A case for Cannibalism?

John 6:66-69 66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

The scene here in John 6 comes right after Jesus proclaims himself to be the bread of life. One would think that after he says something as seemingly innocent as claiming to be the Bread of Life, there would not be the kind of reaction we see in vs 66. They turned back and no longer walked with him. Why? He has just said in vs 47-48 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. That seems pretty straightforward. So why did many turn away? It is when Jesus outlines what believing really means. He compares himself to the manna that came down from heaven to feed the Israelites in the wilderness during the time of Moses. In order to live, the Israelites had to actually take in, consume the bread that came down to give life.

Jesus says about Himself, "51 I 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.” If you are going to truly live and live eternally, Jesus points out, The only way you will do that is to feed on me. Take in the bread that is the Son of God to have life. He has given his body and blood so that we may have life. But we will not have life unless we feast on that bread of life, which is Jesus Himself. 

"52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” A legitimate question. How indeed is this man going to give up his flesh and blood so that it can be consumed taken in and then give life to all of those who partake of it? That is a tough question. Jesus then continues to try to explain what he is talking about. "53 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. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." Jesus actually tells the that they need to eat his flesh and drink his blood.

Interesting, Is he talking about cannibalism? No. Is he speaking of the Lord's Supper? Many have run with this and said that you take communion (often, perpetually) in order to be saved, but that isn't it either. No amount of things that you perpetually do can grant you eternal life. Not even something as incredible as what communion is. So what is Jesus speaking of when he speaks of "eating my flesh and drinking my blood?" If it is not communion taking or cannibalism, what is it?

What grants a man or woman eternal life is one thing. Trusting that Jesus Christ died for their sins on the cross and was raised to life three days later. Jesus is telling them: "you must believe and take in that my body was broken for you in your place, that my blood was shed in your place, and you must consume that, take it in, believe it, that I died for you, that my body was broken for you that my blood was shed for you and if you truly believe that and take that in, you are given eternal life. Ultimately this pictures the cross where Jesus gave his flesh and blood so that he would be the bread of eternal life for us if we believe.

So when those other disciples turn away and stop following Jesus, it was because they were not willing to believe that this man's flesh and blood could redeem them and restore them to God. And then e turns the question on his disciples, (and by extension, you and I). “Do you want to go away as well?” Is that something you are not willing to believe as well? They do not want me to accomplish salvation that way, what about you? Will you walk away because you don't like how personal and messy and bloody and just to what extent I will have to go to save you? My very body broken and my blood poured out for you?

“Do you want to go away as well?” What is the response? Peter responds, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life," Where else are we going to go to find not only the words of eternal life, but eternal life itself? Where indeed? Peter says, even if we don't fully understand yet how this salvation is going to work, and even if we don't know when it will happen (His hour had not yet come) we do know who it must come through. "69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” It has been is and will be ultimately through Jesus that eternal life is had. 

Where else is their to go? Who else can provide eternal life or the Words that point us to eternal life? Let us rejoice that we know the answer to that question: There is no where else but Jesus Christ who has given his body and blood to reconcile those who would believe his death for them.