“Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.”
John 6:56 (NLT)
In this passage, Jesus was speaking to the same crowd He had just fed with five loaves and two fish. The miracle had drawn them in, but His message began to push them away. When Jesus declared that He was the Bread of Life, they murmured in disagreement—just like their ancestors in the wilderness. Their ancestors ate manna from heaven but still died. Jesus wanted them to understand that He was offering something greater: eternal life through believing in Him.
I can’t help but see myself in this story. How often does Jesus try to give me something freely—peace, direction, or rest—yet I resist because it doesn’t come the way I expect? He keeps offering the same truth in different ways, but sometimes I’m too focused on the natural to hear the spiritual. Like those in the synagogue at Capernaum, I argue instead of listen.
Jesus reminds us that no one comes to Him unless the Father draws them. Those who truly listen to God will find themselves drawn to Jesus, because He is the only One who has seen the Father. And His message is still simple: “Anyone who believes has eternal life.” That’s the invitation. No striving, no earning—just believing.
Verse 56 ties beautifully to what John later records in chapter 15 about abiding in Christ. To remain in Him is to draw from the life He provides. Through His Spirit, we are sustained by the same Bread of Heaven He offered that day. When we believe, He remains in us—and His life compels us to love others and live out His will every day.