John 6:51

He continues, “I am the living bread sent from heaven.  Anyone who eats this bread will live forever.  This bread from heaven is my body—the body I will surrender in exchange for the life of this world.”  John 6:51 EFP

Jesus does more than reiterate his previous claim he is the bread sent from above.  He not only couples this directly with his previous claim he is the one sent to give life to this world, but he introduces the concept of his willing sacrifice on behalf of humanity.  He establishes the connection between the life-giving work for which he was sent by God and the means by which he is going to accomplish this work.

There is not only a direct connection made between his previous statements regarding believing and living forever, but now he introduces the concept of eating this bread—his body, in order to enter into eternal life.  So now the question is, “What does he mean by eating this bread of life, which is in actuality his flesh?”  No doubt the people listening to him were asking the same questions. 

Two concepts are sinking in with me.  Number one:  I want to eat this bread.  How do I get it?  Where is it?  How do I eat it when I get my hands on some?  Secondly, I get a strong sense that Jesus is the one initiating this exchange, and I am the winner in this exchange.  He surrenders first—his life, in fact.  I get life, which in exchange I surrender back.  Lord, teach me how this works.  I need this exchange to take place daily!