True Disciples Living Because of Christ

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 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. 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.” Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum (John 6:51-59).

The Jews added disputing to their grumbling after hearing Jesus’ challenge to graduate from follower to disciple by embracing His truth. To help them further along on this troublesome journey of maturing faith He gave them an illustration. He taught that the life of His disciples was impossible unless they “eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood”. This was an even harder saying for them to grasp. They are not alone. Throughout the ages Christ followers have “disputed among themselves” over the meaning of these words. There is agreement that Jesus Christ the Lord spoke and taught these words, but there is great disputing about the truth He expressed here. When we surrender our tightly held preconceptions and allow our Teacher, the Holy Spirit to lead us to the truth behind these words of Christ, we will discover how to become true disciples living because of Christ.

Jesus command to eat His flesh and drink His blood is a very difficult command to follow. Perhaps you’ve pondered these words in your heart. Many Christ followers avoid wrestling with the truth of these words and blindly follow the teaching of their local church or denomination. But earnest truth seekers are always hungry for the Holy Spirit to personally reveal the truth behind Jesus teachings. When we consider that Jesus spoke these words to a large crowd of followers in His effort to harvest a group of true disciples, we will discover what He meant by this teaching.

The Spirit of Truth leads us to another scene in the life of Christ for extra insight into the truth of today’s teaching. In today’s text Jesus described Himself as food and drink for true disciples. We are reminded that He also described Himself as a vine with branches in another teaching moment. This other moment was not spent with a crowd of followers. It was Jesus intimately teaching His disciples. Jesus promised His disciples more truth and understanding than He offered the crowds of followers… “And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, ‘to you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables’ (Mark 4:10-11). Diligent truth seekers can expect to glean understanding into today’s text by studying what Christ taught His closest disciples in more intimate settings.

Once, while alone with His disciples, Jesus challenged them with another hard command to abide in Him just as a branch abides in a vine… “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). He explained that to abide in Him, true disciples had to let His words abide within them… “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). He taught them to abide in His love… “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love” (John 15:9). He further explained that it was by obeying His words that true disciples might abide in His love… “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love” (John 15:10). Here the Spirit of Truth reveals that eating His flesh and drinking His blood means to feed on and obey His words and to be immersed in His love. This should be the goal of every true disciple of Christ and it glorifies God and produces fruit, maturing us, and impacting the lives of others… “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8). This is how fruitful disciples are known to Christ and to the world we live in every day.

As we grow up into Christ feeding on His word and drinking in His love, we become…

True Disciples Living Because of Christ.