This is a very long chapter with teaching quite difficult to understand. The disciples said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" Jesus is telling his followers that they must "eat His flesh and drink His blood" if they would be His people.
In retrospect we can understand this as a call to communion - identification with one another in the Body of Christ.
In the upper room, the night before He died, Jesus had made many wonderful promises to the disciples - and hence to us - peace the world could not give, a joy that would be "full", the Holy Spirit to dwell within, a home in Heaven.
He also asked of them three things: that they serve one another as He demonstrated by washing their feet; that they love one another as He commanded; that they obey His word.
He then instituted the "Lord's Supper" - a covenant meal. A covenant is an agreement between two parties - the terms of which are the promises and requirements expressed above.
Every time we take the bread in 'communion' we are declaring ourselves members of His body, His 'flesh'; every time we take the cup we are declaring our agreement to the covenant - to serve one another, love one another and to obey His word. This is what He was asking of His followers in John 6 - a call to communion.
Do you get offended when told that the King commands you to love the brethren, including those whose doctrine and styles of worship are so different to yours?
Those listening to Jesus found this difficult to accept. They were offended by Him (v.61) with the result that many of His disciples followed Him no more. They lost their communion with Him.
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Gareth Evans ( - )
Gareth Evans is an itinerant pastor/teacher with a burden to minister to the hurting church his ministry website is Gareth Evans Ministries. Formerly a Physics teacher in the UK and Canada, he became a pastor with the Christian & Missionary Alliance in Canada in 1979. In 1991, he was invited to serve as pastor on board the M/V Anastasis, a medical, missionary ship operated by Youth With A Mission (YWAM). Since leaving that ministry four years later, Gareth has traveled to many countries, encouraging pastors and missionaries.He is married to Anne and they have three married daughters, nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Gareth and Anne live in Victoria, in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Some of his main burdens is to mentor young men to see them walk in the anointing of God and soar on wings as eagles. He has also prayed for revival and moderated many revival conferences across the world.