Scripture says THIS about the Eucharist:
John 6: [48] I am the bread of life.
[49] Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
[50] This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die.
[51] 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.”
[52]The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
[53] So Jesus said to them, “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;
[54] he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. (The Greek word here for “eats” means to “munch on”, or to “gnaw on.”)
[55] For my flesh is REAL FOOD, and my blood is REAL DRINK.(Notice how Jesus says the Eucharist is REAL FOOD and REAL DRINK, not symbolic food and drink!)
[56] He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
[57] As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.
[58] This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.”
Many of his disciples left him over this, because they knew that he wasn’t speaking metaphorically, but literally. We know from Mark 4:34 that Jesus explained all of His parables to His disciples, but yet here they are leaving him after this speech about the Eucharist. The only conclusion logical people can draw is that THIS IS NO PARABLE!
And we have the words recorded from the successors to the apostles, like Ignatius, a martyr in the Colisseum of Rome who was taught by St. John the Apostle, which prove that Jesus wasn’t talking in “symbolic” terms!
St. Ignatius of Antioch (110 A.D.)
I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the Bread of God, WHICH IS THE FLESH OF JESUS CHRIST, who was of the seed of David; and for drink I DESIRE HIS BLOOD, which is love incorruptible. (Letter to the Romans 7:3)
Take care, then, to use one Eucharist, so that whatever you do, you do according to God: FOR THERE IS ONE FLESH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, and one cup IN THE UNION OF HIS BLOOD; one ALTAR, as there is one bishop with the presbytery… (Letter to the Philadelphians 4:1)
They [i.e. the Gnostics] abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not confess that THE EUCHARIST IS THE FLESH OF OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, flesh which suffered for our sins and which the Father, in his goodness, raised up again. (Letter to Smyrnians 7:1)
I realize Catholics want to tell me from that passage in John 6 that Catholics drink and eat the truly. really, substantially present body, blood, SOUL and DIVINITY of Jesus The Christ in order that Catholics have God's Life in them. These same Catholics will tell you that this Life can leave a Catholic and must be re-inserted/ re-applied/ re-justified/ re-sanctified by the Sacrament of the Catholic 'continuous sacrifice of the victim, eating His body, blood, SOUL and DIVINTY again in order to be bound for Heaven once again.
What did Paul tell the Corinthians in the above passage? Do you think maybe Paul had a clearer line to The Christ, if nothing else a more recent link to the actual events Jesus instituted int he Upper Room Seder ceremony?
26 As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." 27 He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, "All of you drink it, 28 for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's Kingdom."
Mark 24
22 As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had blessed, he broke it, and gave to them, and said, "Take, eat. This is my body." 23 He took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave to them. They all drank of it. 24 He said to them, "This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Most certainly I tell you, I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it anew in the Kingdom of God."
Luke 22
14 When the hour had come, he sat down with the twelve apostles. 15 He said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, 16 for I tell you, I will no longer by any means eat of it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God." 17 He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, "Take this, and share it among yourselves, 18 for I tell you, I will not drink at all again from the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God comes." 19 He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me." 20 Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Can you see ANYTHING that those three renderings from Disicples have in common? I'm sure hopin' you can. I suspect too many Catholcs will however not see what they see so that they can go on following the Roman Catholic Church instead of The Lord Jesus Christ.
The second cup of wine is not mentioned in the gospels. It is the cup of plagues, drunk after the Passover story is told but before the meal.
At the point where bitter herbs are eaten, Jesus revealed that He would be betrayed by Judas: “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with Me will betray Me” [Matthew 26:20-25].
The third cup of wine is the cup of redemption. This is where Jesus announced the new covenant, for the forgiveness of sins [Matthew 26:27-28].
He did not drink the fourth cup of wine – the cup of completion. (He poured it out, Luke 22:20) He said that He will drink that cup with us in heaven [Matthew 26:29] at the marriage supper of the Lamb.
You forgot to include John 6:63 where Jesus Himself explains what He meant.
John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.