Hi there,
So this is something that confused me for a long time, not in a big way, but in a "wish I knew what that meant" kind of way. That is, "eating Jesus' flesh and drinking His blood". In the same way that being the 'Door' does not make Jesus a frame made of wood, there is a way to understand what Jesus is saying without having to forget what He said. Jesus is not even saying 'when I become the Door, then enter', He is saying "I am always open to the conviction of the Holy Spirit". This applies to flesh and blood.
So what is His flesh and blood actually, why would we want to eat and drink it? Jesus' flesh is Word and His blood is Spirit. He is saying "You need to have my word on the inside of you; My spirit has to be able to move in you". This has tremendous implications - in other words we cannot simply read His word and forget it, we cannot simply meditate on knowing God, but nothing changes. It is an actual thing! What "Word" do we remember now? ("I and My Father are One"?) In what way is the Spirit moving in us? Towards conviction? These things require mulling over!
Just as we do not want to forget the Word, so we don't want to break the Spirit. There is power in trusting Jesus, there is supernatural ability in following His ways. This is a muscle we have to grow, first the Word of the flesh then the muscle; This is a conviction we need to be sensitive to, first the blood that is Spirit, then the conviction. We should be reminded of Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones - they can put on flesh! They can become living! This is something we can share and wait for - that everyone with us would have Word, and Spirit.
Thus when we lay down our lives we have spiritual flesh - words we can speak - and spiritual blood - the Holy Spirit that we can follow - that will sustain us into eternity. How great is that? In the meantime, we can speak strength to others, hope to the believing and turn our lives in this life, completely around. Our testimony to Christ become our clothes and our works for His Name become our crown. All this, when we are lifted up as Christ was, draws people to Us and our God in Him. Imagine then the smell and taste God gives Jesus' flesh and blood, when it is for us and coming to us!
I hope this has been of some encouragement.
God bless.
So this is something that confused me for a long time, not in a big way, but in a "wish I knew what that meant" kind of way. That is, "eating Jesus' flesh and drinking His blood". In the same way that being the 'Door' does not make Jesus a frame made of wood, there is a way to understand what Jesus is saying without having to forget what He said. Jesus is not even saying 'when I become the Door, then enter', He is saying "I am always open to the conviction of the Holy Spirit". This applies to flesh and blood.
So what is His flesh and blood actually, why would we want to eat and drink it? Jesus' flesh is Word and His blood is Spirit. He is saying "You need to have my word on the inside of you; My spirit has to be able to move in you". This has tremendous implications - in other words we cannot simply read His word and forget it, we cannot simply meditate on knowing God, but nothing changes. It is an actual thing! What "Word" do we remember now? ("I and My Father are One"?) In what way is the Spirit moving in us? Towards conviction? These things require mulling over!
Just as we do not want to forget the Word, so we don't want to break the Spirit. There is power in trusting Jesus, there is supernatural ability in following His ways. This is a muscle we have to grow, first the Word of the flesh then the muscle; This is a conviction we need to be sensitive to, first the blood that is Spirit, then the conviction. We should be reminded of Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones - they can put on flesh! They can become living! This is something we can share and wait for - that everyone with us would have Word, and Spirit.
Thus when we lay down our lives we have spiritual flesh - words we can speak - and spiritual blood - the Holy Spirit that we can follow - that will sustain us into eternity. How great is that? In the meantime, we can speak strength to others, hope to the believing and turn our lives in this life, completely around. Our testimony to Christ become our clothes and our works for His Name become our crown. All this, when we are lifted up as Christ was, draws people to Us and our God in Him. Imagine then the smell and taste God gives Jesus' flesh and blood, when it is for us and coming to us!
I hope this has been of some encouragement.
God bless.
