To say that I’m chewing on the latter part of John 6 this morning is an understatement (actually, it’s more like a pun).

Jesus has fed five thousand (6:1-11) and the crowds are pressing Him for more (6:22-26). Jesus seizes on the opportunity of their belly-lust to point them away from “food that perishes” to “food that lasts for eternal life” (6:27). What is this wonder food? Well, it’s “the true bread from heaven” (6:32). But the wonder food is not a what, it’s a who.

“For the bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” . . . “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again.”

(John 6:33, 35 CSB)

Chewing on the Bread of Life this morning (see, told you it was kind of a pun). Actually, I’m chewing on what it means to be chewing on.

“Truly I tell you, anyone who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that anyone may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

(John 6:47-51 CSB)

Eat this bread, live forever. Check. This bread is My flesh. What?!? The Jews didn’t get it (6:52). Many of Jesus’ disciples didn’t accept it (6:60). But Jesus didn’t back off to try and make it more palatable (pun intended . . . I kill me).

So Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves. The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

(John 6:53-54 CSB)

What does it mean, then, to eat His flesh and drink His blood? Do the math. You know, that math that says: IF A=B AND B=C THEN A=C. So, IF anyone who believes has eternal life AND the one eats My flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life THEN the one who believes is the one who eats His flesh and drinks His blood. Seeing isn’t believing –eating is believing.

Believing that Jesus is God come in flesh. Believing that Jesus gave His body and shed His blood as a once for all atoning sacrifice for my sin. Believing that Jesus bodily rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and now reigns at God’s right hand and intercedes forever for God’s people. Trusting in what is conveyed through the body of Christ and the blood of Christ is eating of Christ. Eating is believing.

And it’s not a one-and-done thing.

“The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him.”

(John 6:56 CSB)

Remaining, or abiding in Christ is an eating thing too, a believing thing as well. For to live for Christ is to have to acknowledge that we fail for Christ; that we are weak even though He who lives in us is strong; that we repeatedly find ourselves weary even though He has promised us rest. “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom. 7:24). And so, I need to eat again of His flesh, claiming again by faith that He paid the price for my failure. I need to drink again of His blood, believing with all my heart that the blood of Christ continues to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1Jn. 1:9). I need to feed on the risen Christ, believe on the risen Christ, knowing that it is no longer I who live, but the risen Christ living in me and through Me (Gal. 2:20).

Eating is believing. Believing is eating.

“Sir, give us this bread always!”

(John 6:34 CSB)

O, taste and see that the Lord is good.

By His grace. For His glory.