Obviously, the passage from John that Dr. Kopp quoted showed that the Jews to whom he was speaking, and some of his disciples, were stunned by his words and
60 Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?"61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, "Do you take offense at this?
62 Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before?
63 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.
64 But there are some of you that do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him.
So, basically, many disciples didn't believe Jesus' words but he didn't clarify his meaning by saying, "I meant this as a blessing" or "this is a symbol of my body" but instead reiterated His words, and many disciples left, not being about to accept His words.
To me, the Holy Eucharist is the most important and explicit and obvious Sacrament handed down from God after Baptism. Through Baptism, we die with Jesus so that we may share eternal life with Him. Through the Holy Eucharist, we share Jesus' life weekly or daily to bring us closer to Him.
God bless.
(Anyway, the Lord specifically said that He used metaphors to trip up his enemies. So, we need to be very, very careful--lest we be discovered on the wrong side!)
John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
....and He continues
Jhn 6:48 I am that bread of life.
He was telling them that He was that manna..How could that be?? That manna was sacred..a bit of it kept in the acck of the covenant..How dare this son of a carpenter claim to be the manna?
Jhn 6:49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
This is the bread of life..He is the manna...This appalled them...They that followed strict Levitical Law ..they that could not touch the dead..or eat the blood of animals..were now being told this was the way to heaven...
How can it be? Those that were not meant to understand His words walked way. The metaphor was not to be understood by all...it never was...Jesus knew when He spoke those words that only those He intended to understand would stay.
As Jesus noted later
Jhn 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? [even] because ye cannot hear my word.
2Pe 3:16 As also in all [his] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as [they do] also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction