YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

READING: John 6:28-58

28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost
thou work?
31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but
my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that
believeth on me shall never thirst.
36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but
should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may
have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he
saith, I came down from heaven?
43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last
day.
45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and
hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
48 I am that bread of life.
49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
*****51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for
ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the
Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up
at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live
by me.
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that
eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
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I. WHOSO EATETH MY FLESH AND DRINKETH MY BLOOD.

A. The Jews’ ignorance allows Jesus to introduce them to the true bread from above.
1. John 6:25-34
25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou
hither?
26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles,
but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the
Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost
thou work?
31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not [the Jews wanted to give the
credit for manna to Moses] that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

B. Jesus introduces the subject of His death and atonement.

1. John 6:48-51 I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the
living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and
the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

*****It may be remarked that in the language which he used, the transition from bread to his
flesh would appear easier than it does in our language. The same word which in Hebrew means
"bread," in the Syriac and Arabic means also "flesh."**** (from Barnes' Notes, Electronic
Database Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

2. John 6:53-58
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and
drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that
eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

C. “The bread that I will give is my flesh.” [John 6:51]

1. 1 Cor 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which
is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. [His body would be offered as a sacrifice for sin.]

D. The logic.
1. We know we would not be commanded literally to consume Jesus’ body.
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2. We know that “Of all connections and unions, none is so intimate and complete as that which is
effected by the digestion of aliments, because they are changed into the very substance of him who
eats them …” [i. e. “You are what you eat or consume.” (CAY)] (from Adam Clarke's
Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Also, it is said of someone totally dedicated to a cause, or a particular activity, that he “… lives,
breathes, and eats …” the tenets of that cause.

E. Where does this command – to eat his flesh and drink his blood – lead?
1. “Flesh and blood” is used to describe the human body.
a. Gal 1:16b … immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

b. Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself
likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death,
that is, the devil;

2. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
a. Jesus Christ is the Word.

3. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as
of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
a. Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh.

4. Matt 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
a. To live we need “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

5. Matt 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power
of God.
a. The only way not to err is to know first the scriptures.

6. 2 Tim 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
a. This admonishment applies also to us Christians today.

F. Through learning (consuming and allowing it to become us) the Word, we truly partake of Christ.
1. 2 Peter 1:2-4 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus
our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and
godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given
unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

2. Matt 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven
and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
a. Emphasis is placed on observing “all things” Christ taught.
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3. Eph 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for
it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might
present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it
should be holy and without blemish.
a. The importance of the power of the Word is emphasized over and over again.

4. 1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of
God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

II. COMMUNION.
A. Is there any connection between John 6 and the practice of communion?
1. Matt 26:26-28 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. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to
them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many
for the remission of sins.

2. 1 Cor 10:16-17 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of
Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being
many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

3. Communion involves the same direction of attention to the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ.

B. Communion is commanded by our Lord.

1. 1 Cor 11:23-29
23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in
which he was betrayed took bread:
24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you:
this do in remembrance of me.
25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in
my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the
body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the
Lord's body.

C. Observed, quite rightly, by Christians.

1. Acts 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in
breaking of bread, and in prayers.

2. Acts 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread,
Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

THE TWO – CONSUMING CHRIST’S FLESH AND BLOOD, AND COMMUNION – CANNOT BE
SEPARATED FROM SALVATION. HENCE, THEY CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER
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John 6:53-58 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of
the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my
blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood
is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the
living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is
that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that
eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

TRIPLY SO, FOR (1) IF WE DO NOT PARTAKE OF THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST’S FLESH AND
BLOOD BY OBEDIENCE TO THE GOSPEL, THEN WE CANNOT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE; AND (2) IF
WE DO NOT ASSIMILATE THE WORD INTO OUR HEARTS AND MINDS TO ALLOW US TO BE
REPLACED BY CHRIST, THEN WE CANNOT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE; AND (3) IF WE DO NOT
REMEMBER THE SACRIFICE THAT HE MADE OF HIS FLESH AND BLOOD IN THE COMMANDED
PRACTICE OF COMMUNION, THEN WE CANNOT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.

Invitation: Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess Christ as the Son of God, Be Immersed for the remission of
sins, and then grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, remaining faithful until death.

If you are a Christian and have sinned publicly, then you are invited to remove your separation from
God by public repentance so that prayers can be offered with you and for you.