Sadler On John 6: 56 — 58
"He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." In this verse we have the first instance of that remarkable language which reappears in the latter part of the Gospel, and is dominant throughout St. Paul's Epistles, that there is, or can be, a mutual indwelling between Christ and the Christian; Christ in the believer, and the believer in Christ. This is here first said by way of promise. But in chapter 15 it is declared to be in fulfilment, "I am the true vine, ye are the branches," He that abideth in me and I in him," &c. The apostles in the latter chapters of this Gospel are repeatedly said to be "in Christ," and have to "abide in him". Now it is to be noticed that they are never said to be "in Christ" till they have received at His Hands the Sacrament of His Body and Blood, for their being "in" Christ is first said of the apostles in chap. 15, just after they had received it.
Again, the same truth is so constantly set forth in St. Paul's Epistles, that to be "in" Christ may not unfitly be described as the characteristic phrase of the Apostle. All the Christians to whom he writes are assumed to be "in Christ." But what is the pledge of this? The Apostle distinctly tells us that the means or pledge is sacramental. "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the Blood of Christ? the bread which we break, is it not the communion of the Body of Christ? For we being many are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread." (1 Cor 10: l6 — 17.) How can the partaking of one bread [or, rather one loaf] make men in all parts of the earth one body, for the bread of each assembly is different, not only made of different grains, but sometimes of different sorts of grain? Only because it is not mere bread, but has an Inward Part which is always the same everywhere, being the Body of the Lord.
"As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father:
so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me." The true and faithful feeder on Christ lives morally, spiritually, and eternally by the Life of God Himself, the fountain of all life. For the Son lives by the Life communicated to Him by the Father, and he who effectually partakes of Christ, lives by the same life communicated to Him through the Flesh and Blood of the Son.
"This is that bread which came down from heaven…..live for ever." The Lord ends with an assertion which binds the whole discourse together as having one meaning, and referring to one thing. "The bread which cometh down from heaven (v. 33), which is infinitely above that which "your fathers" did eat (v. 32), which will endue the eater with such life that he will live for ever, is that which I have in Myself, in My Flesh and Blood, set before you.
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