This is crazy fundamentalism. Not only is there Biblical support for this belief, then was the tradition of the early Church. Reaffirmed by the early Church fathers, and the saints and martyrs.
Again and Again Jesus confirmed this view.
Jesus first repeated what he said, then summarized: “‘I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.’ The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’” (John 6:51–52).
His listeners were stupefied because now they understood Jesus literally—and correctly. He again repeated his words, but with even greater emphasis, and introduced the statement about drinking his blood: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who 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. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” (John 6:53–56).
Christ made No effort to correct any misunderstanding or doubt about this,
Notice that Jesus made no attempt to soften what he said, no attempt to correct “misunderstandings,” for there were none. Our Lord’s listeners understood him perfectly well. They no longer thought he was speaking metaphorically. If they had, if they mistook what he said, why no correction?
On other occasions when there was confusion, Christ explained just what he meant (cf. Matt. 16:5–12). Here, where any misunderstanding would be fatal, there was no effort by Jesus to correct. Instead, he repeated himself for greater emphasis.
In John 6:60 we read: “Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’” These were his disciples, people used to his remarkable ways. He warned them not to think carnally, but spiritually: “It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63; cf. 1 Cor. 2:12–14).
But he knew some did not believe. (It is here, in the rejection of the Eucharist, that Judas fell away; look at John 6:64.) “After this, many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him” (John 6:66).
This is the only record we have of any of Christ’s followers forsaking him for purely doctrinal reasons. If it had all been a misunderstanding, if they erred in taking a metaphor in a literal sense, why didn’t he call them back and straighten things out? Both the Jews, who were suspicious of him, and his disciples, who had accepted everything up to this point, would have remained with him had he said he was speaking only symbolically.
But he did not correct these protesters. Twelve times he said he was the bread that came down from heaven; four times he said they would have “to eat my flesh and drink my blood.” John 6 was an extended promise of what would be instituted at the Last Supper—and it was a promise that could not be more explicit. This is why there is Catholicism and 35,000 errant brands of Christianity from Jim Jones to David Koresh and Billy Graham to Rev. Wright. Of course with varying degrees of error.
25When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
26Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
28Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
There is nothing else we can to for salvation but to believe in the One He has sent! This is the first time Jesus tells them how to have salvation.
30So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’c ”
Remember…signs are for an unbelieving generation.
32Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
Now who is the true bread Jesus is speaking of? The Jews are thinking it’s actual physical bread, but it’s not. Who gives life to the world? This is the second time Jesus is telling them how to have salvation, but they haven’t got it yet.
34“Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
35Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Jesus has reiterated that He is indeed the bread that has come down from Heaven as He noted in v32-33.
Third time He’s told them how to have salvation. Come to Christ…have faith in Him.
36But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
Fourth time Jesus has told them how to have salvation.
Believe in Him and have eternal life. Sounds a lot like John 3:16.
Verse 39 is also a great promise from Jesus…that if we have faith in Him He will not lose any given to Him. Our salvation is secure through Christ.
Do you get hungry or thirsty? Jesus said whoever comes to Him will never go hungry or be thirsty. This can’t be what He’s talking about because we know His disciples ate and drank. He had just finished feeding 5,000 people a few verses earlier?
So I think we have to agree it’s not physical hunger or thirst He’s referring to here. It’s spiritual hunger. Jesus is using a metaphor of bread to illustrate that if we place our faith and trust in Him we will never be spiritually hungry.
41At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
Jesus has now made it clear He is the bread. In the Greek, I am it is written as εγω ειμι. When the personal pronoun is used with the verb it is making an emphatic statement where Jesus is really emphasizing that HE IS, the bread that came down from Heaven. There can be no question as to who He is referring to in this usage.
43“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’d Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
v47….Fifth time Jesus has told them how to have salvation. The one who believes has eternal life.
Jesus has just explained Who He is and how one can live eternally. That is noted in verse 47. One has to believe in Him. Nothing else can save you except faith in Christ. He also makes it clear that their ancestors ate actual food and died. They died two ways…spiritually and physically because some did not believe.
If we “eat” the bread of life, that is have faith in Christ, we will not die. He is clearly illustrating that physical bread will not save you, but the spiritual bread He offers will….through faith in Him. Nothing else.
52Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57Just 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. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
The English translation of real in v57 doesn’t capture the meaning of the Greek. Strong’s Concordance notes the definition to be: unconcealed, true, true in fact, worthy of credit, truthful.
Word Helps notes the following: stresses undeniable reality when something is fully tested, i.e. it will ultimately be shown to be fact (authentic).]
The faith we have in Jesus will be shown to be true at the resurrection. He has told the audience, and us, five times very clearly how to have salvation…believe in Him. When He says something this many times and this clearly, I think we should all take note.
60Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?”
What is the difficult statement? v53-58. Some of the disciples still don’t get it. Jesus is the way to salvation. He is the bread of life.
61But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? 62“What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? 63“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
Jesus now directly confronts the disciples by telling them some don’t believe. We know He is capable of this from other encounters Jesus had with the Pharisees. Keep in mind He has just told everyone listening five separate times how to have eternal life. Faith in Him. He has told them He is the bread of life and He has come down from Heaven.
64“But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 65And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”
66As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.
Now we know why many walked away. He confronted them with their unbelief.
The rich young ruler did the same thing. He wouldn’t place his faith in Jesus and the Bible records the rich young ruler walked away. How many other people have done the same thing when confronted about their unbelief in Him?
That’s what this passage is really about.
Do you believe in Jesus for your salvation as Jesus noted five separate times in this encounter?
Do you believe He is the bread of life from Heaven?
Do you believe He is the way, the truth and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him?
My prayer is that anyone reading this answers the call Jesus offers: For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son...that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but shall have eternal life.
67So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” 68Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 69“We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” 70Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” 71Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.
That is proof that Jesus was drawing an analogy ... exactly like his "I am the door, I am the good shepherd, I am the vine ... "