I’d sure like to know what it tasted like.

Manna, that is.

In the ancient Writings of the Old Testament, it’s recorded as being “…like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey.” [Exod. 16:31 ]  Anything that spikes my blood sugar like that should be at the top of the grocery list.

But some people just can’t get enough of a good thing.  In the gospel account of John, he records that a crowd was following Jesus Christ around.

And for good reason.

The previous day, He’d performed a miracle with which this Jewish culture could readily identify, based on the stories and written record they’d heard or read about over many generations. After thanking His Father, He provided what was necessary to feed some five-thousand hungry men from two fish and five loaves of bread.

It was a miracle from Heaven, just like the manna was.  They were obviously convinced He was the Messiah of Jewish prophecy who’d just demonstrated that they’d have a chicken in every pot forever. [Jn. 6:14]  They weren’t about to let Him out of their sight.

So one can only imagine their jaws dropping when He suggested that they were following Him around just to keep their bellies full:

“Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” [Jn. 6:26-27] [my emphasis]

Work?  What kind of work?

“Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God:  That you would believe in Him whom He has sent.” [Jn. 6:29]  [my emphasis]

The Jews who were hearing this were the Lord’s chosen people of that time, in the same sense as the redeemed or “saved,” are today under the New Covenant.  But just as is sometimes the case today, belief was probably something that was assumed or validated on the basis of a label.

[How is being “saved” today relevant to ancient Israel being “chosen?”  see: Are You Stuck in Egypt? see also: Different fruit, same good news.]

They were God’s people, and that was sufficient in itself.  However, some of them were getting their feathers ruffled because He said that He was “…the bread that came down from heaven:”

“So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.  The one feeding on My flesh and drinking My blood possesses eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day.  For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.  The one feeding on My flesh and drinking My blood remains in Me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who is feeding on Me, he also shall live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; the one feeding on this bread will live in the age.”  [Jn. 6:53-58]    [my emphasis]

[What does it really mean to possess eternal life? see: The Precious Pearl of Life.]

This scope of this article isn’t to draw attention to any shortcomings of the Jewish culture. On the other hand, it seems to me that the ideas of “feeding on His flesh” and “drinking His blood” define the essence of genuine relational intimacy with Him, relentless submission to Him, and profound emulation of Him.

I eat to maintain life.  What I consume determines whether or not I’m able to sustain my life.  At some point, I’ll eventually exhibit the cumulative effects of my diet in appearance, thoughts and actions.

What will I look like?  How will I act? Who will I resemble?