Hard Saying of Jesus (Part 2)

Have you ever focused on the difficult passages of scripture in which Jesus said things that seem difficult, if not impossible, to live out practically? I know I have, and I continue to circle back to them throughout my Christian walk because I know the more I try to understand the scriptures the better I am able to understand God and my walk with him.

One of the “Hard Sayings” of Jesus was when he was confronting people about only seeking him to get their belly filled, as when he had fed 5,000 people. He said we should work towards the food that does not perish but endures. Then he blew their minds by saying that he, Jesus, was the bread of life and they need to eat his flesh and drink his blood! At first glance this could have been taken as a barbaric and cannibalistic pagan command. I think many of those listening took it that way. Jesus often used the “Shock & Awe” tactic to stop people int heir tracts so they would consider why they were not living in the blessings of God and life was so hard. Sometimes only when we are shocked do we pay attention to what God is trying to communicate to us.

John 6:51

I am the living bread that came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; this bread is my flesh, offered so the world may live.”

John 6:53

So Jesus said again, “I assure you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you.

So let’s take a minute to unpack what Jesus is saying and what he is not saying. We often read in scripture a verse or story and get the wrong meaning because we don’t think deep enough to unpack the deeper message God is trying to communicate.

Jesus was not talking about literal flesh and blood or this would not make sense to anyone not living while Jesus was still on the earth. The Catholic Church, in particular, developed a doctrine called “Transubstantiation” – the idea that during Mass, the bread and wine used for Communion mysteriously become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This doctrine is central to the Catholic faith. Even today, and even after the reformation, many protestants believe this. Indeed, the Catholic Church teaches that “the Eucharist” is the source and summit of the Christian life. This is why most of the Catholic service is focused on taking the bread and cup, because they teach that Jesus said we can’t have eternal life without partaking. The only way they can believe this about communion is to teach that God takes ordinary bread and wine and turns it into the real flesh and blood of Jesus.

This mystical interpretation of the words of Jesus drastically alters the meaning of Jesus’ words. Jesus was telling his followers that they had to become one with him to have eternal life. The Gospel of John, Chapter 15, tells us what Jesus was after: That we would apply ourselves to be connected to him, the vine, to be spiritually alive and fruitful. Jesus said the same thing a different way in his prayer to the Father just before he went to the cross.

John 17:3

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

We so often misunderstand the words of God because we don’t read the Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit. Pastors and teachers in Christianity tell people they can have eternal life if they accept Jesus, yet the person hearing us thinks, “Oh, Eternal Life” I get to live forever. But, Jesus identifies eternal life as an intimate relationship with him and the Father, not “LONGEVITY” of time. Much of Christianity over the last 50 years has shifted its teaching from relationship with God to safety to live forever, devoid of relationship.

When Jesus said for us to eat the bread and drink the cup in remembrance, we are remembering what salvation meant to be all about. Salvation is not getting a ticket out of hell and going to heaven. In taking communion we are reaffirming our relationship with God and his sacrifice for us, and our commitment to him.

John 6:55-56

For my flesh is the true food, and my blood is the true drink. All who eat my flesh and drink my blood remain in me, and I in them.

Jesus was not affirming some pagan ritual, but using bread and wine to illustrate the connection between the believer and their God. How shallow we often read scripture and only get a surface idea of what God is after. In the same way that Israel misunderstood the day atonement after leaving Egypt, so professing Christians misapply the Lord’s Supper in only doing the ritual and losing the spiritual application.

We also communicate misinformation through colleges and seminaries that teach dead dogma and graduate pastors who mean well, but are devoid of spiritual power to communicate spiritual truth. Satan loves nothing better than to have churches full of misinformed people who believe they are safe from hell while not having an intimate relationship with their creator.

We need to remember that Jesus talked with the intention that we would relate to God as our “Heavenly Father,” not just our savior. Jesus spoke about “Father God” to his disciples so they would understand the intimate relationship that we are called to. Paul spoke in the same way about this intimate relationship in which we are able, and should, call out to Abba, which translates to the idea of “DADDY” and not as slave to a master.

Romans 8:15-16 

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.

The hard saying of eating the flesh of Jesus and drinking his blood is about the call to partake of a relationship with the Son of God in an intimate fellowship of love and affection that supersedes all other relationships. It is what we are called to and what Jesus speaks to each and every one of us. The question is will we settle for a surface relationship with God or and intimate one?

Questions:

1) Why does Jesus speak “Hard Sayings” instead of being simple and clear? Because he is after those who will dig deep.

2) When you take communion do you seek to reaffirm your affection and loyalty with Jesus? If not, ask yourself if you ever crossed over from death to life with Christ.

Seeking to renew my walk regularly,

Pastor Dale