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I. WHAT IS MEANT BY EATING THE FLESH AND DRINKING THE BLOOD OF CHRIST?

1. What is necessary to it?

(1) We must believe in the reality of Christ; not that He was a myth, but that He was very God incarnate, who lived, died, and rose again, and is now in His proper personality, sitting at the right hand of God, from whence He will come to be our Judge.

(2) We must believe in the death of Christ, "blood," not as an example, but as the expiation of sin, a propitiation through faith in His blood.

2. What is this act?

(1) Appropriation. A man not only believes that bread is proper food, he takes it. So we cannot feed on Christ until we make Him our own, and for our individual selves: for we cannot eat for anybody else.

(2) Receiving into oneself. Bread is taken not to be laid aside or exhibited. Every one must do this from the empress to the pauper: so the poorest and the richest must receive Christ by faith.

(3) Assimilation. Faith is to the soul what the gastric juices are to the body; and so Christ by faith is taken up into the understanding and heart, and becomes part of the renewed man. He becomes our life.

3. Remarks to set this forth in a clearer manner.

(1) Christ is as needful to the soul as bread is to the body.

(2) Meat and drink do really satisfy. The supply of Christ is as real as the need of Him.

(3) A hungry man is not appeased by talking about feeding, but by eating. So Christ beckons you to a banquet not to look on, but to feast.

(4) In healthy eating there is a relish.

(5) Eating times as to the body come several times a day, so take care that you partake of Christ often. Do not live on old experiences.

(6) It is well to have set times for eating. People are not likely to flourish who have no regular meals. So there should be appointed times for communion with Christ.

(7) The flesh and blood of Christ are foods suitable for all conditions, for babes in Christ as well as old men, for sick Christians and healthy.

II. WHAT ARE THE VIRTUES OF THIS EATING AND DRINKING?

1. Life is essential (ver. 53). If you have no life in you you have nothing that is good. The sinner is dead, and there is no life to be "developed" and "educated" in him. Any good that may come to him must be by impartation, and it can never come to him but by eating the flesh, etc. Convictions of sin are of no use, nor ordinances, nor profession, nor morality. This is vital (ver. 54) for soul and body.

2. Substantial. "Meat indeed," etc. The Jewish feasting was a mere shadow: so is pleasure, etc.

3. It produces union (ver. 56).

(1)  To live in Christ is the peace of justification.

(2)  For Christ to live in us is the peace of sanctification.

(C. H. Spurgeon.)

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KJV: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

WEB: Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life.