JESUS IS CAUSING QUITE A STIR AMONGST THE PEOPLE. THERE IS A RISING DISPUTE AMONGST THE JEWISH LEADERS INSINUATING A POSSIBILITY OF CANNIBALISM. MANY FOLLOWERS ARE TAKING THE WORDS OF JESUS LITERALLY THAT HE IS SPEAKING OF EATING REAL HUMAN FLESH AND BLOOD. IS THIS FOR REAL?
JESUS DOESN’T SEEM TO HELP STABILIZE THE SITUATION BY STATING IN VERSES 53-56, “SO JESUS SAID AGAIN, “I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, UNLESS YOU EAT THE FLESH OF THE SON OF MAN AND DRINK HIS BLOOD, YOU CANNOT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE WITHIN YOU. BUT ANYONE WHO EATS MY FLESH AND DRINKS MY BLOOD HAS ETERNAL LIFE, AND I WILL RAISE THAT PERSON AT THE LAST DAY. FOR MY FLESH IS TRUE FOOD, AND MY BLOOD IS TRUE DRINK. ANYONE WHO EATS MY FLESH AND DRINKS MY BLOOD REMAINS IN ME, AND I IN HIM.”
THE JEWISH LEADERS BECOME ENRAGED AND ARE SO INCENSED BY WHAT JESUS SAID THAT THEY BEGIN TO TURN ON EACH OTHER AND QUICKLY ESCALATE THEIR WORDS INTO HEATED ARGUMENTS. THEY ARE BESIDE THEMSELVES AND SEETHING WITH DISGUST AT WHAT THEY DEEMED AS UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE. THEY WERE SHOWING CONTEMPT FOR ALL THE THINGS JESUS HAD STATED.
WHAT WAS MOST OUTRAGEOUS, WAS HEARING HIM CLAIM THAT YOU MUST “DRINK HIS BLOOD.” THIS STATEMENT, ALONE, BOARDERED ON THE SIN OF BREAKING THE LAW OF MOSES THAT EXPRESSLY FORBADE ANY DRINKING OF BLOOD.
LEVITICUS 17:10-12, “AND IF ANY NATIVE ISRAELITE OR FOREIGNER LIVING AMONG YOU EATS OR DRINKS BLOOD IN ANY FORM, I WILL TURN AGAINST THAT PERSON AND CUT HIM OFF FROM THE COMMUNITY OF YOUR PEOPLE, FOR THE LIFE OF THE BODY IS IN ITS BLOOD. I HAVE GIVEN YOU THE BLOOD ON THE ALTAR TO PURIFY YOU, MAKING YOU RIGHT WITH THE LORD. IT IS THE BLOOD, GIVEN IN EXCHANGE FOR A LIFE, THAT MAKES PURIFICATION POSSIBLE. THAT IS WHY I HAVE SAID TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, ‘YOU MUST NEVER EAT OR DRINK BLOOD—NEITHER YOU NOR THE FOREIGNERS LIVING AMONG YOU.’
THREE TIMES, JESUS REFERS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF EATING HIS FLESH AND DRINKING HIS BLOOD. WHAT IS JESUS IMPLYING HERE? WHAT DOES HE MEAN? WHAT IS HE EXPECTING OF US? ESPECIALLY WHEN CONSIDERING JESUS IS SPEAKING IN THE SYNAGOGUE IN CAPERNAUM TO A CROWD THAT INCLUDES HIS OPPONENTS AND A GROUP OF FAIRLY LUKEWARM AND CONFUSED DISCIPLES.
SO, WHAT IS JESUS REALLY SAYING? WE FIND A CLUE IN JOHN 15:1, 3-5, “I AM THE TRUE VINE, AND MY FATHER IS THE GARDENER …REMAIN IN ME, AS I ALSO REMAIN IN YOU. NO BRANCH CAN BEAR FRUIT BY ITSELF; IT MUST REMAIN IN THE VINE. NEITHER CAN YOU BEAR FRUIT UNLESS YOU REMAIN IN ME. I AM THE VINE; YOU ARE THE BRANCHES. IF YOU REMAIN IN ME AND I IN YOU, YOU WILL BEAR MUCH FRUIT; APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING.”
JESUS TEACHES US THAT WE MUST BE COMPLETELY CONSUMED IN HIM. HE MUST BE OUR “EVERYTHING.” HE IS EITHER “ALL” OR HE IS “NOTHING.” WE MUST TAKE JESUS INTO OUR INNERMOST BEING AND LETE HIM COMPLETELY FILL US IF WE DESIRE TO HAVE THE LIFE THAT JESUS DIED TO BRING US. JESUS IS THE ONE AND ONLY SOURCE OF ETERNAL LIFE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
WE MUST PURSUE HOLINESS TO LIVE A SANCTIFIED LIFE THAT IS CONSUMED BY OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. WE MUST BECOME ONE WITH HIM SO THAT HE BECOMES ONE WITH US. IT WAS HIS PRAYER!
JOHN 17:21, “I PRAY THAT THEY WILL ALL BE ONE, JUST AS YOU AND I ARE ONE—AS YOU ARE IN ME, FATHER, AND I AM IN YOU. AND MAY THEY BE IN US SO THAT THE WORLD WILL BELIEVE YOU SENT ME.” JESUS, HIMSELF, IS THE SOURCE AND SUSTENANCE OF ETERNAL LIFE. JESUS IS REFERRING TO HIS SACRIFICIAL DEATH AND ATONEMENT FOR ALL SIN.
THIS TAKES ALL FEAR AND DISGUST FROM HIS WORDS BECAUSE HE IS NOT DEMANDING CANIBALISM WHERE WE MUST EAT REAL FLESH OR DRINK REAL BLOOD. HE IS OFFERING US HIS ATONING SACRIFICE TO FORGIVE OUR SINS AND TO RECONCILE US BACK TO GOD IN AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP THAT IS NOW AND INTO ETERNITY.
THERE CAN BE NO GREATER JOY THAN UNDERSTANDING THIS GREAT LOVE THAT GOD HAS FOR US. IT GIVES EVEN GREATER DEPTH TO JOHN 3:16, “FOR THIS IS HOW GOD LOVED THE WORLD: HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, SO THAT EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE."
JESUS WAS NOT INSTITUTING CANIBALISM AT ALL. HE IS INVITING US INTO AN INTIMATE, ALL-CONSUMING RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM THAT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GIVING OF HIS BODY AND BLOOD UPON THE CROSS IN HIS ATONING SACRIFICE.
JESUS WANTS US TO PURSUE THIS DEPTH OF RELATIONSHIP BY MAKING A DELIBERATE CHOICE TO CONTINUALLY FEED UPON HIIM DAY AND NIGHT BY FAITH. BY CONSUMING HIM, HE THEN CONSUMES US! JAMES 4:8, “COME NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL COME NEAR TO YOU.”
JESUS OFFERS HIMSELF COMPLETELY IN WHOLE AND NOT IN “PARTS AND PIECES” FOR US TO PICK FROM. YOU TAKE ALL OR NOTHING. ONLY CANDY COMES IN “BITE SIZE” OR “FUN SIZE.” JESUS IS INVITING US TO GIVE OURSELVES FULLY TO HIM.
THE EXCLUSIVE WAY OF OUR FAITH IS HOLINESS. HOLINESS OF HEART IS THE CENTER OF OUR FAITH. WE MUST ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO HAVE FULL CONTROL TO SHAPE, PRUNE, CORRECT AND CHANGE US INTO THE IMAGE OF JESUS CHRIST. THIS UNENDING PURSUIT TO HOLINESS IS CALLED SANCTIFYING GRACE.
OUR FREE METHODIST CHURCH SAYS THIS: “SANCTIFICATION IS THAT SAVING WORK OF GOD BEGINNING WITH NEW LIFE IN CHRIST WHEREBY THE HOLY SPIRIT RENEWS HIS PEOPLE AFTER THE LIKENESS OF GOD, CHANGING THEM THROUGH CRISIS AND PROCESS, FROM ONE DEGREE OF GLORY TO ANOTHER, AND CONFORMING THEM TO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST. AS BELIEVERS SURRENDER TO GOD IN FAITH AND DIE TO SELF THROUGH FULLCONSECRATION, THE HOLY SPIRIT FILLS THEM WITH LOVE AND PURIFIES THEM FROM SIN. THIS SANCTIFYING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD REMEDIES THE DIVIDED MIND, REDIRECTS THE HEART TO GOD, AND EMPOWERS BELIEVERS TO PLEASE AND SERVE GOD IN THEIR DAILY LIVES. THUS, GOD SETS HIS PEOPLE FREE TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THEIR HEART, SOUL, MIND, AND STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE THEIR NEIGHBOR AS THEMSELVES.”
WE GAUGE THAT BY BEARING FRUIT! WE “EXAMINE OURSELVES” BY ASKING: ARE WE GROWING, CHANGING, AND BECOMING STRONGER IN OUR FAITH AND BECOMING MORE LIKE CHRIST?
ARE WE TAKING TIME TO DEEPEN OUR UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE OF SCRIPTURE? ARE WE MATURE ENOUGH IN FAITH TO LEAD A BIBLE STUDY OR TEACH A SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS? ARE WE CONFIDENT IN OUR SALVATION TO MENTOR SOMEONE TO HELP LEAD THEM TO CHRIST?
THESE QUESTIONS ARE NOT OUT OF BOUNDS OR OFF LIMITS! THESE ARE QUESTIONS WE MUST WRESTLY WITH WHEN WE CHOOSE TO SURRENDER TO JESUS BY CONSUMING HIS BODY AND BLOOD TO MAKE JESUS OUR LORD, SAVIOR, AND OUR “EVERYTHING.”
WHERE IS OUR PASSION? WHAT IS OUR DESIRE? WHAT DO WE LONG FOR? WHAT ARE WE SEEKING AFTER? WHAT CONSUMES OUR THOUGHTS AND LEADS OUR HEART? THE ANSWER WE MUST GIVE IS: JESUS. HE IS OUR ANSWER AND OUR PRIORITY WITHIN ALL THINGS.
PSALM 42:1-2, 11, “AS THE DEER PANTS FOR STREAMS OF WATER, SO MY SOUL PANTS FOR YOU, MY GOD. MY SOUL THIRSTS FOR GOD, FOR THE LIVING GOD. WHEN CAN I GO AND MEET WITH GOD? PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD… FOR I WILL YET PRAISE HIM, MY SAVIOR AND MY GOD.”
JESUS GAVE HIMSELF COMPLETELY FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLD. IF WE TRULY WANT JESUS AND TO SPEND ETERNITY WITH HIM, THEN WE MUST TAKE ALL OF HIM. EVERYTHING. COMPLETELY. LET US PURSUE RADICAL OBEDIENCE, SACRIFICE OF SELF, PICK UP OUR CROSS AND CONSUME JESUS, THE BREAD OF LIFE, TO ITS FULLEST.
