If it is a symbol then why John 6:66? Previously when Jesus spoke figuratively he would follow up with a clarification, but then here he doubles down and many of his disciples leave because the teaching was too hard.
The Jews took the Master literally, rejecting His words as abhorent because cannibalism and drinking of blood were stricly forbidden. Do you honestly believe Christ would contradict Himself? He was the author of the Old Testament.
You've got to IGNORE Jesus' words 37 verses earlier to continue on with the Transubstantiation Theory...
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
Most of those walked away mumbling were probably slaughtered by the Romans, when Titus entered Jerusalem in 70AD and killed a million Jews there. Christians, those who took the Word of Life at His Word fled from Jerusalem while the Roman legions diddled outside the city for nine months while Vespasian returned to ROME to settle the Emperor question.
Jesus had warned them during the Olivet Discourse (Mark 13 and Matthew 24) and the earlier that day discourse in the Temple (see it in Luke 21) that when they saw the armies encamped about Jerusalem to flee the city. He went on to warn later generation to expect a much more horrible fate for mankind. But He gave Christians a hint that they were not appointed to God's Wrath and that they would be removed prior to the hour of 'testing', so they would not face the actual testing.
God has not appointed His family to suffer His wrath upon the sin-drenched earth. But He is only going to snatch away HJis family before pouring out His wrath.
Have you ever read that whole chapter ?
The bread of life discourse ended and no one left..
Jhn 6:60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard [this], said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
Jhn 6:61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
Still no one left ...So Jesus continued .....
Jhn 6:62 [What] and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
Jhn 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.
Jhn 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him
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Jhn 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
Jhn 6:66 From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
They did not like hearing that salvation had to be given them and much like the manna in the desert, it was totally a gift of the Father.
They could not do anything on their own to earn it, they only had access to it by faith ( remember the Jews could only gather enough manna for the one days meals, and for 2 days on the day before the sabbath, they had to have faith in God to provide what was necessary for their life)
. The idea that salvation was all of God and not found in law keeping was blasphemy to the law oriented Jews that felt their salvation was based on their will, their law keeping etc....
So after those left that Jesus already knew would leave.. what happened??
Did Peter ask for some of "that bread ???
No because he and the others understood what Jesus had been teaching
67 Then Jesus said to the Twelve, 'What about you, do you want to go away too?'
68Simon Peter answered, "Lord, who will we go to? You have the words of eternal life.
69 and we believe; we have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.'
Because of John 6:63 where He said that the Spirit gives life and the flesh is no help at all.