Consume Jesus 07/24/2010
 
So Jesus said to them, "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.  Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.  This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever" (John 6:53-58).

Some people have studied this passage and use it for teachings about the "Eucharist/Communion/Lord's Supper".  But the context doesn't attribute these teaching to deal with worship specifically.

Jesus is stressing the importance of consuming Him; that is, His teachings, godliness, and lifestyle.  If we truly choose Jesus and follow Him we will have everlasting life.  So, consume Jesus and be humbled before Him

The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves
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"I (Jesus) am the living bread that came down from Heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.  And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh" (John 6:51).

Looking at the context of this passage, it becomes obvious that the people understood what Jesus was teaching.  It wasn't a passage that referred to the Lord's Supper/Eucharist; rather, it was the process of absorbing the teaching, lifestyle, attitude of Jesus as Master, Lord, teacher, and friend.

Jesus is saying to all people, who are confronted with the choice of following Him, that He needs to be their EVERYTHING.  Jesus is not saying that His teachings are to be one of many that people pick and choose from.  Jesus is saying that it is either all of Me or none of Me.

A story is told of a man who was in the process of buying a house.  The house had many rooms with keys for each room.  When asked about they keys, the current owner said, "You can by the house but there are two rooms that I won't give you the keys for."  The buyer said, "I want access to all the rooms or I won't buy the house."

Likewise, God wants all the keys to our "house":  our thoughts, desires, and complete dedication.  With God, He wants all of us or none of us.  Jesus wants to have our complete focus on Him.  In so doing, who we are becomes who Jesus is.  We absorb Jesus.  We live for Jesus.  We die for Jesus.  And in turn, Jesus embraces us and becomes the main subject of our lives.

"After this many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him" (John 6:66).

Humble yourself and follow Jesus and He will take care of you.

The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves
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