Drink jesus' (God's)blood? Eat his flesh?

[Avoice]

Human sacrifice
Drinking blood
Eating human flesh

You cant get any more pagan than this


Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

NOW HERE IS WHAT THE GOD OF ISRAEL SAID THROUGH THE PROPHET ISAIAH.

"They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?"

THINK!
EAT Jesus/ GOD?
DRINK the blood of Jesus/ GOD?

[2timothy316]

Do you find, "This speech is shocking"? (John 6:60)

"Does this stumble you?" (John 6:61)

Many hearing Jesus say this left following him. Yet Peter didn't and many others didn't. Do you know why?

[Overcomer]

It's metaphorical. Jesus wasn't suggesting we actually eat human flesh or drink human blood. Look at the context:

People are following him around because he fed thousands (John 6:1-13). They're looking for more free bread. Jesus tells them that they shouldn't be seeking mere physical food, but spiritual food that will give them eternal life. Jesus identifies himself as spiritual bread in John 6:35, 48, 51(I am the bread of life). He's saying he can give them eternal life.

[Avoice]

[Replying to post 2 by 2timothy316]

Ive never studied that scene as it seems evident. The others were disgusted at such a thought.. why did peter and others stay? Well, what comes to mind is either they werent hungry or they were from pagan religions. Ok, the hungry part ..was only humor but it popped into my head and we could use a laugh here now and then.

I don't know...why?

[Avoice]

[Replying to post 3 by Overcomer]


Eating blood is disgusting and forbidden. Who would use it as a metaphor?

Jesus tells them they should be seeking more than physical food but should seek spiritual food?
This metaphor would make sense is if he was talking to pagans. And it would appeal to them and surely got many to follow him. Absolutely. But to religious Jews this would disgust them even if a metaphor.
Christians believe that even sinful thoughts are punishable. (Whoever looks on someone with lust has already committed..,.) This is nonsense. But if they want to believe it then just the thought of drinking his blood and eating his flesh is as if they actually did it. Totally pagan.

How about if his metaphor was:
Here, this is my p____s. Drink my urine that ye may have life.

Disgusting huh? Oh but its a metaphor. It means thirst for me and you will live!

Who would use such a disgusting metaphor!!? Drinking blood and eating flesh is equally disgusting. As a metaphor, as a joke...as anything. Those who walked away had a reason.

Let ne put it this way: if a new spititual leader showed up in your community and at a meeting passed out cookies and milk and said to eat them. That they are his flesh and blood. That for eternal life tou myst eat hus flesh be drink his blood ....ummm...that sounds right huh? Deep down you know hes a sicko. Some people at the meeting will go along with it. Others will push themself away with a look of disgust.
What is disgusting is disgusting. Christians, by their faith, tell me that drinking human blood or any blood is okay. Eating soneobes flesh...thats cool too. That is sick. And according to theur faith they are cannibals in thought. And if in thought then its as if they actually did it.

Yes, cannibals. Christianuty is a pagan religion. They just cant see it because logically thi king they know paganisn is disgusting. Human sacrifice and drinking blood...ugh But they look at themselves in a clouded mirror wearing rose tinted glasses. Paganisn is disgusting and they KNOW it. What kind of force could get people to turn the unholy acts of paganism and make them holy in the mind of a man. Not an ignorant man. A man who knows such acts to be unholy. Yet to him they are holy.

[brianbbs67]

[Replying to post 5 by Avoice]

Those words written in Mark , do give pause. Blood is Forbidden. If Jesus actually said them as metaphor, it was a poor choice of words from our modern perspective.

Let's see what the original disciples did after he was gone.

In Acts15 they institute Noahide laws for conversion. 15:19-21 "Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the gentiles who are turning to YHVH. but that we write to them to obtain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality(temple prostitution), from things strangled, and from blood.

For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath."

So, the gentiles were to first get rid of their pagan temple practices AND learn Moses every Sabbath.

From this we can know that Jesus did not mean that literally. They were to learn the truth, Torah. This has been lost to the modern church. They suffer from the error of dispensationalism. God's law is for Israel and whoever sojourns with them throughout all their generations there is to be one law for the stranger and the native. If we wish to be partakers of Irael's covenants, we have to join Israel. See Ephesians here. 2:11-16

[2timothy316]

[Replying to post 2 by 2timothy316]

Ive never studied that scene as it seems evident. The others were disgusted at such a thought.. why did peter and others stay? Well, what comes to mind is either they werent hungry or they were from pagan religions. Ok, the hungry part ..was only humor but it popped into my head and we could use a laugh here now and then.

I don't know...why?

"So Jesus said to the Twelve: “You do not want to go also, do you?� Simon Peter answered him: “Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life. We have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.� - John 6:67-69
Peter's answer as to why they didn't leave is underlined.

Even if Peter wasn't sure if Jesus was being literal or not he wasn't going anywhere. He had seen Jesus' do and say amazing things. He also knew that Jesus would always speak in an illustration first. "Jesus spoke to the crowds by illustrations. Indeed, without an illustration he would not speak to them.�​ (Matt 13:34)

When it came time to eat Jesus flesh and blood Peter and the others that stuck by him got the chance to see what Jesus meant at his last meal.

Eating His Flesh
"As they continued eating, Jesus took a loaf, and after saying a blessing, he broke it, and giving it to the disciples, he said: “Take, eat. This means my body.� (Matt 26:26)

Eating His Blood
"And taking a cup, he offered thanks and gave it to them, saying: “Drink out of it, all of you, for this means my ‘blood of the covenant,’ which is to be poured out in behalf of many for forgiveness of sins."..."But I say to you: I will by no means drink again any of this product of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in the Kingdom of my Father.� (Matt 26:27, 29)

So Jesus was speaking symbolically. The bread being his flesh and wine (as was customary to drink at Passover) being his blood. Yet those that only wanted to be be fed physically but not spiritually left Jesus.

This serves as a very good lesson for everyone. When we read the Bible, what are we hoping to get out of it? Are we reading for spiritual gain and are patient to understand what it's talking about? Do we look back to the One 'that has the sayings of everlasting life? We should think carefully about whom else should we look to? That is what the disciples did.

Or are we constantly stumbled by what we read, never looking or asking for understanding, looking to own person dogma to explain what we read or hear? What do we see in the Bible? Do we think it doesn't contain anything but words leading nowhere? Perhaps even ideas that are harmful. That is what those who left did.

[Menotu]

[Replying to post 1 by Avoice]

Symbolism. It's used a lot in religion. Can't say I was ever convinced when I was a practicing Christian that their symbolism wasn't odd and brutal. They didn't even try to hide it well.
But we have to remember Christianity started during a violent time with violent people and continues, at least in part, to appease violent people today.
It is what it is - take it or leave it I guess.
Still, many practices are rather odd IMO.

[ttruscott]

[Replying to post 3 by Overcomer] Eating blood is disgusting and forbidden. Who would use it as a metaphor?

GOD.

Eating blood is forbidden...how could this then be taken literally? It is the spiritual fulfillment of the eating of the Paschal lamb whose blood kept the angel of death from the Jewish houses.

Rev 10:9 And I went to the angel and said, “Give me the small scroll.�

“Take it and eat it,� he said. “It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.�

10 So I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it; and it was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned bitter. is not the only place where eating is considered an apt metaphor for digesting ideas to come to understanding. Looking things up for one's self is a great memory aid...

[onewithhim]

Human sacrifice
Drinking blood
Eating human flesh

You cant get any more pagan than this


Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

NOW HERE IS WHAT THE GOD OF ISRAEL SAID THROUGH THE PROPHET ISAIAH.

"They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?"

THINK!
EAT Jesus/ GOD?
DRINK the blood of Jesus/ GOD?

1) Jesus is not God. If he was, he would have made it very clear.

2) He did not mean that his disciples should literally eat his flesh or drink his blood. No. Never.

He meant that his flesh and blood would be given up in death for the salvation of the world, so we must accept that fact and love what he did for us enough to act in accordance with his teachings. That would be, in effect, positioning ourselves very close to him, symbolically consuming him.

Of course cannibalism was disgusting to Jesus, God and all of Israel. His statement had a deeper meaning.