The Thursday after Laetare Sunday
Posted on April 3, 2025 by under
Scripture: St. John 6:52-59 (NKJV)
6:52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
53 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. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.
Devotion
Jesus’ statement that “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” is not a direct reference to the Lord’s Supper. Neither does this statement deny or detract from the importance of the Sacrament. The Scriptures clearly do declare we are to eat and drink His body and blood in the Sacrament of the Holy Supper, which delivers eternal life and the forgiveness of our sins. In this discourse Jesus is emphasizing faith in response to His testimony.
Jesus speaks of faith’s appropriation of Himself as God’s appointed sacrifice, as the Lamb of God sacrificed for the sins of the world. While this text has been expounded upon by the sainted Martin Luther along these lines, it must be understood within the context of Luther’s greater understanding and appreciation of the true body and blood of Jesus Christ present through the mystical union of bread and His body, as well as wine and His blood, in Holy Communion. Only through the faithful acceptance of this reality is salvation received.
We can rejoice in the richness of both of these images of Christ’s flesh and blood that the New Testament Church has understood throughout her history. Unfortunately, like as in our text, many today who wish to be called Christ’s disciples vehemently deny His Words regarding the Sacraments, as well as His true identity.
Collect: Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of Thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Season of Lent
Almighty and Everlasting God, Who hatest nothing that Thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
