What does John 6:54 mean?
In this passage, Jesus repeatedly compares the means of salvation to eating His flesh and drinking His blood. The context for this analogy is Jesus' claim to be the "true bread from heaven," which is the sole source of salvation for the world (John 6:32–33). Several times in this section, Jesus will make this comparison, which has already deeply offended the crowd (John 6:43). Some cannot get beyond the shallow specter of cannibalism. Others will reject the idea of a Messiah who is not a conqueror (John 6:51). In the end, all but a small group will choose not to follow Jesus anymore (John 6:66).The fact that Jesus is speaking in poetic terms here is explicitly proven later in His discourse. Therefore, this passage cannot be taken as proof of the doctrine of "transubstantiation:" that modern communion literally becomes the flesh and blood of Jesus. Christ, in His own words, says this is not the case (John 6:63).
Jesus also ties the importance of this claim to the same statement He made earlier: that those who believe will see eternal life (John 6:40). That was in the context of belief in the One sent by God (John 6:27–29). The people should have seen the parallels here, but they are too busy complaining (John 6:41) and fighting (John 6:52) to sense the deeper meaning.
John 6:52–59 describes Jesus' closing remarks during this public discussion of His ministry and mission. In prior passages, He declared Himself the ''Bread of Life,'' resulting in controversy. The people have gone from seeking, to complaining, to fighting. During this discourse, Christ clarified the symbolic ''Bread of Life'' by pointing to Himself, foreshadowing His own crucifixion. Since the people are resistant to the idea of Jesus as a spiritual Messiah, they are hung up on the physical idea of Jesus' ''flesh.'' As Jesus continues to explain His role in salvation, most of those following Him will choose to walk away.
In chapter 6, Jesus feeds thousands of people who had been following Him. He does this by miraculously dividing the contents of a small meal, leaving more left over than He had to begin with. At first, the crowd is amazed and they enthusiastically praise Jesus. After sending the disciples across the Sea of Galilee and rescuing them from a storm by walking on the water, Jesus once again addresses the crowd. This time, He emphasizes the spiritual lesson behind His prior miracle. In response, most of those who had been praising Jesus turn away in disappointment.
