically.
personally, i thought deeply in the consequences and meanings of the last supper, and i came to one conclusion. this was a tradition that jesus wanted to continue after him and in his memory. may be he was narsistic or not . but the fact is that he declares himself as the only legal "agent or vendor" for God.