John 6:53 kjv
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
John 6:53 nkjv
Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
John 6:53 niv
Jesus 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.
John 6:53 esv
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.
John 6:53 nlt
So Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you.
John 6 53 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 6:54 | "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." | Eternal Life and Resurrection |
| John 6:47 | "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life." | Faith and Eternal Life |
| 1 Cor 11:24 | "and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”" | Lord's Supper Command |
| 1 Cor 11:25 | "In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”" | New Covenant in Blood |
| 1 Cor 10:16 | "Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?" | Participation in Christ |
| 1 Cor 11:27 | "So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord." | Worthy Participation |
| 1 Cor 11:29 | "For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on themselves." | Recognizing the Body |
| Gal 2:20 | "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And that life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." | Union with Christ's Death |
| Rom 6:3 | "Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?" | Baptism into Christ's Death |
| John 14:6 | "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”" | Jesus as the Source of Life |
| John 15:4 | "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." | Abiding in Christ |
| 1 John 5:12 | "Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." | Possessing the Son = Life |
| Matt 26:26 | "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”" | Bread as Body (Synoptic) |
| Mark 14:22 | "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “Take; this is my body.”" | Bread as Body (Synoptic) |
| Luke 22:19 | "And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”" | Bread as Body (Synoptic) |
| John 3:16 | "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." | God's Gift of His Son |
| Ps 22:6 | "But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people." | Foreshadowing Suffering |
| Isa 53:5 | "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." | Atoning Sacrifice |
| Rev 21:4 | "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”" | Future Life with God |
| Acts 2:38 | "Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." | Repentance and Forgiveness |
John 6 verses
John 6 53 Meaning
This verse, a direct quote from Jesus, emphasizes the necessity of partaking in His flesh and blood for eternal life. It is not a suggestion, but a requirement presented with strong assertions. The action described is central to Christian practice and belief, signifying spiritual sustenance and union with Christ.
John 6 53 Context
This verse appears in the midst of Jesus' discourse following the miraculous feeding of the five thousand. The crowd, having been physically fed, sought Jesus for more physical bread, failing to grasp the spiritual nourishment He offered. Jesus rebukes their superficiality, highlighting the eternal nature of His flesh and blood as the true sustenance. This teaching caused significant division among His followers, leading many to abandon Him due to its profound and challenging nature. The verse's placement underscores Jesus' core message about His identity and the means by which eternal life is obtained – through a personal and abiding relationship with Him, symbolized by partaking in His sacrificial offering.
John 6 53 Word Analysis
- "Truly" (Ἀμὴν, amen): An adverb of affirmation, emphasizing the certainty and reliability of what follows. It is often used by Jesus as an introductory phrase for His most solemn declarations, translated as "verily" or "truly."
- "Truly" (λέγω, lego): The verb "to say."
- "to you" (ὑμῖν, humin): The second person plural pronoun. Jesus is addressing the crowd, and by extension, all who would hear His words.
- "If" (ἐὰν, ean): A conditional particle, introducing a hypothetical or potential circumstance.
- "you" (ὑμεῖς, humeis): Second person plural pronoun.
- "do not" (μὴ, me): Negating particle.
- "eat" (ἔσθιετε, esthiete): Present tense, active voice, indicative mood verb. Refers to the act of consuming. It carries a strong implication of ongoing participation, not a one-time event.
- "the" (τοῦ, tou): Definite article.
- "flesh" (σαρκός, sarkos): Genitive singular of σάρξ (sarx), meaning "flesh" or "body." In a theological context, it signifies Jesus' physical human body, His earthly existence, and the sacrifice He made. It also connects to the concept of His incarnate humanity.
- "of the" (τοῦ, tou): Definite article.
- "Son" (Υἱοῦ, Huiou): Genitive singular of Υἱός (Huios), meaning "Son." Refers to Jesus as the Son of God.
- "of Man" (ἀνθρώπου, anthropou): Genitive singular of ἄνθρωπος (anthropos), meaning "man" or "human." Combined with "Son," "Son of Man" is a Messianic title Jesus often used, emphasizing both His humanity and His divine authority.
- "and" (καὶ, kai): Conjunction.
- "drink" (πίνητε, pinēte): Present tense, active voice, indicative mood verb. Refers to the act of consuming a liquid.
- "His" (αὐτοῦ, autou): Possessive pronoun, genitive case.
- "blood" (αἵματος, haimatos): Genitive singular of αἷμα (haima), meaning "blood." Symbolizes the life poured out in sacrifice for the atonement of sins.
Words-Group Analysis
- "eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood": This phrase is not meant to be interpreted literally as cannibalism or drinking literal blood, which would be abhorrent in Jewish law and custom. Instead, it signifies a deep, spiritual participation and appropriation of Jesus' life, death, and sacrificial work. The emphasis is on the reality and efficacy of His incarnate life and atoning death for believers. The present tense of the verbs implies an ongoing, continuous engagement with what Jesus offers.
John 6 53 Bonus Section
The discourse in John 6, including this verse, has been a significant point of theological discussion regarding the nature of the Eucharist or Holy Communion. While some traditions interpret this as a literal or substantially present transformation of bread and wine into Christ's body and blood (e.g., Catholic transubstantiation, Lutheran consubstantiation), others understand it symbolically or spiritually, emphasizing the faithful reception by the believer through the power of the Holy Spirit. The historical context is crucial: Jesus was speaking to a Jewish audience for whom the shedding and consumption of blood was strictly forbidden. Therefore, His words carried immense weight and deliberately challenged their understanding of life and sustenance. The connection to the Passover Lamb, whose blood protected Israel, is implicitly present, pointing to Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice whose blood grants eternal life.
John 6 53 Commentary
Jesus unequivocally states that consuming His flesh and drinking His blood is essential for eternal life. This teaching, delivered at the Feeding of the Five Thousand, contrasts physical sustenance with the spiritual life that Jesus provides. It speaks to an intimate union and reliance on Christ. Partaking in His flesh and blood is to embrace His sacrificial death, allowing His life and redemptive work to become a part of the believer's spiritual being. This is not merely a ritual but a profound internal reception of Christ's life, mediated through faith. The strong assertion highlights that salvation and eternal life are intrinsically linked to this act of spiritual consumption of Jesus. It necessitates a rejection of lesser, temporal provisions in favor of the eternal life offered by Christ.