Commentary on John 6:56-69

John 6:56–69 presents a controversy arising from Jesus’ claim to be the bread of life.  Jesus’ teaching did not draw all people to him but alienated many, so they left his company. Jesus, the living bread, claims that whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood abides in him and he in the person. It’s important to note that this statement, like many others in the Gospel of John, is symbolic. It’s not about literal consumption but the deep, intimate relationship with Jesus. To receive from Jesus “the saving power” he gives his followers, the believer must “feed on him.”

The expression “feeding on Jesus” (his flesh and blood) best captures the intimacy in the relationship. To feed on Jesus is to “absorb his teaching, his character, his mind, and ways; [and to] appropriate the virtue in him till his mind becomes our mind and his ways our ways; till we think somewhat as he would do if he were in our place, and can be and do what without him we would not be or do; and this because his power has passed into us and become our power.”¹ Eating and drinking metaphors best express oneness, intimacy, and the best way to be part of Jesus’ life.

Jesus indicates the profundity of the relationship, comparing it to the relationship between him (Jesus) and God (6:57), which is perfect and permanent. Partaking of Jesus’ flesh and blood means establishing and remaining in this relationship, lasting and deepening to all eternity, and enabling the believer to live forever.

As usual, every teaching of Jesus and the signs he performs lead to division; while some people believe in him, some leave his company because they find Jesus’ statement unacceptable and murmur, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it? How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” They take the literal sense of the words and miss Jesus’ point, which requires thinking at a higher level. Jesus clarifies that they need to think beyond the ordinary literal sense.

His audience should abandon literal interpretations and interpret the discourse about eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking Jesus’ blood in light of the ascension and gift of the spirit (6:62–63). Jesus, whose flesh all must eat, is more than literal human flesh. He is not merely the fleshly human but the One who came from above. Flesh, as such, is unprofitable; only the spirit gives life. The subject of Jesus’ discourse is the means that conveys Spirit and life. Jesus’ true home is higher than the physical home the audience knows, so they must listen to the words from One who came from above and whom they will see ascend. Jesus’ message is symbolized by eating and drinking Jesus’ flesh and blood.

The unbelievers missed the point, so they left Jesus’ company. Jesus is losing followers because of his hard teachings but is not stepping back despite this. He uses the occasion to challenge his disciples whom God has drawn to him. He also knows that one of them (Judas) will betray him. “Will you also go away?” Jesus asks. Peter responds, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (6:68). Peter confesses acceptance of the invitation to be with Jesus and to remain with Jesus in a deep relationship. There is no other person to whom believers can go.

When I was a biblical Greek student during my graduate studies, one of my professors was famous for his excellence in teaching, yet he was unpopular among students for awarding low grades. For Intermediate Greek, students had no alternative but to take the course with him. However, another professor offered an alternative course for Advanced Greek. That meant that the so-called mean professor would lose many students he had in Intermediate Greek since students wanted to learn and get good scores.

My cohort, instead, had a few more of us willing to take the risk of low scores and learn from this excellent teacher. Walking into the classroom on the first day of school, the teacher was surprised to see more students than usual. Other than appreciating it, he said, “Why have you not gone away?” Jokingly, I responded, “To whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life.” The class had one minute of laughter, with the professor chuckling more often. The professor was never the same. He developed a relationship with the class, resulting in outstanding learning and excellent student scores. We learned how to respond to his “hard saying.”

Jesus’ teachings may be challenging, but he does not shy away from them. He continues to offer hard truths that, if we remain with him, can profoundly benefit us. Are we willing to stay with our Teacher even when his teachings seem complicated? Can we, like Peter, say, “To whom shall we go?” and commit to Jesus, the teacher of excellence, whose word gives life? Can we embrace the relationship, “eating his flesh and drinking his blood,” so that we maintain a deeper relationship with him?

Peter, a man of both strengths and weaknesses, is an excellent example of faith. He is not perfect but has his moments of shining. He can misunderstand situations and will even deny Jesus at the arrest and trial, but he often gets it right. In Peter’s mind, no one can teach better than the teacher of excellence; followers must stick to Jesus, to his words that create a deeper, intimate relationship with him.

“We believe and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God” is Peter’s portrait of the process through which they have come to believe in Jesus (6:69). This beautifully expresses the process of believing. “It starts with a venture that what one thinks could be true, and then, in a little while, something surer and steadier than the initial faith, faith grown to knowledge, a knowledge gained from facts of one’s personal experience.”² Peter’s unwavering belief and commitment to Jesus at this point should inspire readers.

Notes

1. George Arthur Buttrick, ed., The Interpreter’s Bible: A Commentary, vol. 8 (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1991), 573–574.
2. Buttrick, ed., The Interpreter’s Bible, 576.