John 6:52,53 - Taking things literally

6:52

The Jews decided to take Jesus’ words literally. Remember that Nicodemus had done the same when Jesus told him about the need to be born again. Taking things literally is an important matter. On the one hand we have the liberal theologians who don’t take anything literally, seeing crucial things like the resurrection as purely figurative. This is clearly wrong and makes a nonsense of the Bible and the gospel. Then we have those who think any attempt to interpret Genesis 1 and 2 as anything other than six twenty four hour days is setting off on the slippery road to rejecting the whole of the Bible. I exaggerate a little in both cases (though the caricature is accurate in some cases!), but it makes the point. Sometimes people missed the truth of what God was saying because they were over literal!

6:53

Jesus then adopts a tactic that He frequently uses in John in response to an attack or challenge. “If you are offended by this, try this for size!” He makes matters “worse” by telling them that they not only have to eat the flesh, but they also need to drink His blood! Now remember that the Law positively forbids eating meat with blood in it (Lev 17:10-16), so imagine how much of an offence this would be to the people, and how abhorrent the thought would be. Then look at Lev 17:11: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given to for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, it is the blood that makes atonement by the life”. And compare this with Jesus’ words hear about us having no life in us unless we drink of His blood. And of course the allusion to the cross is obvious. It is only by believing in Jesus and by His death on the cross that we can have life.