53 So Jesus said to them: "Most assuredly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of the Man and drink His blood, you do not have Life within yourselves. 54 Whoever chews*The verb here is different from the "eat" in verse 53. The verb here would typically be used of a cow munching fodder, but fodder is usually crunchy, so the munching is noisy. Because "munch" suggests noise, I have rendered "chew". In verse 56 chewing is linked to abiding, something we need to do every day. my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,*The Roman Church takes this literally when they claim that during their Mass the priest actually converts the elements into flesh and blood (transubstantiation). But since John repeatedly records that it is by believing into Jesus, or His name, that one receives eternal life, then we should understand the eating and drinking here as metaphoric. and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 Really, my flesh is genuine food and my blood is genuine drink. 56 Whoever chews my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him.*This reciprocal abiding takes place in the spiritual realm. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds*This is the same verb rendered "chew" above. on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down out of Heaven. Whoever feeds on this bread of mine will live forever (in contrast to your fathers who ate the manna and died)."*Many of those who died in the wilderness died in rebellion against God, so the "died" here may refer to spiritual death as well.