The Radical Words of Jesus - Uncovering Hermeneutical Layers in John 6,53

Abstract

“Jesus said to them, ’Very truly I tell you, unless 
you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink 
his blood, you have no life in you.’” (John 6:53). 
These words of Jesus caused deep consternation 
among his listeners, leading even some of his 
disciples to turn their backs on him. In this paper, 
we will try to unravel the hermeneutical layers of 
Jesus’s quoted statement through an exegetical 
investigation. Why, then, on the shores of the 
Sea of Galilee, did those around Jesus stumble at 
his words? Why did Jesus choose these images to 
express his message? How does the topos of bread 
coming down from heaven relate to the drinking 
of blood and life? What did those being present 
understand, and what did they not? What guides 
and escapes the attention of today’s reader when 
he encounters this passage? In this study, we will 
seek answers to these questions, while we may 
feel challenged too: do we experience the same 
stumbling block of understanding or disbelief 
when we hear Jesus’s radical words today?