.
● John 6:53 . . Jesus said: "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the
flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you."
● John 6:54 . . .Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,
● John 6:50-51a . . This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a
man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down
from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever.
FAQ: Does any of the above apply to Old Testament personages, e.g. Able, Noah,
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joshua. Ruth, Gideon, Samson, and David, et al?
A: Yes; all of them.
FAQ: How do you know that?
A: Jesus' crucifixion benefits the whole world rather than only a portion of
the world.
● John 6:51b . . the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.
● 1John 2:2 . . He himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours
only, but also for the whole world.
● John 1:29 . . Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
FAQ: Did they even know about Jesus back then?
A: Abraham knew.
● John 8:56 . . Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.
Jacob knew.
● Gen 49:18 . .I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord
Isaiah knew.
● Isa 52:14 . .There were many who were appalled at him-- his appearance
was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond
human likeness
● Isa 53:6 . .We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his
own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Others among the prophets knew too.
● 1Pet 1:10-11 . . Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched
diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in
them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and
the glory that should follow.
David knew.
● Ps 16:10 . .You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy
One see decay. (cf. Acts 2:25-36)
FAQ: Well, if there was no such thing as a communion service until Jesus'
last supper, then how did those people back there eat his flesh and drink his
blood?
A: Hook, line, and sinker; if you get my drift. For example:
Many years ago, when I was a young welder just starting out in the trade, a
Baptist man employed by the same company for whom I worked; asked me
if I was going to heaven. Of course I replied that I didn't know: I was a
Catholic, and Catholics don't know things like that. Then he asked me the
question that put my life on a whole new track: Haven't you heard that
Christ died for you?
Of course I had heard of Christ's crucifixion in catechism, but not till that
moment did I realize it was so personal, and especially; so complete.
Coincidentally, I had only recently been doing some serious thinking about
hell. The way I figured it; this kid would never be good enough to merit
going to heaven, so hell was pretty much a foregone conclusion for the likes
of me. But the very moment that man's question sank into my thick skull; I
instantly knew that heaven was in the bag. I had swallowed the story about
the offering of Jesus' flesh and blood for my sins hook, line, and sinker.
Some may call me naïve for so easily buying into Jesus' dying for my sins,
but I don't feel naïve; no, I feel very fortunate.
● Mark 10:15 . . I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom
of God like a little child will never enter it.
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