The Spirit Gives Life

2 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 34; John 6

“’Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me…The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life.’”

John 6:56, 57, 63

We feed on Jesus by listening to his life-giving Word to us and obeying his Word with faith. Some have confused Christ’s call to “eat the flesh” (John 6:53) with the bread and wine of communion. However, if eating actual bread saved us it would just be another works-based righteousness like that of all other religions. In Christ, we experience the reality of his presence within us through his life-giving Spirit. We listen to the Word, just as sheep who know their shepherd’s voice. The bread and wine are symbols of Christ’s body and blood, and as we eat them we remember Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection victory over sin and death. These symbols point to the inner reality of the living Word.

“Lord Jesus, you are my life. Thank you for your Word alive within me this day, for your glory.”