In John 6:53-54, Jesus says:
"I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
Is this statement by Jesus the reason why Christians transform bread and wine into his flesh and blood and then eat and drink it?
2007-12-16 05:53:53 · 19 answers · asked by Billybww 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Christianity is a primitive, barbaric superstition and in days of old they did such things. Isn't it nice that lots of people have joined a more highly evolved civilization with far less fear of the murdering Christians. We do, however, need to be vigilant of their brutal, self-serving sects.
2007-12-16 06:01:59 · answer #1 · answered by valcus43 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Of course this is not literal because the disciples did not eat the flesh or drink the blood of Jesus.
Eating his body is symbolic of accepting the benefits of Jesus giving his body. Drinking his blood is symbolic of accepting the benefits of Jesus' blood. What are these benefits?
Hebrews 9:12 says that Jesus entered into the heavenly holy of holies and presented his blood there to obtain an eternal redemption for all of us. So drinking the blood of Christ Jesus would be symbolic of accepting this eternal redemption.
Hebrews 10:9-10 says that the Second (New) Covenant was established after the First (Old) Covenant was put away. This new covenant was established and the old covenant was set aside or put away by the body of Christ Jesus. The new covenant sanctifies all who accept it. So eating the body of Christ Jesus is symbolic of accepting the sanctification provided by the New Covenant.
2007-12-16 06:34:05 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The first question we have to ask is what does Jesus actually mean here by eating His flesh and drinking His blood. Obviously, he is not talking about cannibalism, about physically eating somebody’s flesh and actually drinking their blood. Perhaps the most powerful image that these words have is simply that of the food and drink that sustains our lives. Food is something we all need moment by moment to sustain us. We cannot go long without a drink because liquid is vital for our bodies. Jesus is teaching us that we need to depend on Him utterly, moment by moment, in order to survive.
2007-12-16 06:07:11 · answer #3 · answered by thundercatt9 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Eating His flesh means eating bread and drinking His blood means drinking the fruit of the vine.
2016-05-24 05:29:39 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a beautiful thing, communion.
It is also ritual cannibalism for sure, no doubt.
Some few Christians are actually comfortable enough in their religious faith to get a giggle out of this kind of observation.
Actual cannibalism also has it's rituals.
The killing of young warriors to give strength to an aging king, for instance.
All religions have their roots in man, the teachings of Christ were not formed without knowledge of man. He was simultaniously "all man and all God" they say.
Perhaps you might like to investigate some writings of Levi Strauss if cannibalism interests you.
Of course, if insulting Christians was your intent, then perhaps Christ is calling you to the table.
2007-12-16 06:24:07 · answer #5 · answered by southbrooklyn 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some believe that they are really eating flesh and blood but others believe that taking communion is a sacrament that symbolizes the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross and it is not actually flesh and blood.
2007-12-16 05:59:15 · answer #6 · answered by teacher 55 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Only some denominations believe it really turns into blood and flesh... This passage is saying symbolically that you need to accept Christ is your savior so therefore many Christians eat the wine and bread as a symbol of their love for Christ.
2007-12-16 05:59:12 · answer #7 · answered by Rach 4 · 4⤊ 1⤋
The bread and wine is symbolic - a representation.
Matthew 26
26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed [it], and brake [it], and gave [it] to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave [it] to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Amen.
2007-12-16 06:18:38 · answer #8 · answered by NickofTyme 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a Christian and I don't do this. We don't believe in this. We take the sacrament (communion) but DO NOT believe it magically transforms into human flesh and blood as we eat it.
YUCK!
2007-12-16 06:06:46 · answer #9 · answered by LDS Mom 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We do not transform the bread or wine. It is a symbol of the broken body of Christ and the shedding of his blood.
2007-12-16 05:59:13 · answer #10 · answered by Rev.Michelle 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋