The Jews argues about how on earth could Jesus give them His flesh to eat? Eating human flesh, and drinking any blood were totally anathema to the Jews.
We know that Jesus was referring to trusting in His death on the cross, the sacrifice of atonement, but to His first hearers His words would indeed seem strange. Why did He use such imagery as eating His flesh and drinking His blood? Why did He not just say that people need to believe in Him?
Lev 17:10-11 forbids eating of blood for the life is in the blood, and blood of atonement sacrifices was crucial. So there are obvious references to Jesus being the atonement sacrifice.
The eating of flesh perhaps refers back to the desire for manna, and Jesus is emphasising again the need to trust in Him, and that He is the true source of life. We need to focus on Jesus, not on food that will come to nothing.
We know that Jesus was referring to trusting in His death on the cross, the sacrifice of atonement, but to His first hearers His words would indeed seem strange. Why did He use such imagery as eating His flesh and drinking His blood? Why did He not just say that people need to believe in Him?
Lev 17:10-11 forbids eating of blood for the life is in the blood, and blood of atonement sacrifices was crucial. So there are obvious references to Jesus being the atonement sacrifice.
The eating of flesh perhaps refers back to the desire for manna, and Jesus is emphasising again the need to trust in Him, and that He is the true source of life. We need to focus on Jesus, not on food that will come to nothing.
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