To properly be prepared to enter into John Chapter 6 and its “Bread of Life” theme, it’s important to go back to the Exodus event in the Old Testament.  In the story of the Passover (Ex 12:5), the command from God was for the Israelites to take an unblemished lamb (Ex. 12:5) “and the whole congregation of Israel shall kill the lamb in the evening then take the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel houses in which they eat them. They shall eat the flesh of the lamb that night, roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs” (Ex 12:5-8). This meant that through the eating of the lamb and the sprinkling of the blood, death would pass over the Israelites’ homes, the tenth plague of Egypt.  Notice that they had to “eat” the flesh of an unblemished lamb.  Now take this to the New Passover celebration in which Jesus gathered with His Apostles on the night of the Last Supper and transformed it by placing Himself as the sacrificial lamb, “Take, eat, this is my Body” (Mt. 26:26). Thus it is no coincidence that in the first Chapter of the Gospel of John, we hear the words of John the Baptist on seeing Jesus coming toward him, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

      John Chapter 6 begins with the one miracle that is included in all four Gospels (aside from the Resurrection), the miraculous feeding of the five thousand.  Here a multitude of people follow Jesus because of the signs and healings He performed.  With so many people and nowhere to buy food, Jesus takes five barley loaves, giving thanks, breaks the bread and distributes it among the people and the same with the two fish.  Again, there is no coincidence that this event takes place right before the Passover Feast. “Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand” (John 6:4).   The timing of this event, with the Passover nearing, is a sign of something greater to come. 

      The next day in John 6:22 we see the crowds following Jesus to Capernaum.  The discourse that follows is astounding as Jesus, knowing that the crowds followed Him because “you ate your fill of the loaves” (John 6:26), teaches them to “not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you” (John 6:27).  Following on there is a dialog regarding the manna which God the Father gave to the Israelites during their wandering in the wilderness.  Christ replies, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world (John 6:32) …. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh (Jn 6:48-51).”

      Now we come to the heart of the mystery of the Eucharist!  Following this exchange, the Jews begin to murmur among themselves.  “How can this man give us his flesh to eat? So Jesus says 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; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.  He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live forever” (John 6:52-57).

      Notice in this exchange Jesus does not answer the Jews by clarifying His words as merely symbolic but instead emphasizes several times of the literal reality of His abiding in the bread. In fact, in verse 54 He uses the Greek word “trogo”  instead of “phago” to describe eating, which in Greek means “to gnaw on, or to chew on.”

      Further, historically speaking the command of Jesus to eat his flesh and drink his blood would have been abhorrent to the Jews during this time because the Mosaic Law forbid it (Dt 12:23).  Old Testament scholar Brant Pitre noted in his book Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, “The Jewish people were not to consume blood because ‘the life’ or ‘the soul’ (Hebrew ‘nephesh’) of the animal is in the blood. As Leviticus 17:11 states, ‘it is the blood that makes atonement, by the power of its life.’ While scholars continue to debate exactly what this means, one thing is clear: in the ancient world, the Jewish people were known for their refusal to consume blood.”  Jesus knew this and follows up not by stating that He only meant His teaching was symbolic but he helps clarify by saying, “It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken are spirit and life” (John 6:63).  In other words, the mystery of the Eucharist can only be understood by spiritual understanding, not by human. Therefore it could come as no surprise that this teaching was rejected and “after this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.” (John 6:66).  Yet, as we see Jesus then asks the twelve Apostles, “Will you also go away?” (John 6:67).  Peter famously replies with the words that usher in what would be the heart of the mystery of His Church, The Eucharist:

      “Master, to Whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

      Now we can properly understand as the Church developed in its early years, this teaching was accepted and acknowledged.