Pentecost 13-St. John 6:51-58

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son,+ and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

‘The Jews therefore began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”’ (V. 52)

It is a strange claim that is made here by these Jewish hearers of Jesus’ words. As we know, Jesus speaks to them of the coming institution of the Lord’s Supper. We understand this because of our instruction in Lutheran doctrine as written for us in the Scripture and our Confessions. These people here ought to have seen this. After all, they had the whole Old Testament, which as Jesus tells us at the end of St. Luke; this speaks entirely of Him.

Sadly, as I mentioned last week, these people did not have ears to hear.

They could not make the connections from what Jesus said to what their own lawgiver, Moses and all the prophets had spoken to them over the past centuries. Those words that they had learned in Hebrew school and heard read each week at Synagogue. Their hearts were sadly hardened by their sin against the true faith. They had been lead too long by false shepherds to hear the True Shepherd when He came (Ezek. 36:1-31).

It is a strange claim that is made today by certain politically left extremists. There are some who have chosen not to eat meat for one reason or other that consider the eating of meat by others to be cannibalism. It is the eating of meat that these people consider to be cannibalism. This is because they view animals as being on the same level as humans. All of this is unnecessary and even contrary to Scripture. The Father makes it clear that the animals are our inferiors in the order of creation. They were created for our enjoyment and to serve us (Gen. 1-2). As well, since the Noahaic covenant after the flood, animals have been given for us to eat (Gen. 9:2-4).

It is the same claim as we hear made in our Gospel lesson against Jesus.

‘The eyes of all look to Thee, and Thou dost give them their food in due time.’ (Ps. 145:15)

This is a passage from the Psalms that these Jews would have known well. It speaks to us of the food given to feed our bodies. This is the kind of food given at the beginning of this sermon of Jesus with the feeding of this multitude. Jesus filled their bodies first, then He fed their minds and souls.

That is the other part of this passage. All creatures look to the Father for their food to be given as needed. In our case, this does not simply refer to food for our tummies. This also refers to spiritual food. This is the sort of food that Jesus now speaks of to us in our lesson.

‘Jesus therefore 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 yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."’ (Vv. 53-54)

Jesus again becomes more and more blunt with these people. He does this that He might break through their hard hearts and bring them to the faith. This was not to be, as you know. They did not come to faith that day but abandoned their following of Jesus. They may have return to follow Jesus later on, but we do not know. It is as if Jesus is saying, “How indeed, it may be eaten, and what may be the mode of eating this bread, you are ignorant of”. Nevertheless, Jesus continues to tell them that this is a sacramental, spiritual eating of His body and drinking of His blood.

This is the eating of the Sacrament of the Altar, as we know. This had not come yet so even Jesus closest disciples, the Twelve, would not have fully understood these words if at all. They stuck with Him regardless of how much they understood of His words.

To be sure, Jesus did not speak these words to corpses but rather to living men. As well, Jesus did not speak these words to those ignorant of the Old Testament Scriptures. Rather, Jesus speaks these words to the men of the community. Those who would have been in the best position to know and understand the Word of God.

Yet, none of them did.

These were the people who went out after all the false christs who appeared before the coming of the true Christ, Jesus the Son born of Mary. They were used to fantastic claims but this one beat all! This was beyond what any others had claimed before the True Messiah. There is a reason though that Jesus does not simply say that those who eat and drink of Him shall have eternal life. Jesus did not want anyone to misunderstand again and think that those who do this will live forever in this body. So, He adds the last part, ‘“I will raise him on the last day”’. This makes it clear to us that yes, we will be truly alive if we eat and drink Jesus’ body and blood. No, we will not forever live in this life. We will still die like all others.[1]

This means in practice for you and me that in spite of our being sinners, Christ lives in each of us. After all, each of you has eaten your Lord’s Body and Blood in faith. Because of this, you are in Christ as Christ is in you. So, you live because of Him who lives in you.[2]

‘“For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.”’ (V. 55)

This takes us back to the miraculous meal, which began this whole discourse of Jesus. At that time, when Jesus had the people sit down in ordered groups; He fed them bread and fish. Now, Jesus tells them what the true food and true drink is. It is not that kind of meal that they had just taken part in. It is this mystical, sacramental food and drink of which Jesus now teaches them about.

Now Jesus continues on to explain how this could be. He has told them what is the reality. How a person is given eternal life. Now Jesus tells you and me how each of us receive this thing that Jesus wishes to bless us with.

This is how we receive this eternal life. We eat Jesus’ body and drink His blood. This is how we are made to dwell in Jesus. This is how Jesus comes to dwell in each of us (cf. 1 Cor. 11:27). As we eat of the One loaf which is Christ, He comes to make His home in you by His Holy Spirit. So, each of us who eat faithfully receive blessing and eternal life through Christ (Eph. 1:7).[3]

‘Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! … To Him be the glory forever. Amen.’ (Rom. 11:33, 36)

What great gifts each of us has been given because we have been brought to faith by the power of the Holy Spirit (SC II: 3rd). For the riches of our faith, not simply those given in the Sacraments, which are primary. Those gifts are forgiveness of sins, salvation from sin death and the devil, and eternal life. There is more of the gifts of God. We also praise our gracious God for all the many gifts given to each of you and to me and to all the Christian faithful (Eph. 1:3-10) because we are now washed and made clean and adopted as Sons of God (Gal. 4:4-7). We who believe on every word which comes forth from the mouth of our God (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 4:3-5) and has been recorded for us in the Bible. The faithful will not turn aside to cleverly devised myths at the end. Rather, you will endure until the end, clinging to the truth. We have received the inheritance of heaven! ‘To Him be the glory forever’ indeed.

We as Christians do not foolishly think that our blessed Savior speaks of earthly cannibalism. Instead:
‘We all know, we who possess complete faith in Christ,
That as we approach eager for the mystic bread
And in addition take the cup of salvation,
If we are of pure heart and without dissimulation
We are all participants of the flesh and blood
Of Christ with faith in Him, and we hope
From this a life like that of the angels;
For, in very truth, the body of the One who suffered,
The very holy Body of Jesus Christ is
The heavenly bread of immortality.’[4]

All this poetry is simply to say, unlike the crowds that day, your heart and mine has been made whole. We now have had our stony hearts removed and replaced by living hearts (Ezek. 11:17-21). We have ears to hear what Jesus seeks to teach.

This passage illustrates for us what the reality of the holy Supper is for us. We are the slaves of the master who have been invited to a feast. This is the first remarkable thing. We all know that if we hold a dinner party and hire workers to serve the food and the drink, it is assumed that they would not be eating. No matter how long the party lasts, only the invited guests are allowed to eat. It is not the place of the hired workers to join in the party. So it is also with our master and us. Yet, it is still reality that this feast has been put on by our Master for you and the food He provides is Himself.

Who among us would dare eat with his master? Yet, here Jesus says to us ‘“As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me.”’ (V. 57)

Jesus is saying to us, “When you eat Me, you eat life. When I am eaten, I nourish without diminishing”. Jesus is not killed in order to be eaten, but He brings life to the dead.[5] So, when we celebrate our Lord’s Supper we eat Christ and we live. We have life, forgiveness and salvation given to each of us because of Him (SC IV).

In Jesus’+ Name. Amen.

[1] NPNF 1 7:172-3.
[2] ACCS NT vol. IVa p. 240. Philoxenus of Mabbug, On the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
[3] Ibid. St. Augustine Tractates on the Gospel of John 26.17-18.
[4] Ibid, p. 243. Romanus Melodus, Kontakion On the Multiplication of Loaves 13.1-3.
[5] Ibid, p. 242. St. Augustine Sermons 132.1.