54 Whoever feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

56 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him.

57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on Me, he also will live because of Me.

58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

— John 6:54, 56-58

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

— Galatians 2:20

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.

— 1 John 3:2

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, peace and joy from Christ to you!

Jesus’ rich teaching offered serious warnings alongside glorious promises. The refuse Christ means facing eternity spiritually destitute and without hope. With repeated clarity, Jesus promised that those who trust Him for salvation would be raised to eternal life at the last day. The only way to receive eternal life is by participating fully in the death and life of Jesus Christ through faith in Him.

All who by faith “eat” the flesh of Christ and “drink” His blood receive a double promise. We believers gain absolute assurance of resurrection and eternal life. To receive Jesus means remaining in Him as He remains in us. Faith in Jesus involves so much more than a one-time decision. Believers are called to live the same way Jesus lived His human life on earth—in moment-by-moment dependence on God. Jesus lived by remaining in His Father and made it possible for us to live forever by remaining in Him. When we see Jesus Christ at the last day, our transformation will be made complete. Then “we shall be like Him”—gloriously free of sin and all its barriers—“for we shall see Him as He is.”