From the pulpit
Ancient Words – My Blood is Real Drink
Strong metaphors are used by Jesus in John 6 as Jesus spoke about “eating His flesh and drinking His blood”. John records the disciples’ confusion in John 6.60 after the discourse to the multitude and then to the religious leaders at the synagogue in Capernaum: “This is a hard teaching--Who can accept it?” The teaching was so difficult that many of his followers turned back, walked away and no longer followed Him. All of those people had just eaten from the little boy’s basket of 5 fish and 2 loaves of bread the day before along with 10,000 others (5,000 men). They could not see the Living Manna at work, had no interest in how this great miracle happened, and for sure were repulsed at the thought of drinking blood. After all, God did speak to Moses in Lev 7.26 saying Israel was to not eat “any manner of blood—fowl or beast”—and this would certainly include the blood of humans. Consumed with their own interests, they ignored the teaching in John 5.19-23 where Jesus explained: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.”
Several hundred years earlier the prophet Ezekiel wrote as God revealed his words in Ez 39.17: Son of man, this is what the Lord says: “Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing for you, the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood.” Metaphorical language was used first by Ezekiel (and God) to impart the necessity of sacrifice through blood for certain. Jesus, familiar with the prophet of old and these words, is actually only reciting the ancient prophecy to lay the foundation for what is to become the greatest sacrifice ever! Sacrifice born out of pure and amazing love! “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever should believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3.16).” “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1John 4.10).” Christ’s blood is real drink and is expressed through our love for one another…. and whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood remains in him and we in him. One’s life of love expressed through service and sacrifice must be the expressed obedience of “drinking his blood”. There is no other explanation! Paul explained in Romans 12.1: “I beseech you therefore by the mercies of God, that you present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing unto God, which is your spiritual worship.”
Christ’s flesh was given in sacrifice for the sins of the world, and his death resulting from the great issue of blood, was love beyond measure pronounced by the crimson flow itself! Without the shedding of blood there can be no remission of sins. For the Israel nation, the manna came daily for 40 years to sustain life on earth and annually for 40 years, the blood of lambs was offered for sin at Passover. Now, Jesus, our Passover lamb, speaks about the one single, greatest gift to mankind--the offering of his flesh through the shedding of his blood for the salvation of the world and all because of love! Men are without excuse to not accept so great a reward. Men are without excuse to not be compelled to place their allegiance in so great a king. Men are without excuse to not eat of his flesh and drink of his blood daily because his flesh is real food and his blood is real drink (John 6.55). “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us (1 John 4.11-12).”