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Does the Context of John 6 Support the Claim that the Eucharist Was Symbolic?

Posted on August 17, 2024 by Jeff Cassman

Danny over at Twitter made the following claim:

If you didn’t ignore the context of John 6, you’d understand Jesus was speaking spiritually and metaphorically.

I respond:

Danny’s claim that John 6 is symbolic or metaphorical is common among Protestants, but let’s unpack it with some Scripture and logic. First, the heart of the debate is John 6:51-58, where Jesus says things like, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven… the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh,” and “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” Danny argues this should be taken metaphorically, but does that really hold up when we look at the context?

1. Jesus’ Audience Took Him Literally Notice how the Jews react in John 6:52: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” They clearly took Him literally. If Jesus was just speaking symbolically, He could’ve clarified. Instead, He doubles down, getting even more graphic by saying, “My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink” (John 6:55). In fact, when His own disciples grumble in verse 60, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” Jesus doesn’t backtrack. He doesn’t say, “Wait, guys, I meant this symbolically!” He lets them walk away. If His message was just symbolic, why didn’t He clarify? Instead, He challenges them even more!

2. “Spirit and Life” Doesn’t Mean “Symbolic” Danny might point to John 6:63, where Jesus says, “It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is of no avail.” But this doesn’t mean Jesus was speaking metaphorically. He’s contrasting a purely earthly understanding (flesh alone) with the spiritual life He offers. In other words, without the Spirit’s help, they can’t understand this teaching. In fact, the Greek word for “flesh” here, sarx, often refers to our fallen, sinful nature—so Jesus isn’t saying His flesh is useless but rather that our merely human efforts (without faith) are insufficient.

3. Early Christians Took John 6 Literally The Early Church Fathers consistently interpreted this passage literally. For instance, St. Ignatius of Antioch (AD 110) warned against those who deny the Real Presence: “They abstain from the Eucharist… because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ” (Letter to the Smyrnaeans, 6). And St. Justin Martyr (AD 150) writes: “For not as common bread or common drink do we receive these; but… we have been taught that the food which has been made into the Eucharist… is both the flesh and blood of that incarnated Jesus” (First Apology, 66). If the earliest Christians, who were closest to the Apostles and knew the context better than anyone, took Jesus literally, that’s strong evidence we should too.

4. Metaphors Don’t Fit the Language Jesus Uses Yes, Jesus often used metaphors like “I am the door” (John 10:9) or “I am the vine” (John 15:5). But those are obvious metaphors because the imagery is symbolic, not literal. No one thinks Jesus is a literal wooden door. But eating flesh and drinking blood are not common Jewish metaphors, and Jesus’ language here is much more graphic and insistent. He says, “My flesh is true food” (John 6:55), which doesn’t make sense as a metaphor for “believing in Him” because faith is never described as food elsewhere in Scripture.

5. Why Would Jesus Let So Many Leave Over a Metaphor? Finally, consider the fallout. Many disciples abandon Him in John 6:66—people who’d followed Him up to this point. If this teaching was purely symbolic, why let them leave over a misunderstanding? Good teachers don’t lose half their followers over a metaphor. The fact that Jesus lets them walk shows He meant what He said, even if it was difficult to accept. Conclusion The evidence points strongly toward a literal understanding of John

6. Jesus meant what He said: His flesh and blood are truly present in the Eucharist, given for the life of the world. The context, the reaction of the crowd, the Early Church, and the nature of His language all confirm this. Danny’s argument that this is merely symbolic doesn’t hold up when we examine these key details. It’s a challenging teaching, but as St. Peter says in John 6:68, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Jesus invites us to trust Him even when it’s tough to understand.

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