Having Life Within

Richard Thetford

In John 6:53-56 we read, "Then Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, 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 eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.'"

Some of the greatest gifts from God to man are the blessings of physical and spiritual life, but both are dependent on certain conditions. If we're to live physically, we must have proper food, exercise, sunshine, and air. Let a man shut himself away from all light, food, air, and exercise, and he will die physically. We can't hibernate as do the animals, neither can we hibernate spiritually.

Jesus said, "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you." (John 6:53). In this statement, Jesus likely had in mind more than the Lord's Supper, but we do know He included it in this declaration, for the bread is emblematic of His body and the fruit of the vine is emblematic of His blood according to Matthew 26:26-28.

Some will forsake the worship for months and still claim to have good spiritual health in Christ. It was the dying request of our Redeemer that we partake of the Lord's Supper in remembrance of Him. If we don't gather together, how can we obey that command? Let us do as the early disciples and partake of the Lord's Supper on every first day of the week. (Acts 20:7). Let us live for Him who died for us, and God will bless us.