The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 414

the shadow. With their nwo of blood, the Jews wonld think it st.range to hear Jesus assert the necessity of drinkiu;:( hid blood; but the strnn::;cncss disappears when he vir- tun.lly snys to them," I am the Snbstnnce or Rcnlity of that type.'' (1) Consider the import of the life Lhnt is thus imparted to the sinner. (rt) It presupposes men as without life, as alionntecl from tho life of God (Eph. iv. 18), because they have not the love of Gori in thorn (eh. v. 42). (b) It is something freely provided and bestowed by God. (c) It is eternal in its nature, inca.rablc of break or interrnption, finding its com- pleteness in the final resurrection of the body. (2) This life, so far from being an absolute or unpurchnsed gift, is secnrecl through the atoning obedience of Christ. The Prince of Life submits to death; he gives his flesh for the life of the world. The words point to o. priestly act of oblation (Eph. v. 2). (3) This life is received through faith. Our Lord uses the terms •• eating his flesh" and "drinking his blood " as interchangeable wi1h believing in him (vers. 35, 40, 47). The terms imply that sinners are to receive Christ, as e. hungry man partakes of food. Thus the atonement becomes not merely a divine expedient for man's salvation, but a profound perrnnal necessity. 5, '1.'he crucified flesh of Christ is the essential food of the immortal soul. "For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink inileed." The reason is that the food of the old sacrifices ,vas only the type of which Christ crucified was the trans- cendent reality. 6. Explanation of the life-giving virtue of Christ's flesh and blood. "He tho.t eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him." This implies a union of the closest kind. (1) Believers dwell in the heart of Christ as in a place of refuF:e and rest. (2) Christ dwells in the heart of believers by faith (Eph. iii. 17)-o. wonderful instance of condescension on the part of our Divine Redeemer. This indwelling secures to the believer all that is Christ's. 7. The true ground of the wmmon life of Christ and believers. "As the living Father bath sent me, and I live by the Father, so be that eatetb me shall live by me." (1) Jesus himself has access to the Source of life; (a) for he has bis life by the Father, and (b) has been sent by the Father, who is the Fountain of life. (2) Thus the believer who feeds on Jesus lives upon the Father himself. "The troe God, the living Father, gives himself to One alone, but in him to all who feed apon this only One.n (3) Tbos is·realized the great mystery of the gospel-" the gathering together of all things in one" (Eph. i. 10). 8. Jesus now reaches the climax of his revelation to the Jews, for be tells them plainly that death or life hangs upon their acceptance or rejection of himself. "He that eateth of this bread shall Ii vo for ever. n 9. The scene of this long discourse. " Jesus said these things, teaching in the synagogue of Capernaum," Modern exploration has identified Tell-Hum as the site of Capernaum, and brings to light the ruins of an ancient syna- gogue, in which bas been found o. block of stone with the pot of manna en?;Taved upon its face. The discovery suggests that the Jews as well as Christ may have seen this very stone. Vers. 60-65.-The growth of discontent and unbelief among his disciples. The burden of this teaching was too heavy to be borne, e,en by those disciples who followed Jesus for e. time, without realizing the true conditions of discipleship. I. THE TRIAL OF TllEm FAITH. "Many therefore of his disciples, when they had beard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can l1ear it?" 1. The saying was hard, not in the sense of being obscure, but offensive to their j'udgment. 2. The ground of offence was not (1) the bloody death of the Messiah; (2) nor the assumption on the part of Jesus that the salvation of the world was linked with bis Person; (3) nor Lis claim to have come down from heaven; (4) but the statement or the para.mount need of their eating the flesh and drinking the blood of tbo Son of man. To their vulgar perception it was repugnant to the moral sense. II. Oua Lonn's ANSWER TO TllEm :r.nnu.rnnED DISCONTENT. "Doth this offend you? What thon if ye should behold the Son of man ascending where be was before?" 1. The words refer to his ascension tip to heave11 after death. 2. It would then be manifest in what sense they would eat his flesh, for it woul<l be impossible to eat it, in their gross sense, after bis ascension to glory. 3. The u·ords imply Christ's previous existence in heaven. 4. Explanation of the nature of the life-givi·ng principle. "It is tho Spirit that quickenetb; the flesh profiteth nothing." (1) Jesus asserts that the life-giving principle is not in the material substance of the flesh, which would,  282 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING 'l'O ST. JOHN. [on. vr. 1-71.