A popular and witty saying among Bible Teachers goes like this,“

A text without context is a pretext.”

Pretext, in the spiritual context, is a justification to act or establish some religious beliefs based on a misapplication of a verse or two.” A good understanding of context will help a Bible reader know when to take passages as literal or symbolic. This we learned in a recent year-long zoom study of Daniel and Revelation. Both Daniel and Revelation are highly symbolic, but they also contain literal scenes and truths. It is the lazy man’s way to say, “The whole Bible is symbolic.” This implies no one can understand God’s word and therefore we are unable to apply its literal applications.

A powerful example using context and therefore discerning between literalism/symbolism is found in John 6.

“Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.

Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is [drink indeed.” John 6: 53-55

Wow! That sure sounds like Jesus is promoting cannibalism! But, if the religious teachers and disciples had just listened closely to ALL the words of Jesus (Context), they would know He was using symbols of bread and drink to tell a very important truth about eternal life and living a strong life in Him. But, some of the disciples were so confused that they never followed Him again,

“From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more (verse 66).

This they did even after hearing Jesus’ explanation,

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” Verse 63

If they had been listening to the context of what Jesus had said before, they would have been prepared for this symbolic reference to God’s word. Jesus said in Matthew 4,

“But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Verse 4

Jesus is quoting from the Book of Moses in Deuteronomy 8:30. Here God’s words are like bread that gives live (Spiritual life). The Twelve seemed to understand Him. Jesus asked them a question that Peter quickly answered showing He and the others closest to Him understood,

“Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE. (Verse 67, 68)“

Another form of spiritual nourishment is found in the story of the woman at the well. Jesus’ disciples brought Him some food and He said,

“I have food to eat of which you do not know” (John 4:32).The disciples wondered, “Where did He get food?” He said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me” (verse 34).

So, when we do the will of Christ, we’re feeding our souls.

What is the spiritual lesson from Jesus’ reference to eating His flesh and drinking His blood? Do we take it literal? No! Jesus compares His words to bread or food. His blood is believing and trusting in His sacrifice for us. We need his “flesh” and “blood” every day to live. Just as we need food every day to live literally, we need to eat God’s words (read), absorb it (understand), and apply it to stay alive.

We must thirst and hunger after righteousness and then be satisfied in our souls by God’s word. This must be a daily ongoing experience for the believer, otherwise, we will find ourselves growing skinny, weak, and then dying from lack of spiritual substance. We must feed ourselves; we can’t depend on someone else to eat for us.

The result of “eating His flesh” and “drinking his blood” is this: Jesus will

“raise us up in the last days.”

This term is used 4 times in this chapter alone. What does this mean? It is the resurrection when Jesus comes in the last day! Wow! What a wonderful thought. A different topic for a different time. Next time we will look at how some religious teachers of today have taken this story and tried to turn it into a literal application of eating his flesh and drinking His blood.