John Calvin Commentary John 6:55

"For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed." — John 6:55 (ASV)

For my flesh is truly food. He confirms the same statement with other words: As the body is weakened and consumed by the lack of food, so the soul, if it is not fed with heavenly bread, will soon perish with hunger. For when he declares that his flesh is truly food, he means that souls are famished if they lack that food.

Only then will you find life in Christ, when you seek the nourishment of life in his flesh. Thus we ought to boast, with Paul, that we consider nothing to be excellent but Christ crucified. This is because as soon as we depart from the sacrifice of his death, we meet with nothing but death. Nor is there any other road that conducts us to a perception of his Divine power than through his death and resurrection.

Embrace Christ, therefore, as the Servant of the Father (Isaiah 42:1), that he may show himself to you to be the Prince of life (Acts 3:15). For when he emptied himself (Philippians 2:7), in this manner we were enriched with an abundance of all blessings. His humiliation and descent into hell raised us to heaven, and by enduring the curse of his cross, he erected the banner of our righteousness as a splendid memorial of his victory.

Consequently, they are false interpreters of the mystery of the Lord’s Supper who draw away souls from the flesh of Christ.

And my blood is truly drink. But why does Christ mention his blood separately, when it is included in the word flesh? I reply, he did so in condescension to our weakness.

For when he expressly mentions food and drink, he declares that the life which he bestows is complete in every respect. This is so that we do not imagine a life that is only half or imperfect. It is as if he had said that we will lack nothing that belongs to life, provided that we eat his flesh and drink his blood.

Thus also in the Lord’s Supper, which corresponds to this doctrine, not satisfied with the symbol of the bread, he also adds the cup. He does this so that, having in him a twofold pledge, we may learn to be satisfied with him alone. For a person will never find a part of life in Christ until he has entire and complete life in him.