"Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life . . ." (John 6:54)

The word "cannibal" comes from two words, "Kahn" or "priest," and "Baal." In other words, a priest of Baal or a person, who engages in human sacrifice, who eats that human flesh sacrifice.

Neither Old or New Testament encourages the eating of human flesh nor the drinking of any kind of blood. Granted, if this verse were to be taken, out of its context, untold mischief could be done to it, but we will not allow the context, of John 6, to be ignored.

Perishable Or Imperishable Bread?

". . . Ye seek me . . . because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you . . ." (John 6:26-27)

Some would have John 6:54 to refer to either the "mass" or the Lord's table, varying from the transubstantiation of the Papists to the consubstantiation of certain Protestants (all without the Lord's table even being instituted or wine and communion wafers ever being mentioned).

Still, the context of John 6 shows us that perishable bread, even that which the Lord had already given them, is not in view (nor the O.T. perishable manna, from heaven). Only the imperishable bread, which results in everlasting life, is in view.

The perishable bread, resident in the mass or even the communion table, does not come down from heaven, it comes from the grocery store; it is not imperishable!

What Kind Of Work For Eternal Life?

"Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." (John 6:28-29)

The work, involved in the "mass" or communion, which claims to obtain grace or eternal life, is NOT the work of God. The work of God, for everlasting life, is believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.

If the bread and wine, of the mass or even the Lord's table, could impart eternal life, how many suppers or masses would be required to obtain eternal life? One? Two? A dozen?

Partaking, of Jesus' flesh and blood, in John 6:54, need only be done "once." How many religious cannibals can be satisfied with merely one mass or one communion experience for grace or eternal life?

Miracle Mass Or Miracle Son

They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 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. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. (John 6:30-33)

Jesus indicted that there would not be any miracle or sign, such as the manna that Moses gave them from heaven. Neither was there to be a magic trick, with some magic words spoken (Hoc est corpus meum - Hocus Pocus), which are supposed to change the elements into the actual flesh and blood of Jesus Christ, while still tasting like booze and wafers, which eventually corrupt into dung.

The true bread from heaven, the Bread of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of the type, manna from heaven, was to GIVE life, His life, unto and for the world, for eternal life.

Cannibalism Or Belief?

"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." (John 6:35)

"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." (John 6:40)

". . . He that believeth on me hath (present tense) everlasting life. (John 6:47)

When one partakes, of ordinary bread and wine, in the Mass or communion, one thirsts and hungers again, both physically and spiritually. Still, the Bread of Life and His blood were sacrificed for the life of the world, only once, leaving a man without further need to partake again, to satisfy spiritual hunger/thirst.

To Receive and to partake of Him is to "come" to him and to "believe" on him.

Jesus Christ, Himself, is clear about how to obtain grace and eternal life. Believe on Him and receive eternal life, before and without the benefit of the Mass or communion cup, wafer, or cracker.

Cannibalism Or

Spiritual Food?

"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." (John 6:48-51)

". . . 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 . . . 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 . . . 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. (John 6:53-58)

Aside from not being impressed with cannibalism, what Jew, with all his feasts and sacrifices, would ever be impressed with one more feast or supper, which involved works?

So, what kind of feast have we in Christ? A non-perishable bread that is not obtained in the grocery store. A non-perishable bread that transcends even the miraculous, perishable, wilderness manna. A bread that does not end with death.

This bread is the true living bread, the actual person of Jesus Christ, not eaten, in the way their fathers ate the manna.

A person receives eternal life, by receiving and appropriating the actual flesh and blood that Christ Jesus gave for the life of the world, apart from the ceremonial table.

We are not on physical or cannibal ground but on spiritual ground. Man must spiritually partake or receive Jesus Christ, by believing on Him, to receive eternal life.

It is not merely the representation or symbol or type of His flesh. the symbols of the Lord's flesh and blood are a remembrance, showing the Lord's death until He comes again (1 Cor. 11:26).

Cannibalism Or

Spiritual Words?

"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him." (John 6:63-64)

"Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. (John 6:67-69)

When asked about the meaning of His statements, the Lord Jesus plainly and clearly assures his disciples that he is speaking spiritually and not physically.

Spiritual words of life! He identified those, who believed not, as those who did not partake of his flesh and blood, who did not receive His spiritual words of life. Peter well understood that eternal life resided in the Lord Jesus' words of life.

Not everyone will "swallow" (believe) such a promise, as found in John 6. But only they, who believe and have received Him or have partaken of Him, possess the promise that Jesus dwells "in them" and that they also dwell "in Him," without eating a communion wafer or drinking the communion cup, without the Mass. All without physically eating each other! All without being cannibals!