DEIGN Final Thesis Perfect

MORNING STAR REGIONAL
SEMINARY
JOHANNINE THEOLOGY OF EUCHARISTAND ITS INFLUENCE

IN THE LIFE OF A BELIEVER: AN EXEGETICO-THEOLOGICAL
STUDY OF JOHN 6:25-59
A Paper Submitted In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements

For The Degree of Bachelor of Theology
Department Of Theology
Submitted By
DEIGN JOSCO JOSEPH
Reg.No: 2538
Moderator
SR DR JOHNCY SMI
Barrackpore,
Kolkata
700121
March 2024
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT…………………………………………………..Ⅳ
ABBREVIATIONS…………………………………………………………..Ⅴ
GENERAL INTRODUCTION……………………………………………....1
CHAPTER Ⅰ
JOHN 6: PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS………………................……..2
1.0 INTRODUCTION………………………………………..….…...……2
1.1 THE DELIMITATION OF THE TEXT…………………....…….….2
1.2 THE LITERARY CONTEXT OF THE TEXT……………......…….3
1.2.1 IMMEDIATE CONTEXT…………………………………..3
1.2.2 LARGER CONTEXT………………………………..………4
1.3 THE STRUCTURE OF THE TEXTUAL UNIT…………….………5
1.4 LEADING THEMES IN THE TEXT…………………………..…….5
1.4.1 JESUS AS THE BREAD OF LIFE………………………....5
1.4.2 MIRACLES AND SIGNS…………………………..……….5
1.4.3 SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL BREAD…………….……..6
1.4.4 CONTROVERSY AND OPPOSITION………………..…..6
1.4.5 THE EUCHARIST/COMMUNION…………..……………7
1.5 CONCLUSION…………………..…………………………………….7
CHAPTER Ⅱ
EXEGETICAL ANALYSIS OF JOHN 6:25-59………………………………9
2.0 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………..9
2.1 MEANING OF SON OF MAN (V.27)……………………………….9
2.2 JESUS: MANNA- BREAD
FROM HEAVEN (V.31& V.49)…………………………………….…..10
2.2.1 MANNA IN JOHN…………………………………………10
2.2.2 MANNA IN OLD TESTAMENT………………….………11
2.2.3 MANNA IN NEW TESTAMENT…………………………11
2.3 THE MYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION
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OF LOGOS (V.51A)………………………………………………12
2.4 THE MYSTERY OF THE PASSION

OF THE LAMB (V.51B)……………………………………….…12
2.4.1 JESUS AS THE LAMB OF GOD IN JOHN…….……….13
2.4.2 LAMB OF GOD IN OLD TESTAMENT…………………13
2.4.3 LAMB OF GOD IN NEW TESTAMENT………………...14
2.5 THE PARALLELISM BETWEEN FLESH AND BODY…………14
2.6 ANALOGY OF LIFE AND RELATIONSHIP IN V.57…………...15
2.7 BREAD OF LIFE…………………………………………………….15
2.7.1 THE PARALLELISM IN V.50 AND V.51……………….16
2.7.2 EGO EIMI (V.35 & V.48)………………………………….17
2.8 THE EUCHARISTIC COMMUNION (V.52-59)…………………..17
2.8.1 ABIDING IN JESUS……………………………………….18
2.9 CONCLUSION……………………………………………………….19
CHAPTER Ⅲ
SIGNIFICANCE OF BREAD IN THE LIFE OF A BELIEVER…………..20
3.0 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………20
3.1 EUCHARISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF JOHN 6………………..20
3.2 THEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE EUCHARIST….….22
3.2.1 REDUCES THE EFFECT OF SIN………………………..22
3.2.2 GUARANTEES REDEMPTION………………………….23
3.2.3 LEADS TO COMMUNION AND UNITY…..……………24
3.2.4 NOURISHES GRACE ORIENTED EXISTENCE………24
3.2.5 INSPIRES TO SHARE…………………………………….25
3.2.6 HELPS TO EXPERIENCE THE KINGDOM OF GOD...26
3.2.7 A CALL TO BREAK AND SHED ONE’S BEING………26
3.2.8 TRANSFORMATIVE ACTION…………………………..27
3.2.9 EMPOWERS THE MISSION…………………………….28
3.2.10 OPENS HEAVEN…………………………………………28
3.3 PASTORAL IMPLICATIONS OF JOHN 6………………………..29
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3.4 RELEVANCE OF EUCHARIST IN THE MODERN WORLD….30
3.5 CONCLUSION……………………………………………………….31
GENERAL CONCLUSION…………………………………………………...33
BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………...35
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
As I begin this thesis, I left my heart up to the highest heavens in gratitude to the Lord
Almighty. This dissertation titled Johannine Theology of Eucharistand its Influence in the Life
of a Believer: An Exegetico-Theological Study of John 6:25-59 is a product of collective
thinking and working with the kind guidance and support of a number of people. Firstly I
express my profound gratitude to Rev. Sr. Johncy SMI my guide and teacher, whose constant
support, assistance, advises, timely interventions and corrections that helped me to accomplish
this work in a satisfying manner.
I am forever grateful to Rev Dr George Panthanmackal, the Rector of Morning Star

Regional Seminary, Rev. Dr Henry Jose Kodikuthiyil MSFS, the Dean of Theology Department
and all professors for extending me an opportunity to pursue my studies in this esteemed
institution. I express my heartfelt gratitude for their kindness and wise advice in assisting to
complete my thesis. I also avail this opportunity to give gratitude to the librarian of the our
Seminary, Rev. Fr Ramen Pailan for providing me with all the source books for references and
making the study more valuable and comfortable.
My sincere thanks also go to the faculty representatives, the Librarians,the Photostat in-
charges, the students of Third Year Theology and other brothersin the seminary, whose constant
encouragement, companionship and help provided me with the much-needed support.
Bro. Deign Josco Joseph

Reg No: 2538
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ABBREVIATIONS
AB The Anchor Bible

BNTC Black’s New Testament Commentaries
CCC Catechism of the Catholic Church
JBC The Journal of Biblical Counseling
NAC The New American Commentary
NIB The New Interpreter’s Bible
WBC Word Biblical Commentary
v
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
The topic which I have taken for the dissertation is titled Johannine Theology of Eucharist
and its Influence and Challenges in the Life of a Believer: An Exegetic- Theological Study of
John 6. The faith in the Eucharist is the central point in the life of a believer, and there is no life
of faith excluding the Eucharist for a catholic. The right understanding of the Eucharist has
always been a barrier in Christian theology and practice. As of the past, this is still not
understood by the people that many find it difficult to follow. This thesis looks into the areas
that the Eucharist opens before the believer, the commitment that one should give to the
teachings of Christ. The call of Christ is clear and definite in this Gospel passage and now the
response of the believer is to be looked into. The main objective of this study is to know how
Eucharistic theme is presented in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John and its implications in
the life of the believer.
Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the Eucharist is the source and summit of
the Christian life. Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that Eucharist is the source of our
union together as the People of God, and it is that thing which keeps the Church. This study
focuses on the question of implications and challenges that Eucharist puts before the faithful.
How one should form one’s life in accordance with the Eucharistic teaching of Christ in John
6: 1-71? This question becomes relevant in a world where the importance of Eucharist is being
questioned. Therefore, it is better to analyze these changes and shifts in focus of the Eucharistic
theme in John’s Gospel, to understand John’s distinctive contribution to the understanding of
the Eucharist and communal celebration of it and the implications does it have for readers today
This dissertation is divided into three parts. The method of study will differ from chapter
to chapter and the first chapter will include the preliminary observations of the text. It
concentrates on the delimitation, context, structure and the leading themes in John 6. The
second chapter will be an exegetical analysis of the bread of life discourse, where we would see
the saying “I am the bread of life” in the light of the Eucharist. In this chapter we analyze
exegetically the key terminologies in the Bread of Life discourse of John such as the incarnation
of Logos, passion of the Lamb of God, ascension of the Son of God and other key terms. The
third chapter will consider the theological investigations on the challenges and implications that
the Eucharist raises in the ecclesial and eschatological life of the believer. It also explains the
theological and pastoral applications.
1
CHAPTER 1
PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The Johannine presentation of the Eucharist has been a topic of lively discussion among
New Testament scholars throughout the ages. Xaviour Leon- Dufour points out that the early
church preserved the Eucharistic traditions in two forms: the cultic form (liturgical account)
and the testamentary form (farewell meal). He states that John’s gospel contains an important
Eucharistic tradition and in the testamentary form.1 Unlike the synoptic tradition, John did not
make any reference to the institution of the Eucharist, but he uses Eucharistic vocabulary,
symbols, and categories. It is interesting that John dissociates his teaching on the Eucharist from
the traditional setting of the Last Supper and associates it with the multiplication of the bread
and feeding of the multitude.2 This chapter begins firstly with the delimitation of the textual
unit, secondly with the literary context and then leads to the structure and main themes in the
text.
1.1 THE DELIMITATION OF THE TEXT
In the context of biblical studies, the term "delimitation" refers to the process of defining
the boundaries or limits of a particular passage of text. In the case of John Gospel chapter 6,
verses 25-59, delimitation involves identifying where this passage begins and ends, both in
terms of the narrative structure and the thematic content. John’s Gospel chapter 6, verses 25-
59, is a significant passage often referred to as the "Bread of Life Discourse”. 3 ‘All those the
Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away’. Jesus in
his words in this passage is trying to re-shape their image of God. Then Jesus declared, “I am
the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will
never be thirsty”. The Eucharistic teaching of John is found principally in chapter six, where
the evangelist records the episode of the multiplication of the loaves and follows with the long
discourse of Jesus on the bread of life.4 Thematically it presents us with Jesus ‘revelation of
himself as the bread of life. This idea is systematically developed. The great sign of the feeding
1
Xaviour Leon Dufour, Sharing the Eucharistic Bread: The Witness of the New Testament (New York:
Paulist Press,1982), 82-95.
2
Rekha M. Chennattu, “Break the Word and Build the Community: Reflections on the Eucharist in John’s
Gospel”. AsianChristian Review, vol.1, no.2, (2007): 45
3
Jerome Kodell, The Eucharist in the New Testament (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1988), 118.
4
Kodell, The Eucharist in the New Testament, 121-122.
2
comes first (vv1-15), and its meaning is disclosed by Jesus’ address on the following day (vv25-
59).5
The first part of the discourse (vv32-48) is a Midrashic paraphrase on the words of
Scripture, ‘He gave them bread from heaven.’ The latter part (vv49-58) continues to use the
expressions plundered from ‘He gave them bread from heaven’ but devotes particular attention
to a Midrashic commentary on the words ‘to eat’.” 6 It does not begin in verse 32 nor does a
new beginning in verse 49. The shape is determined by the question-and- answer rhythm. Jesus
instructs the multitude on the necessity to look for the food that endures to eternal life in
response to the trivial question, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ (v25). The discourse unfolds
around such questions and answers and each section develops a new thought around the single
theme of the bread from heaven.7
1.2 THE LITERARY CONTEXT OF CHAPTER 6
The Synoptic Gospels and Gospel of John are different in terms of style, subject matter,
and theological emphasis. The gospel presents an extended narrative that includes Jesus’
miracles, teachings, and interactions with many people and groups and John 6 is a portion of
that larger narrative.
1.2.1 IMMEDIATE CONTEXT OF CHAPTER 6
The immediate context of John 6 refers to the events, teachings and discussions that take
place in the sixth chapter. The multiplication of loaves of bread was a very significant miracle
in the gospel tradition and in the church. This is the only miracle that is recorded by all the
evangelists Mat 14:13-21; Mk 6:30-44; Lk 9:10-17; Jn 6:1-14. The crowd is coming to Jesus
(6:5) and Jesus feeds them. In Synoptic gospels, the crowd was there already. The blessing over
the bread reminds the reader of Eucharistic blessing. Mention of barley (6:13) is found only in
the Fourth gospel. According to Didache, the Eucharistic bread was made of barley. The request
to “gather up the loaves that nothing may be lost” (6:12) is another Johannine theological
concern. The Greek word Καλαμάτα meaning “fragments” was a technical term in the early
church for the Eucharistic fragments. Didache asks to gather up the fragments of the Eucharistic
bread.8
5
Rudolf Schnackenburg, The Gospel According to St John, vol. 2 (London: Burns& Oates, 1980), 10.
6
Francis J. Moloney, The Gospel of John, ed., Daniel J. Harrington, SP4 (Minnesota: The Liturgical
Press Collegeville,1998), 207.
7
Francis J. Moloney, The Gospel of John, 207-208.
8
Maniparambil, Reading the Fourth Gospel, 250-251.
3
The unity of John 6 has been a matter of considerable discussion. It is typical to see a
sapiential theme of Jesus the bread of life in verses 35-50, and either the heightening of this
theme or the change to a specifically Eucharistic theme in verses 51-58. There is the further
problem in the relationship of verses 51-58 and verses 60-63. After insisting on the necessity
of “eating the flesh of the Son of Man” (v53), Jesus in verse 63 says: “It is the spirit that gives
life, the flesh is useless.” These final verses contradict the ones before them and are best viewed
as a continuation of the conversation in verses 35-50. The author or the Johannine school
inserted verses 51–58 in order to extend the argument about the bread of life to its Eucharistic
conclusion.9
1.2.2 LARGER CONTEXT
The larger context of John 6 can be understood by considering the broader themes and
events within the Gospel of John and the overall narrative of Jesus’ ministry. John 6 is a
carefully crafted chapter, characterized by a tight interweaving of narrative and discourse. It
follows the same basic pattern noted in chapter 5; miracle, dialogue and discourse. This pattern
is more intricate in chapter 6, however, because the chapter narrates Jesus’ self- revelation to
two groups such as the crowds and his disciples.10 Many elements of the Galilean ministry of
Jesus appear in this chapter. The miracle of the multiplication of the loaves is presented in the
context of Passover (6:4), which is a hint at the sacrificial death of the Passover Lamb. The
scene is the eastern shore of the Galilee. While Jesus had spent an earlier Passover in Jerusalem,
He now reveals His true nature in His native Galilee. The mention of the Passover sets the
context for what Jesus is about to do. One frequently missed point is that Jesus is primarily
focused on preparing and instructing his disciples here. The purpose of Jesus’ signs is not
merely to reveal himself to the crowds, more important, Jesus uses these signs to deepen the
faith of his disciples and to train them for ministry.
John 6 has a major place in the book of signs (Jn1:19-12:50) which highlights various
miraculous signs performed by Jesus to manifest his glory and divine identity. In John 6, Jesus
performs two key miracles that serve as spiritual signs such as feeding the five thousand and
Jesus’ walking on water. After performing these miracles, Jesus identifies himself as the bread
of life who satisfies the spiritual hunger.11 By these miracles Jesus shows his divine care for the
needs of the people, his authority over the nature and also establishes his spiritual identity.
9
Kodell, The Eucharist in the New Testament, 123-124.
. Gail R. O’Day, The Gospel of John, NIB 9 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995), 608-609.
10
11
Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (US: Hendrickson Publishers, 2000), 261-262.
4
1.3 THE STRUCTURE OF THE TEXTUAL UNIT
Jesus first offers them real bread, and throughout the majority of the chapter He
continues to teach them about Himself and how people can relate to Him in order to give them
real bread. There are three sections in John 6. The first segment, which serves as an introduction,
discusses Jesus’ work on earth. Here a gracious Lord feeds all those people and meets all the
anxieties of His disciples (6:1-21). It includes Jesus’ social ministry which feeds the five
thousand (6:1-15) and Jesus’ spiritual ministry where He walks on water (6:16-21).
In the second part, Jesus preaches His bread sermon (6:22-59). Here John refers about how
Jesus comes to us and wants us to come to him. This part includes a searching prelude (vv22-
24), an evangelical sermon (vv25-40), an ecumenical sermon (vv41-51) and the Eucharistic
sermon (vv52-59). The third part is Jesus’ warning epilogue (vv60-71). Here Jesus convicts and
comforts His disciples. It includes the after meeting of Jesus with His unbelieving disciples
(vv60-66) and the after meeting with His believing disciples (67- 71).12
1.4 LEADING THEMES IN THE TEXT
Some of the major themes in John 6 are Jesus as the bread of life, miracles and signs,
Spiritual and physical bread, controversy and opposition and the Eucharist/communion.
1.4.1 JESUS AS THE BREAD OF LIFE
One of the central themes in John 6 is Jesus’ proclamation that He is the Bread of Life. He
declares that those who come to him will never hunger or thirst emphasizing the idea that He
provides the ultimate satisfaction and sustenance for the human soul. Jesus states that He is the
life-giving bread. The life that is given is, of course the life of the age to come, the life which
is sacramentally or eschatologically begun here and now in faith.13 To those who seek Jesus,
He offers Himself immediately. The multitude asked for bread and He offers Himself to them.
The manna was ordained only for the life of the Israelites, but Christ is given for the life of the
world and none are excluded from the benefit of this bread, but such as exclude themselves.14
1.4.2 MIRACLES AND SIGNS
John 6 highlights the miracles performed by Jesus, particularly the feeding of the five
12
Frederick Dale Bruner, The Gospel of John: A Commentary (Michigan: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company,2012), 358.
13
Alan Richardson, The Gospel According to St John: The Meaning of the History of Jesus (London:
SCM Press LTD,1965), 103.
14
Bruner, The Gospel of John, 404-405.
5
thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish. These miracles serve as signs that point to
Jesus’ divine nature and reinforce his claim to be the Bread of Life. Jesus’ sign is followed by
an extended discourse elaborating on the significance of what he had done. Together with the
link established between the present feeding and God’s miraculous feeding of the Israelites in
the wilderness in the days of Moses (6:31-32), John sets Jesus’ ministry firmly in the context
of salvation history, linking Jesus’ signs with the two previous major periods of miraculous
activity in the history of God’s people: ministries of Moses and Elijah.15
1.4.3 SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL BREAD
Jesus makes a distinction between spiritual bread, which offers eternal life, and physical
bread, which only supports the body momentarily (vv49-51). Jesus was reminded by the crowd
that their fathers had received food from heaven from Moses (v31). Jesus had simply increased
the amount of food on earth. They expected to see some angels falling from the sky. Jesus still
aimed to lead people away from the materialistic to the spiritual. He pointed out to them that
Moses did not provide the kind of bread He was referring about. Jesus calls Himself the living
bread or the bread from heaven in a very obvious way. To everyone who approached Him in
faith, He delivered perfect satisfaction. Among the physical appetites, hunger and thirst are two
of the most demanding. However, they are nothing when compared to spiritual hunger and
thirst. Only Christ can satisfy these.16 Jesus exhorts people to put their faith in Him and says
that those who do will have eternal life.
1.4.4 CONTROVERSY AND OPPOSITION
John 6 depicts the growing opposition and debate over Jesus’ teachings. Jesus’ assertions
are met with skepticism and distrust by some of the Jewish leaders and disciples. The audience
had already put doubt on Jesus' assertions. They were disgusted by Jesus’ claim that He is the
bread from heaven since they were aware of his human parents (6:41-42). Jesus addresses their
concerns in verses 43-47. They challenged Jesus’ assertion that his flesh is the real food by
reminding that he cannot provide his flesh to be eaten (6:52). The verses 53-58 provide Jesus’
explanations. The final response is twofold: positive and negative. However, the negative
reactions come in two stages: first, the larger group defected, and then, there was a split among
15
Andreas J. Köstenberger, Encountering John: The Gospel in Historical, Literary and Theological
Perspective (United States:Baker Publishing Group, 1999), 99.
16
Herschel H. Hobbs, John: A Study Guide Commentary (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House,
1979), 37-38.
6
the twelve. Peter’s confession of faith is bracketed by two negative responses. (cf. v68).17
1.4.5 THE EUCHARIST/COMMUNION
Jesus introduces the idea of the Eucharist or Communion towards the end of the chapter.
He uses metaphor ‘bread’ to convey that the real meal and drink that a believer must consume
are His body and blood. The flesh of Jesus is compared to the bread from heaven.
“The context of the feast of Passover and Paschal meal, when they ate the flesh of the
sacrificial animal now becomes prominent. Leviticus 7:18-27 speaks of eating flesh.
Symbolically the verse ‘eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of Man’ could mean
accepting Jesus into one’s life, and living according to this commitment to Christ.
Sacramentally, it could mean receiving Jesus in the form of Eucharistic bread and wine”.18
The effects of receiving Jesus’ body and blood in the Eucharist are threefold. Firstly, one
will have life (6:53). Each believer taking part in the Eucharistic celebration must transform
into the center of Jesus’ actual presence by sharing life through a selfless love that was acted
out in the sacred mysteries during a sacramental celebration. Second, one will take part in the
resurrection (6:54), which results in eternal life. The believer lives according to what Jesus
taught through the revelation He made about his Father, who is life. Mutual indwelling is the
last step (6:56). The son lives in the mutual relationship with the Father. This is the model of
relationship between Jesus and believer.19
1.5 CONCLUSION
John 6 is dedicated to the feast of the Passover and the sign of the multiplication of the
bread and to its interpretation. It is significant to note that only the Fourth Evangelist places the
miracle of multiplication of the bread in the context of the Jewish Passover celebration. The
evangelist frames Jesus’ ministry such as the feeding of the multitude in the Passover context
and creates a distinctive Christology through the discussion of the bread of life. The sign that
Jesus provides to His listeners in response to their request is his discourse on the bread of life.
John makes a distinction between the bread that perishes and the bread that brings eternal life
from the very beginning of the sermon. The Johannine Jesus refers to Himself as the true bread
from heaven and the bread of life (6:48– 51). This chapter observes the preliminary notions and
17
Maniparambil, Reading the Fourth Gospel, 262.
18
19
Maniparambil, Reading the Fourth Gospel, 259-260.
7
the context of John 6 and the following chapter will go through the exegetical analysis of the
Eucharistic discourse in John 6:25-59.
8
CHAPTER II
EXEGETICAL ANALYSIS OF JOHN 6:25-59
2.0 INTRODUCTION
The Bread of Life discourse in John 6: 25-59 is a profound passage in the fourth
gospel, where Jesus reveals himself as the bread that came down from heaven. It emphasizes
the significance of his flesh and blood for eternal life. This exegetical analysis search through
the rich theological layers of this discourse. Here we explore the key themes of the discourse
such as the Son of Man, the manna from heaven, the mystery of the incarnation of the Logos,
the passion of the lamb, the parallelism between the flesh and body, the bread of life and the
Eucharistic communion. While exploring the key themes, we go through the Old Testament
and New Testament significance of the themes. Through a careful examination, we aim to get
a deeper understanding of spiritual truths embedded in this passage.
2.1 MEANING OF THE SON OF MAN (v27 and v53)
The Fourth Gospel uses the title ‘Son of Man’ to refer to Jesus. The Son of Man has a
heavenly origin and has divine characteristics. At the same time, he is a ‘man’like anyone else.
He is the perfection of human nature and in him we find the divine reality as well. Jesus, the
Son, Second Person of the Trinity, revealed the Father by being a human son. “The double
journey of the Word to the world andfrom the world to God the Father is the main focus of the
Fourth Gospel. This journey of the Son is from God to the world, and after redeeming the world
by revealing the Father, he goes back to his original glory. All these are done by Jesus in his
capacity as the Son of Man.”20
The explanatory clause, ‘for him did the Father seal, even God’, shows how this Son of
Man is able to do this wonderful giving for the eternal life. This time Jesus does not say merely
that the Father sent Him, but that the Father sealed Him.21 The ‘seal’ suggests God’s approval.
God the Father has set his seal of approval on Jesus. God affirms the Sonship of Jesus and his
authority to provide the spiritual food which gives the eternal life.22 The Father as God, is the
highest possible authority, beyond which no man can go. For Jesus, the Father is sufficient
description, God is added for his hearer’s benefit.23 Daniel 7:14 anticipates this meaning of the
20
Lesslie Newbigin, The Light has come: An Exposition of Fourth Gospel (Michigan: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company, 1982), 128.
21
R.C.H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel (Minnesota: AugsburgPublishing House, 1943), 453.
22
J. Carl Laney, “John,” Moody Gospel Commentary, ed. Paul Enns (Chicago:Moody Press, 1992), 126.
23
J.N. Sanders and B.A. Mastin, “A Commentary on the Gospel According to St John” BNTC, 4 (London: Adam
9
Son of Man as “to him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all people, nations and
languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shallnot pass away,
and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.” As the Son of Man who came down from
heaven, Jesus is the one whom the God, the Father, has set his seal. The language of sealing
designates ownership, and the New Testament often describes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit
as a sealing, impressing a permanent mark (2 Cor. 1:22; Eph 1:13). The Baptist reported thatthe
Holy Spirit descended and remained upon Jesus (1:32), thus Jesus has been revealed as the
Father’s representative and accredited envoy.24
2.2 JESUS AS MANNA (vv31-33, v35, v41 and vv48-51)
The demand for a sign leads skillfully to the theme of manna (bread from heaven). The
Jews demanded a divine sign like manna in the wilderness.25 Three factors link it with the Exodus
account such as the Passover motif, Jesus as the prophet like Moses and the expectation that
God would again provide manna in the messianic age.The implicit contrast is between Moses
and Jesus.26 Exodus 16:4 says, “I will rain bread from (out of) heaven for you”. Here the
prepositional phrase modifying the verb and the emphasis is on the character of the bread and
not on the manner of giving. Therefore, the wonderful gift termed ‘bread out of heaven’. The
people expect something greater than they had witnessed in the multiplication of the loaves.
Because Jesus only multiplied some bread he already had, but Moses gave the fathers bread out
of heaven. Therefore, if Jesus is greater than Moses, people ask Him to bring a sign that is
greater than that of Moses.27
2.2.1 MANNA IN JOHN
The manna is understood emphatically as a bread came from heaven, a view firmly
established in the Old Testament. The manna was a providential gift from God to sustain the
Israelites in the wilderness. But despite its wondrous nature,it did not give eternal life. In v.31,
the crowd focused on the gift of the manna, but in v.49 Jesus looks to the end of the exodus
story. The very ancestors who ate the manna died as a result of their grumbling and unbelief.28
Jesus links feeding miracle with the manna story of Exodus 16. Jesus reworks four essential
elements of v.31 such as the donor of the bread is God and not Moses,the gift of bread occurs in
& Charles Black, 1977), 186.

24
Francis Martin and William M. Wright IV, The Gospel of John (Michigan: BakerPublishing Group, 2014), 121.
25
Schnackenburg, The Gospel According to St John, 40.
26
27
Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel, 458.
28
O’Day, The Gospel of John, 605.
10
the present and not in the past, the bread of which Jesus speaks is the true bread from heaven
and finally Jesus tells the crowd that not them, but their ancestors are the recipients of God’s
gift of the true bread from heaven.29 The bread of life from heaven does what the manna could
not which gives life and non-perishing. The effect of manna is ever lasting and it provides
spiritual nourishment eternally offered by Jesus.
2.2.2 MANNA IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
The miraculous story of bread descending from heaven is described in the book of
Exodus. Its themes include dependence on God, a test of faith and fair treatment for all. mān is
the Old Testament term for the food by which Israel isfed in the desert (Ex.16:31). Other terms
for the food are ‘heavenly bread’ (Ps. 105:40), ‘bread from heaven’ (Ex.16:4), ‘grain from
heaven’ (Ps.78:24), and ‘angel’s bread’ (Ps.78:25). With water and quails, manna is part of
God’s provision for Israel in the desert. In Ex. 16:4 it falls like dew, is a granular deposit like
frost, tastes like honey, and must be gathered each day.
God gave the manna to nourish the Israelites, but it had a greater implication than that
they might know that man does not live by bread alone butby every word that proceeds from the
mouth of the Lord (Deut. 8:3). Israel realizes from God's interpretation that bread is
insufficient to satisfy their spiritual needs. Life does not belong to the material worlds and as
spiritual beings we are sustained by the words of life.30
2.2.3 MANNA IN NEW TESTAMENT
The manna motif occurs in John 6:31; 6:49 in the New Testament. The term alternates
with ‘bread from heaven’. As the Lord gave manna through Moses, now Jesus is giving bread.
Thus the people who receives the bread declare that Jesus is really the Prophet who is to come
into the world. This alludes to a prophecy found in Deuteronomy 18:15 about the coming of a
prophet who will resemble Moses.31 After the feeding of the 5000, the Jews want Jesus to give
sign which will accredit him as the Messiah as manna accredited Moses. In response to their
challenge, Jesus reinterprets their reference to the Exodus story, arguing that while Moses gave
bread, it was not the real bread from heaven.Literal bread is not real bread. Instead, the One who
descends from heaven andimparts life is the real bread. Jesus now confirms that the true bread
has come from heaven by saying “I am the bread of life.”Thus declaring himself Jesus gives a
29
30
Lauren Whitman, “The Manna from Heaven Is Christ, Your Daily Bread” JBC 30, no.3 (November 2016):12.
31
Whitman, “The Manna from Heaven Is Christ”, 14-15.
11
new meaning to the story of Exodus 16. Itis now clear to us that God's provision of manna was
an antecedent to the actualbread of heaven. It was the actual bread’s promise. The manna was a
sign of theimpending arrival of Christ.32
2.3 THE MYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION OF THE LOGOS (V.51a)
Although the incarnation of the Logos is not specifically mentioned in verse 51, it does
contain metaphorical language that is frequently used in connection with the incarnation. Jesus
is described in the phrase as “the living bread that came down from heaven,” (v51a) which can
be interpreted as a reference to the belief that Jesus, the almighty Son of God, became human
form and descended to earth. The concept that Jesus, the second person of the Holy Trinity,
took on human flesh and became entirely human while still being totally divine, is referred to
as “incarnation” by the term itself. Jesus speaks of the gift of his flesh for the life of the world.
The language of v.51recalls both 1:14 (and the Word became flesh) and 3:16 (God so loved the
world that he gave his only Son). Thus v.51 evokes the incarnation, the gift of Jesus’ life out of
God’s love for the world.33The living bread that has descended from heaven means that Jesus
is the Incarnate One who has life in himself for others. The bread is the flesh of the Incarnate
One which he is to give on behalf of the life of the world.34 The true bread that has come down
from heaven will make God known in an unconditional gift of himself for the life of the world.
2.4 THE MYSTERY OF THE PASSION OF THE LAMB (V.51b)
John 51b, “the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” is a pointer to
the fact that the self-giving of Jesus will be complete only in his passion and death. The
discourse as a whole is summarized in v.57, “just as the living Father sent me, and I live because
of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.” “Through his complete sacrifice of
himself arise the possibility that men may feed upon him, that is, may enter into a relation with
the Father; then they will in turn have life.”35The bread which Jesus will give for the life of the
world is his flesh, it seems to look to the death of Jesus, a theme traditionally associated with
the Eucharist. The expression “give for the life of the world” may be an attempt to conform
more closely to a Eucharistic formula which states “take this all of you and eat of it. For this is
my body which will be given up for you”. This seems to recall the sacrificial death of Jesus.
Therefore, v.51b summarizes the whole sacrificial life of Jesus in flesh from incarnation to death.
32
Whitman, “The Manna from Heaven Is Christ”, 15-16.
33
34
George R. Beasley Murray, John WBC 36 (Nashville: Thomas NelsonPublishers, 1999), 93.
35
K. Barrett, The Gospel According to St. John (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1978), 284.
12
This reality is offered to us in the Eucharist as the living bread.36
2.4.1 JESUS AS THE LAMB OF GOD IN JOHN
Many Old Testament symbols are used by the Fourth Evangelist to show the saving
presence of God among us, and the imagery “lamb of God” is one among them. This is the first
title John the Baptist uses to denote Jesus, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of
the world” (Jn1:29). The meaning of this term is interpreted differently such as “Suffering
Servant,” “Sacrificial Lamb,” “Pascal Lamb,” “Apocalyptic Lamb,” or simply “Innocent
Lamb.”37 The fourth gospel connects the whole work of Christ with the Passover. The Passover
symbolism is in tuned with the death of Jesus. The crucifixion of Jesus takes place at the time
when the Passover lamb is slaughtered. “Jesus dies as the Passover Lamb.”38 The implication
of the Passover lamb can be seen in v.51c, “the bread which I will give for the life of the world
is my flesh.” It is a sacrificial language. Jesus gifts himself as a voluntary and vicarious sacrifice
in behalf of the world. This sacrificial language points towards the reference of John the Baptist
to Jesus as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (Jn1:29). It also reminds the
Passover lamb which is sacrificed to save the Israelites in Egypt (Ex. 11-12).39
2.4.2 LAMB OF GOD IN OLD TESTAMENT
In the Old Testament ἀμνός (amnos) is used chiefly in passages classed among the
priestly writings and in Ezekiel with a cultic and sacrificial character. The lamb plays an
important role in Israel’s public worship. Lambs are presented asburnt offerings and sacrifices
to atone for and to cleanse the people as a whole or individual persons at the sanctuary (Lev
9:3; Numb 15:5). The idea of sacrificial lamb is seen in Judaism. The ritual implies in shedding
of the blood of the scapegoat. The scapegoat in Leviticus 16 is one who makes atonement for
another or redeems them. Israelites believed that their sins are taken away by the bloody
sacrifice of a lamb or sins are sent away on a scapegoat. In Exodus,God institutes the Passover
ritual and tells the Israelites to slaughter an unblemished lamb and mark their doorposts with
its blood as a sign. This lambwas to be eaten as part of the Passover meal. In John 6, Jesus states
on the breadof life and requiring his followers to eat his flesh and drink his blood. This draws a
parallelism between Jesus as the sacrificial Passover lamb whose blood spares God’s people
36
Mathew Vellanickal, Studies in the Gospel of John (Bangalore: Asian TradingCorporation, 1982), 55.
37
Jose Maniparambil, The Gospel According to the Beloved Disciple (Bangalore:Claretian Publications, 2015),
188.
38
Maniparambil, The Gospel According to the Beloved Disciple, 192
39
Raymond E. Brown, The Gospel According to John I-XII AB 29 (New York:Doubleday & Company, 1966),
227- 230.
13
from death. As the Passover lamb had to be killed and consumed,Jesus sacrificed himself and
offers himself as spiritual food and drink to give eternal life. So the blood sacrifice of Jesus
on the cross becomes significant to the Johannine community, for them Jesus becomes the ‘Yom
Kippur’.40
2.4.3 LAMB OF GOD IN NEW TESTAMENT
Israel and the Christian church are frequently referred to as sheep in a metaphorical
theological context, and Jesus is occasionally compared to a lamb, ἀϼvός in John and ἀρνίον
(arnion) in Revelation. Jesus is referred to as ἀμνός four times in the New Testament (Jn. 1:29,
36; Acts 8:32; 1Pet. 1:19). John the Baptist refers to Jesus, whom he has baptized, as ho amnos
tou theou, or "the lamb of God," in John 1:29–32. Jesus is not just being compared to a lamb;
rather, he is being compared to God's lamb. In the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as the
lamb of God in three different ways: (a) Acts 8:32 highlights his patient suffering; (b) 1Pet 1:19
highlights the perfection and sinlessness of his sacrifice by using the phrase "without blemish
and without spot"; and (c) John 1:29-36 describes the atoning power of his death, he bears the
sin of the world. 41This proves that Jesus is a sin offering that is offered as a sacrifice. Jesus
says that his flesh and blood are the bread of life in John 6:35, and that those who follow him
must do the same. The metaphors of the "lamb image" and the "bread image" are complimentary
and refer to Jesus' atoning death that freed mankind from sin and death. The message of these
pictures is fulfilled by his body on the cross.42
2.5 THE PARALLELISM BETWEEN FLESH AND BODY
Jesus elaborates on the significance of his statements regarding the bread of life. This
bread is Jesus’ flesh and he will give it for the life of the world. The term used for Jesus’ body
is ‘flesh’ σάρξ (sarx), rather than σῶμα (soma).43Synoptics use the word σῶμα but John uses
σάρξ, which is Semitic and closer to the original. The idea that the term flesh in 51C reflects the
original use of the Aramaic bisra (flesh), which originally related to the tradition of the
Institution of the Lord’s Supper. The word σάρξ reflects the emphasis on the reality of not only
the incarnation, but also the death of the Incarnated-word.44
Flesh in John’s anthropology is not a part of human body but the human being as natural
40
Maniparambil, The Gospel According to the Beloved Disciple, 189.
41
J. Gess, “Lamb” 1032, NID N Theo Vol No 2, 410-411.
42
Gerald L. Borchert, John 1-11, NAC, 25A (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996), 114-115.
43
Köstenberger, Encountering John, 215.
44
14
and mortal. To say that in Jesus the Word of God became flesh is to say that he became fully
human, subject to death. In 6:51, Jesus says that he is the living bread that came down from
heaven, and that the bread he will give for the life of the world is his flesh. Jesus is not talking
about a physical part of himself. He is saying that in giving himself totally in death, which is
only possible because he is flesh, i.e., mortal, he gives life to the world.45
2.6 ANALOGY OF LIFE AND RELATIONSHIP IN V.57
Jesus explains the Eucharist as the food of eternal life by linking it to participation in
the divine communion; “whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in
him, v56.” In John, the verb ‘remain’ (μένω) designates the mutual indwelling of Father and
Son, the eternal relationship between them in which Jesus invites his disciples to share.46
“Through this living union with God’s messenger one obtains life. The concentration on the
theme of life and its communication from Father to Son to believer produces the expression
‘the living Father’.”47
The statement about God’s messenger has a parallel in the previous verses (29, 38-39,
44), and the meaning of his life, there described in the imageof the heavenly bread (33, 35, 48), is
now given a theologically valid formulation without any imagery. The first part is taken further
by 5:26, the Father is living because he has life in him. He is the essence and principle of life
and the Son lives through the Father because the Father has granted it to have life in himselfin
the same originality and fullness. On the analogy of this transmission of life from the Father to
the Son, and by virtue of the power over life he thus acquires,the Son also gives life to those who
receive him in Eucharist. Through him thosewho eat him are taken up into the life which comes
from God the Father.48
2.7 BREAD OF LIFE
In John the miracle of the feeding and Jesus’ walking on the sea is followed by the
revelation of Jesus as the bread of life. In this part of the discourse, Jesus is inviting the attention
of the people to the sign value of the miracle of multiplication. “He wants them to rise above
their struggle for daily bread and long for bread of life which will lead them to the life that will
last forever. Thefuture tense ‘will give’ seems to point out Eucharist which will be later given
45
Sandra M. Schneiders, Life in Abundance: Studies of John’s Gospel in Tributeto Raymond E. Brown, ed. John
R. Donahue (Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2005), 171.
46
Francis Martin and William M. Wright IV, The Gospel of John (Michigan: BakerPublishing Group, 2014), 130.
47
Moloney, The Gospel of John, 225.
48
15
by Jesus, the Son of Man.”49 “Jesus wants to teach the crowd that they should learn that there
is bread which conveys not earthly but eternal life. Jesus calls the attention of people to the
imperishable food, which the Son of Man willgive and which men should aspire for.”50
The Eucharistic meaning of the bread of life in the first part (vv.35-50) is supported by
the strange juxtaposition of bread; “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be
hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (v.35). “It makes more sense if there
is a reference to the Eucharist, which involves flesh and blood and is therefore to be eaten and
drunk.”51
In the second part of the discourse (6:51-59) there is a shift in the vocabulary, words
like ‘bread,’ ‘come’ and “believe” (6:35) give way to wordslike ‘flesh,’ ‘blood,’ ‘eat,’ ‘drink,’
and ‘food.’ So there is a shift of focus that the second part of the discourse ‘bread from heaven’
denotes Holy Eucharist. The proper response to heavenly food is ‘to eat and drink’ and not
merely ‘come and believe.’52 “The bread of life and real drink are identified with the ‘flesh’
and ‘blood’ of the Son of Man. And the response is specified as ‘eating’ and drinking”.53 “These
verses refer without any doubt to the sacramental meal of the Eucharist, where the flesh and
blood of the ‘Son of Man’ are consumed, with the result that this food gives ‘eternal life,’ in the
sense that the participants in the meal can be assumed of the future resurrection.”54
2.7.1 THE PARALLELISM IN (V50 AND V51)
There is a close parallel between the words of Jesus in v.50; “This is the bread that
comes down from heaven,” and in v.51; “I am the living bread that came down from heaven”
As once Moses pointed to manna and said, “This is the bread that the Lord has given you for
food” (Ex 16:15), Jesus points to himselfand says, “This is the bread” (v50).
The Mosaic bread did not produce life and even Moses is dead. Now there is a bread
that surpasses the bread given by Moses. There has been an intensifying concentration on
the person of Jesus,“this is the bread and I am the bread” (vv.50, 51). The one who is the bread
nowmakes a further surprising promise, “the bread that I shall give for the life of theworld is my
flesh” (v51c). The true bread that has come down from heaven will God known in an
49
Vellanickal, Studies in the Gospel of John, 46.
50
Joseph Erambil, The Eucharist and Human- Christian Existence (Chalakkudy:Divine Printers & Publishers,
2005), 47.
51
Vellanickal, Studies in the Gospel of John, 49.
52
Maniparambil, The Gospel According to the Beloved Disciple, 277.
53
Maniparambil, Reading the Fourth Gospel (Bangalore: Claretian Publications,2004), 256.
54
Rudolf Bultmann, The Gospel of John: A Commentary, trans. George R. Beasley Murray, eds. R.W.N. Hoare
and J.K. Riches (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1971), 218.
16
unconditional gift of himself for the life of the world.55
The figure in bread always connotes eating and thus Jesus once more speaks of the
eating. To eat is to believe in Jesus. In v.50 it is God’s purpose thatwe eat this bread, or literally
that we believe in his son. This purpose will of course, be carried into effect and thus now Jesus
adds, ‘if one shall eat of this bread’. He uses the condition of expectancy that there shall be
those who eat and some will refuse to eat. In v.50 the negative effect of this eating is stated that
those who eats shall not die, and now the positive effect is placed beside the negative that he
shall live forever.56
2.7.2 EGO EIMI (V35 AND V48)
When asked what meal might grant eternal life, Jesus responds, "I am the bread of life."
Jesus responds to their question by saying, "What they are looking for is present in me," using
the revelatory formula ἐγώ εἰι. This response contains the entire contradiction of the revelation.
Anybody who desires anything from him has to understand that he must accept Jesus
personally. Anyone who comes to him seeking the gift of life must understand that what he
truly desires is Jesus. Since he is the food of life, Jesus provides the bread of life.57 In response,
Jesus says, "I am the bread of life," identifying himself as the one and only gift of the bread.
Like with all of his "I am" statements, Jesus is explaining what he does rather than who he is;
he gives life by feeding people with bread. According to Jesus, he is completing the previous
gift -the sustenance that sustains life -given by the Torah. All human needs, including hunger
and thirst, will be met by Jesus, the bread of life (v35b). 58
2.8 THE EUCHARISTIC COMMUNION (vv52-59)
The teaching about the Eucharistic gifts, which Jesus once more introduces with asolemn
assurance, is organized in two stages. His flesh and blood, a real food and real drink, give life
(vv53-55) and they bring about a lasting union with himself, the divine bearer and bringer of
life (vv56-57). In conclusion, it is then stated that this is the true bread which has come down
from heaven and which gives indestructible life (v58). It means that the sacramental eating and
drinking is brought back into the context of the bread of God which gives life to believers.59The
profound meaning of these sayings is given by the concluding remark of v.56, “those who eat
55
Moloney, The Gospel of John, 218-219.
56
Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel, 483.
57
Bultmann, The Gospel of John, 225-227.
58
Moloney, The Gospel of John, 214-215.
59
Schnackenburg, The Gospel According to St John, 60-61.
17
my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them”. With these words the gospel of John
denotes an unbroken relationship, communion and abiding presence of God with humanity.
Communion with Christ means participation in the perfect communion, which exists Father and
the Son.
Communion signifies a profound fellowship and sharing between the believer and
Christ. Through the Eucharist, Christians participate in the sacrifice and presence of Christ,
entering into the intimate communion with Him. Jesus links the communion aspect with the
promise of eternal life (v54). Through this spiritual communion believers receive the gift of
eternal life, for Christ is the source of life. Those who partake in the Eucharist “abide in Christ
and I in them” (v56). This mutual indwelling signifies a lasting, transformative connection with
Christ. Separated from Christ, the believers are dead and may live the life of animals, an
intellectual life, a life of desires and hopes and fears, a moral life, but the true life of a believer
is not in these. It is only which comes by union with God. Bread nourishes life and this bread
communicates life. The indwelling Christ is the source of life to a believer. This spiritual life in
the present has a future completion. If Christ is in the heart, He brings can never stop its
regenerative and transforming activities until it has influenced the wholeof my nature to very
circumference.60
2.8.1 ABIDING IN JESUS
The act of eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Jesus enables the individual to
remain in Jesus. And the participant experiences life as a result (v57). The focus of the concept
of remaining in Jesus canbe found in chapter 15, where Jesus uses the metaphor of a vine and his
disciples as branches to describe his connection with them. The first reference of this takes
place in 6:56. In 15:4-7, the word “remain” refers to more than just continuing on with one’s
faith in Jesus. It suggests an ongoing relationship or unity with Jesus. It suggests a sense of
repetition that comes from ongoing action in 8:31. If this interpretation is applied to 6:56, it
would imply that eatingand drinking of Jesus’ flesh and blood is a continuous process. If abiding
in Jesus is an ongoing and continual action, then participating in the Eucharist alsoshows an
ongoing and deep relationship between the participant and Christ.61
60
Joseph S. Exell, The Biblical Illustrator (Michigan: Baker Book House, 1978), 571.
61
Beasley Murray, John, 272-273.
18
2.9 CONCLUSION
In the bread of life discourse of John 6:25-59, we encounter a profound revelation of

Jesus as the source of eternal life. This exegetical analysis has explored the multifaceted layers
of the discourse, uncovering the theological significance of key elements such as the Son of
Man, the manna from heaven, the incarnation, the passion of the lamb, the bread of life and the
Eucharistic communion. Through this analysis, we have come to understand the depth of Jesus’
teaching which challenges us to move beyond earthly concerns and seek the bread that impart
eternal life. Jesus, as the living bread invites us to partake in his flesh and blood symbolized in
Eucharist to establish a deeper communionwith Him. This communion not only grants us the
gift of eternal life but also signifies our participation in the divine relationship between the
father and the Son.
As we conclude this analysis, we are reminded that the bread of life discourse calls us
to a deeper faith and a more profound union with Christ. It challenges us to recognize that Jesus
is the ultimate sustenance for our spiritualhunger and thirst. Just as the Israelites depended on the
manna in the wilderness,we are invited to depend on Jesus, who is the true bread from heaven.
This discourse remains powerful testament to the depths of Christ’s love and the boundless life
He offers to all who believe. The profound teaching of Jesus in the bread of life discourse invites
us to move beyond an intellectual examinationto deeper personal implications of partaking in
His flesh and blood. This communion with Christ promises not only nourishment for eternal
life but alsograce, transformation and a more intimate relationship with God and thefollowing
chapter analyses the significance of this communion through the bread of life in the life of a
believer.
19
CHAPTER Ⅲ
SIGNIFICANCE OF EUCHARIST
IN THE LIFE OF A BELIEVER
3.0 INTRODUCTION
The Eucharist as a sacrifice and a banquet touches the very existence of human
beings, especially the life of the members of the mystical body. It gives them a new
mission, a new vision and empowers them to establish the Kingdom of God as revealed
by the Lord Jesus Christ. One of the first questions that arises when discussing on the
theological implications of Eucharist is about the relationship between the Eucharist and
the life of the Christian faithful who are called to bear witness in every dimension of
their life. The answer is to be found in the Word of God itself set out in Peter’s first letter;
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that
you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light” (1Pet 2:9).62
The present chapter highlights the reciprocal relationship between the Eucharist
and the very life of the Christian who receives Jesus in the Eucharist. Here we would
deal with the theological implications of the Eucharist in greater depth, investigating
how the Eucharist intertwines with the believer’s very existence. We consider how
Christ’s sacrificial self-offering allows us to participate in the divine life. Hence, we go
through the Eucharistic interpretation of John 6, effects of the Eucharist in the life of the
believer, pastoral implication of John 6 and the relevance of Eucharist in the modern
world.
3.1 EUCHARISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF JOHN 6
Jesus prepares for His teaching on the Eucharist in the Bread of Life discourse
by feeding the five thousand on the day before. We can see that in John 6:4 this occurred
just before the feast of Passover, a feast with strong messianic significance. To
understand both the event of the multiplication of the loaves and the Bread of Life
Discourse, we must remember that Jews were expecting the Messiah to recapitulate the
miracles of the Exodus. One of those miracles was Moses’s providing food from heaven
62
Matteo Calisi, “The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life of the LayFaithful,” LT 39 (Vatican:
Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2005), 65-66.
20
for the Israelites as they wandered in the desert for forty years. The Messiah, understood
as a new Moses, would likewise provide abundance of bread for the Messianic kingdom
of Israel. AfterJesus performed the multiplication of the loaves, the people said, “This is
indeed the prophet who is to come into the world” and they were “about to come and
take him by force to make him king” (John 6:14–15). They rightly interpreted His act
as a Messianic sign, but they failed to understand the sign as a figure of spiritual
nourishment rather than as physical food.63
On the following day, the crowds were looking for Jesus, and He responded by
saying that seeking for Him for wrong reason. They were looking for a free lunch:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate
your fill of the loaves. Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which
endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the
Father set his seal” (John 6:26–27). This passage contains four themes that are essential
to the discourse as a whole:Jesus’s messianic mission of giving eternal and divine life;
His Body and blood as spiritual nourishment and the medicine of immortality; His
identity from above; and the necessity of faith to receive these three things.64
First, we see the contrast between physical and spiritual nourishment. The
people are expecting messianic provisions so that they will not have to work, but Jesus
comes to give something infinitely better. Hence, He says: “Do not labour for food the
food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life.” Second, Jesus
promises that He will give the food of eternal life. Third, He indicates His mysterious
identity in saying that the Father has set His seal on Him. Finally, it is implied that they
must believe in Him to receive the life that He wishes to give them. The necessity of
faith comes to front in John 6:28–29. The people asked Him: “What must we do, to be
doing the works of God?” Jesus tells them to have faith in Him because He is sent from
the Father:“This is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent.” At this
point, the crowd asks for a sign like the manna so that they can believe in Him.This is a
classic “teachable moment.” This question provided a perfect opening for the teaching
on the Eucharist that He was about to give. The crowd said: “Our Fathers ate the manna
in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’ (John 6:31).65
63
Lawrence Feingold, The Eucharist: Mystery of Presence, Sacrifice andCommunion (United States:
Emmaus Academic, 2018), 106.
64
Feingold, The Eucharist: Mystery of Presence, Sacrifice and Communion, 106-107.
65
Feingold, The Eucharist: Mystery of Presence, Sacrifice and Communion, 107.
21
3.2 THEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE EUCHARIST
The sacraments give us supernatural life analogously with the way nature
provides for the basic needs of our natural life. Thus, Eucharist corresponds
supernaturally with man’s need for nourishment. Christ instituted the Eucharist to be the
food of eternal life that produces spiritual nourishment by feeding us with grace and
strengthening our intimate union with Christ.
Generally there are three principal reasons for which Christ instituted the
Eucharist and they are to perpetuate His human presence among men as our Redeemer
and the divine Victim for our souls, to perpetuate His redemptive sacrifice, the supreme
act of His burning charity and allow us to join with Him in offering it to the Father and
finally to unite Himself in intimate communion with us so as to be our spiritual food and
drink.66The effects of the Eucharist as seen in the Gospel of John 6 are life, communion
and resurrection.67These effects of the Eucharist in the life of the believer have a certain
flow, which would sanctify him/her in the first place and would give him eternal life at
the end.
3.2.1 REDUCE THE EFFECTS OF SIN
The Eucharist removes the curses that are in the life of humans as the result of
the sins that are committed by them. This is achieved through the confession of sins as
an act within the Eucharist or preparation for it. Within the Eucharistic liturgy, the
confession of sins is general and public, whereas outside the Eucharist, the confession
is particular in form and private. The confession of sins in the Eucharist is an expression
of our interior life, an attempt to articulatewho we really are as known only by the self
and by God. This also brings an awareness that we are sinners. This confession of sin is
an utterance of disorder in our life and an awareness that we need help that is beyond
ourselves. It is not same as finding that we have certain problem on which we should
work.68 But “confessing sin is saying you are a sinner who requires the redemptive act
of God in order for you to become yourself in Christ. This is an act of baptismal honesty
directed toward the Eucharistic life.”69The Eucharist invites the believer to turn form
66
67
Vellanickal, A Studies in the Gospel of John, 52-53.
68
Ralf N. McMichael, Eucharist: A Guide for the Perplexed (London: T&T Clark International, 2010),
117-118.
69
McMichael, Eucharist: A Guide for the Perplexed, 118.
22
darkness to light, from world to God and to put on the newman.70
The effect of communion is reducing the inclination of sins in the faithful .So
the Eucharist not only unites us with Christ but before that it preserves us from future
sins. Though Eucharistis not given for the forgiveness of mortal sins, it strengthens us
from falling into mortal sins.71 To know oneself in the light of God at the altar is a deeper
examination with far-reaching results. Here we see ourselves as we are. In the light of
the Eucharist we see the stain and blight of sin, so in the Eucharist we seek forgiveness
and pardon and we receive peace, joy and power from God. 72Christ's self-giving is for
the salvation of all, it is an atonement of reconciliation and restoration in life and love.73
John Paul II teaches that the Eucharist applies to men and women of today the
reconciliation won once for all by Christ for mankind in every age.74
3.2.2 GUARANTEES REDEMPTION
The Eucharist gives us the opportunity to encounter Jesus and bring life where
there had only been death. It also offers salvation to those who, as a result of their sin,
are dead and are separated from God and dwell in hopelessness. “The forgiveness of
sins comes from outside of us; it is an act untainted by the human presence of
achievement. We get closer to the reality of communion as forgiven sinners, those in
whom God is initiating change.”75 The reconciliation with God and others in Jesus Christ
guarantees the redemption. “Like the incarnation, the Eucharist reproduces Jesus’
redemptive offering. As John 6:51 says the flesh of Christ is given for the life of the
world”76. It is offered in sacrifice to give this life to the world. Every Eucharistic
celebration renews this offering sacramentally. We are celebrating the memorial of
Christ’s sacrifice of himself for the salvation of the world. That is at the altar of the
Church we offer that which Christ offered on the cross for the salvation of the world.77
“The Eucharistis the sacrament of the presence of the unique sacrifice of Christ, carrying
70
Joseph Erambil, “Transforming and Glorifying Power of the Eucharist,” TheLiving Word 106 (2000),
318.
71
Philip Chempakassery, Memory and Presence: A Theology of the Eucharist (Thiruvananthapuram:
M.S. Publications, 2002), 128-129.
72
Ralph G. Turnbull, At the Lord’s Table (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1967), 75.
73
H. P. C. Lyons, “The Eucharist and Atonement,” The Way, 2 (1962), 94.
74
John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, (Kochi: LRC Publications, 2003), 12.
75
76
The Theological-Historical Commission for the Great Jubilee Year 2000, Eucharist:Gift of Divine Life
(United States: Crossroad Publications, 1999), 17.
77
Joseph Erambil, Sacraments: Outstanding God-Given Means to Excellent Life (Kochi: Vincentian
Generalate, 2008), 34.
23
out today for all people the application of salvation gained on the cross.”78
3.2.3 LEADS TO COMMUNION AND UNITY
The Gospel of John speaks frequently of the community of disciples as those

whom Jesus has called friends. The Eucharist is the very image of the unity of the
church, and the Eucharist is the source of the life and unity of the community. We are
united with Christ through faith and baptism and the Eucharist increases our union with
Christ. The Eucharist forms the Church and it nourishes and cherishes the unity and
identity of the Church. St. John Damascene states; “the Eucharist is also called
communion (koinonia), and rightly so for by it we have communion with Christ and by
it we also have communion and are made one with each other. For since we partake in
the one bread, we all become the one body of Christ and the one blood, as well as
members of each other, because we are parts of one body’ (Cor 10:17).”79
Pope John Paul II sates; “the Eucharistic sacrifice is intrinsically directed to
inward union of the faithful with Christ through communion.”80 “The communion table
of the bread of the Lord brings the union of the believers and nourishes them constantly.
Every time we participate in the Eucharist, we are more closely united to Christ, and in
him, to all people, with a more perfect bond than any natural union.”81 Eucharistic
communion also confirms the Church in her unity as the body of Christ. The Eucharist
is a meal of communion where nature and humans and humans among themselves
commune with each other. Eucharist ritualizes God’s giving of eternal life to His
people.82Through this sacrament, the pilgrim church is nourished and deepens her
communion with the Triune God and consequently that of her members with one
another.83
3.2.4 NOURISHES GRACE ORIENTED EXISTENCE
In John 6:35, Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will
never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” This emphasizes the
spiritual nourishment that the Eucharist provides to believers. “The Eucharist increases
the grace of baptism and all the virtues which accompany it: ‘Very truly I tell you, unless
78
Chempakassery, Memory and Presence, 64.
79
Erambil, Sacraments, 73.
80
John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 16.
81
82
Chempakassery, Memory and Presence, 53-54.
83
24
you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you’ (Jn 6:
53).”84Each Sacrament has a specific effect of its own, the specific grace of the holy
Eucharist will not be merely actual grace but habitual grace as well. Through the
habitual sacramental grace we are able to resist the power of evil.85Human existence in
its origin and development is indebted to God’s grace. Thus, right from the beginning,
man’s whole existence was a graced-existence. Man is nothing but grace that which is
given. Apart from God’s grace he has no being no existence and no life. Hence, man
depends totally on God for his natural and supernatural existence. When man used his
freedom against God, he lost the grace but God out of his mercy restored him through
his only begotten Son Jesus Christ.86
Grace that is given to man by Christ is the loving redemption and freedom, this
is the salvation that is made available to us in Jesus Christ. Christ bestows his grace to
the believers through the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Through the Eucharist Christ fills
the Christians with the same divine fullness that he has received from the Father.
Eucharistic Jesus sanctifies, saves and illuminates as the believer cooperates with Jesus.
So the Sacrament of the Eucharist guarantees our growth in the grace-filled existence.87
3.2.5 INSPIRES TO SHARE
The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that the Eucharist commits us
to the poor. To receive the Body and Blood of Christ given up for us in truth,we must
recognize Christ in the poorest, his brethren (CCC 1397). The Bread that is broken opens
the life of Christians to sharing and self-giving for the life of the world. Through the
Eucharist we are receiving the poor along with Jesus, rejected by the people of his time.
The Eucharist unites us with all the poor and enables us to recognize Christ in the poor.88
As Basil the Great says, the Eucharist leads us to loving service to God and others.89
“The moment of celebration of the Eucharist is the moment of sharing food, sharing
oneness, sharing love, concern and pardon, sharing wisdom, sharing of burden and
suffering, sharing of wealth and goods, sharing of holiness, sharing of God experience,
84
Marie Joseph Nicolas, What is the Eucharist? (New York: Hawthorn Books, 1960), 20.
85
John Cuthbert Hedley, The Holy Eucharist (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1914), 112.
86
87
Erambil, Sacraments, 53
88
Chempakassery, Memory and Presence, 129.
89
Dennis Joseph Billy, The Beauty of the Eucharist: Voices from the ChurchFathers (New York:
New York City Press, 2009), 169.
25
sharing of joy, sharing of Triune God’s life and sharing of mission.”90 “The whole
Eucharistic celebration is a moment of sharing between God and the faithful and among
the faithful themselves. As a result, God is glorified and community of believers is made
worth in a par excellent way.”91 Eating and drinking of the consecrated bread and wine
signifies sharing ones on person and ideas. At the altar Christ shares himself to the
believers and it inspires the believers to share themselves to others.92
3.2.6 HELPS TO EXPERIENCE THE KINGDOM OF GOD
The communion with Christ makes sure the believers’ entry into the Kingdom
of God. It means that the Eucharistic banquet is an anticipation of heavenly banquet.
The earthly banquet prepares the believer for the heavenly banquet, what we participate
through signs today will be enjoyed by us in the Kingdom of God. In this sense the
Eucharist is an announcement and celebration of the future life. Until we reach the
perfect age in Christ, that is His Kingdom, the Eucharist nourishes the believers and it
nourishes every Christian and it nourishes the Church.93
3.2.7 A CALL TO BREAK AND SHED ONE’S BEING
The very nature of human being is both other oriented and God oriented. But
human beings are blocked by the real-life experiences that one cannot become what one
intended to be but when human beings turns to the Lord the veil is removed (2 Cor
4:16). As a result, he is able to become another Christ, which means becoming a sacrifice
and banquet to fellow humans. In ‘The Sacrament of Unity and Peace’ Pope Paul VI
says; in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, Christ gives himself to the faithful and invites
them to do the same. Christ sets the model atGethsemane, Upper room and at Golgotha,
he says “body given for many,” and “blood shed for all,” by following this, one is able to
confirm to the life of Christ.Those who follow Jesus should prove their faithfulness and
love to God and humanity by breaking and shedding their body and blood for all.94
Breaking and of the Eucharist bread sharing make up an important symbol of
the celebration of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is not only an invitation to share our
possession with other and to give the hungry our bread, it is inherently a celebration of
90
Erambil, The Eucharist, 224-225.
91
Erambil, Sacraments, 70
92
Erambil, The Eucharist, 225.
93
94
Erambil, “Transforming and Glorifying Power of Christ”, 322.
26
sharing. We share our time and space and ourselves with others in the Eucharist. The
bread is broken to be shared so also the people who part takes in it. The liturgy of the
Eucharist reminds us of this fact constantly through the prayers we recite.95
3.2.8 TRANSFORMATIVE ACTION
Since Jesus is present, as he had promised, in the Holy Eucharist, it has the power
to transform the people. By allowing God to transform our hearts we would be able to
transform the world. One of the important aspects of the Eucharist is its transformative
character.96 “In the Sacramental celebration of the Eucharist we believe not only the
transformation of the bread and wine but also the change of its participants.”97 As Pope
John Paul II says; “The Lord’s Supper transforms its participants from within and makes
them new people of God. It turns them into apostles of true reconciliation, unity and
peace.”98
The Eucharist transforms us and introduces us to a higher life. In the Eucharistic
meal, Christ blesses us with his assimilating power. It is He who transforms those who
are nourished by His body, He gives us the divine energy. The transformation of our
everyday life through the Eucharist also continues another form of encounter with things
and people, the Christ within us makes this change in our lives.99 The Sacrament of the
Eucharist invites all its participants to direct their lives to an effective action in the
society to transform it into Christ. The core of the Eucharist consists in its power to
change, as the Eucharistic prayers and rituals transform the bread and wine into Christ’s
body and blood so also it transforms its participants in a different manner. The
Eucharistic Christ who enters into the life of the believer transforms and gives them a
new vision and mission, takes man to a spiritual perfection and makes him an integral
being.100
95
Anselm Grun, The Seven Sacraments, trans. John Cumming (Mumbai: St. Pauls, 2004), 66.
96
97
98
99
Grun, The Seven Sacraments, 85.
100
Erambil, Sacraments, 66-67.
27
3.2.9 EMPOWERS FOR THE MISSION
The Holy Eucharist enables us to follow the mission of Christ. “We are sent on
the Eucharist mission as those to whom Christ has been sent, and on whom the Holy
Spirit has been sent.”101 We cannot approach the Eucharistic table without being drawn
into the mission which, beginning in the very heart of God, is meant to reach all people
(SC 84). We are not just doing a mission but we should be doing the mission of God, as
seen in the life of Christ. “Our Eucharistic mission is the inhabiting and extension of
God’s actions from the Eucharist into the world.”102 This mission includes proclaiming
the Word of God to all people and then listening to their grievances and finding solutions
to them, and we invite them to share the peace of Christ. Therefore, Eucharistic mission
is teaching people how to remember Jesus in the midst of their own particularities.
Through this mission we bring the abundance of the Eucharistic life to the ends of the
earth and to the ends of the time.103
This mission is expressed in terms of our perception of the living presence of
the risen Christ in the Sacrament, for the believer nothing is more important than living,
real and personal perception of our Lord in the Eucharist.104The Church needs power to
do this mission and the Church draws the power from the Eucharist. So the Eucharist is
the source of the Church's missionary commitment. The People of God who are Church
cannot but continue the mission of Jesus Christ. The celebration of the Eucharist, the
Sacrament of Lord's Passover, is in itself a missionary event, which plants the fertile
seed of new life in the world.105
The final act of the Eucharist is the dismissal of the people, in the dismissal,
God gives us a mission that God is sending out the Body of Christ into the world.106
Pope John Paul II says; “from the Eucharist, the source of life, you can draw the grace
needed for your mission.”107
3.2.10 OPENS HEAVEN
Through His earthly meals, feeding the multitude and the Last Supper, Jesus
turns the attention of his followers to the eschatological meal. The Eucharist is the
101
102
103
104
Calisi, “The Eucharist”, 65.
105
Calisi, “The Eucharist”, 65-66.
106
107
28
viaticum of the faithful on their journey to heavenly Jerusalem.108It offers the Mystical
Body the food that nurtures them not just for a day but for eternity. Jesus truly gives His
Body and Blood, crossing over the threshold of death, he becomes living Bread, true
manna, and endless nourishment for eternity, the flesh becomes the Bread of Life.109 St.
Paul affirms that the koinonia with Christ leads the believer to immortality (Rom 6: 4-
12; Col 2: 12; 2Tim 2:11). Fathers of the Church also believe in the power of the
Eucharist to give eternal life to the believers. In St. Irenaeus’ view, incorporation into
the Eucharist, Christ prepares the believers to share the glorified Christ in heaven. The
life-giving value of the Eucharistic meal is clearer in the accounts of Ignatius of
Antioch.110The Eucharist is truly a glimpse of heaven appearing on earth. It is a glorious
ray of the heavenly Jerusalem which pierces the clouds of our history and lightsup our
journey. As the earthly food nourishes the temporal life of man so the Eucharistic food
guarantees his eternal life. The Eucharistic meal is an anticipation of the heavenly glory,
it guarantees resurrection from the dead and eternal life.111
3.3 PASTORAL IMPLICATIONS OF JOHN 6
In the bread of life discourse Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life. Whoever
comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
It encourages the regular participation in the Eucharist for spiritual nourishment. It
emphasizes the Eucharist as a source of sustenance for the Christian journey that
provides strength and endurance. John 6:56 states “whoever eats my flesh and drinks
my blood remains in me, and I in them.” It fosters a sense of community and unity
through the shared experience of the Eucharist. It promotes a deeper understanding of
the communal aspect of the sacrament, emphasizing that it binds believers not only to
Christ but also to one another.112
Jesus emphasizes the necessity of faith and belief in 6:40. Priests should help the
faithful to understand the profound mystery of the Eucharist and how it deepens their
connection to Christ. Pastors should address the questions and concerns about the nature
of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist. In John 6:55, Jesus emphasizes the real and
108
Nicolas, What is the Eucharist? 90.
109
Benedict XVI, Heart of the Christian Life: Thoughts on the Holy Mass (SanFrancisco: Ignatius
Press, 2010), 7
110
Erambil, Sacraments, 85-86.
111
112
John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 22-23.
29
transformative nature of the Eucharist by stating that “for my flesh is real food and my
blood is real drink.” This profound truth underscores the importance of approaching the
sacrament with reverence and awe. Priests, therefore, bear the responsibility of
providing pastoral guidance that helps believers grasp the significance of the Eucharist
in the context of realspiritual presence. Jesus’ use of various language in John 6:53 further
highlights the participatory nature of the Eucharist. Priests should emphasize this aspect
by underscoring the theological richness of the Eucharistic celebration. By
encouraging believers to actively engage with the elements and actions of the Eucharist,
priests can foster a deeper and more meaningful worship experience.113
The celebration of the Eucharist, however, cannot be the starting point for
communion. It presupposes that communion already exists, a communion which it seeks
to consolidate and bring to perfection. The sacrament is an expression of this bond of
communion in two ways: its visible dimension, which involves communion in the
teachings of the apostles, in the sacraments, and in the hierarchical order of the Church,
and its invisible dimension, which unites us to the Father and among ourselves through
Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. The profound relationship between the invisible
and the visible elementsof ecclesial communion is constitutive of the Church as the
sacrament of salvation. Only in this context can there be a legitimate celebration of the
Eucharist and true participation in it. Consequently, it is an intrinsic requirementof the
Eucharist that it should be celebrated in communion, and specifically maintaining the
various bonds of that communion intact.114
3.4 RELEVANCE OF EUCHARIST IN THE MODERN WORLD
The fact that sacrifice is by definition a social and public act in which an inward
sacrifice is represented externally and socially and offered to God by a community
through the mediation of a priest is one reason why it is challenging for modern human
beings to comprehend the Eucharistic sacrifice. On the contrary, religious practices are
typically thought of in modern culture as being entirely personal and individual.115
The collective aspect of sacrifice has two causes. Human beings is, first and
foremost, a social being. Thus, it is appropriate for God to be adored, praised, prayed
113
Erambil, The Eucharist, 232-235.
114
John Paul II, “Ecclesia de Eucharistia”, The Church in the 21st Century, ed. John F. Baldovin
(Massachusetts: Boston College, 2011), 16-17.
115
30
to, and satisfied by whole societies as well as by isolated individuals. Each one of us
needs to do these things as a member of society in its different levels. Secondly, sacrifice
offered to God is not only an essentially social act but also one that binds society more
closely together by expressing the commonorientation of society to its proper end,
which is union with God and them manifestation of His glory and goodness through
sharing in them. Sacrifice, therefore, serves to “re-bind” society with God and the
members of society withone another.116
The unity of the Church and her entire life is offered in every Eucharist, for Christ
cannot be separated from His members and their concrete life. The Church prays that
the unity of the members with their Head and with one another will be deepened through
the Eucharist and increased as the fruit of thesacrifice. The Church teaches that our
participation in the Eucharist is deeply linked to the mystery of suffering in union with
Christ. There is no reality in theChristian life (except sin) that cannot be united to the
Eucharist. This uniting ofour sufferings and affections with those of Christ concerns
both dimensions of the Eucharist as sacrifice and as sacrament of communion. We are
to unite ourselves with Christ both in the offering of His sacrifice to God the Father and
in receiving the fruit of that sacrifice.117
3.5 CONCLUSION
According to the John’s Gospel the first effect receiving of the Eucharistic bread
is the gift of ‘Life’: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats
of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is
my flesh” (v. 51). This fact is repeatedly mentioned in this section (6:53, 54, and 58).
This divine life is given to humankind through the body and blood of Christ. The second
effect of the Eucharist that ismentioned in this passage is the mutual indwelling of Jesus
and the believer. “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in
them” (v56). The third effect of the Eucharist that is mentioned in this section of the
Gospel is the resurrection. “Those who eat my flesh and drink my bold have eternal life,
and I will raise them up on the last day” (v54).118 The other implications in this chapter
are the rest of the effects that the Eucharist brings in the life of the believer in order to
reach these effects that are said by Christ himself. The body and blood of Christ that is
116
117
118
Vellanickal, Studies in the Gospel of John, 52-54.
31
given to us is an invitation to be with Christ in His Kingdom. “I am the resurrection and
the life; he who believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and whoever, lives and
believes in me shall never die” (Jn 11:25). To know how we are drawn down to earthly
things,we require all the grace of Christ, to know the proper aspect of life. And this
grace is given to us through the body and blood of Christ.119
As we conclude this chapter, we are reminded that the Eucharist is the
cornerstone of faith, offering nourishment, grace and a profound relation with God. Yet,
the Eucharist also presents a unique set of challenges through its effects to be in a
communion with God and demands a delicate balance between faith and reason. The
Eucharist is not merely a symbolic gesture but it is a sacrament that demands preparation
and spiritual readiness. This requirement places a responsibility upon the faithful to
examine their conscience and seek reconciliation with God. It requires a constant
commitment to personal transformation and action. Embracing the Eucharist with both
faith and reason enriches our lives, strengthen our communities and connect us to the
Divine. General conclusion that follows will summarize the whole chapters and the
findings of the dissertation.
119
C. F. Donovan, The Story of the Twenty-Eighth International Eucharistic Congress (Chicago: The
Eucharistic Congress Committee, 1927), 327.
32
GENERAL CONCLUSION
As we conclude this thesis on the Bread of Life discourse in the Gospel of John (Jn.6:25-
59), the Eucharist is the vital center and summit of Christian life posing profound theological
truths and spiritual nourishment. This study has explored the Johannine theology of the
Eucharist by an exegetical analysis of the Bread of Life discourse and examined the implications
and challenges of the Eucharist for believers. It describes the necessity of faith to approach this
Bread of Life. The discourse further explains that Jesus is the Bread of Life. For coming close
to Jesus, requires real faith and it will nourish the believer. The Catholic doctrine affirms that
the Eucharist, as the sacrifice of Christ, is also the sacrifice of the Church and thus of all the
faithful (CCC 1368). The response of the believer to the Eucharistic sacrifice should be of
reverence and humble acceptance of the divine call to change one’s life to a life that is in
accordance with the demands of the Eucharist. A mere human approach is inadequate to grasp
the reality of the Eucharist. It is the Spirit of God that enables one to understand this reality and
enjoy the beneficial efforts.
Through a close reading of John 6, we uncover Jesus’ revelatory teaching that identifies
Himself as the Bread of Life who offers eternal sustenance. The first chapter provide critical
background for understanding this discourse, outlining key themes in John 6 such as fulfillment
of Messianic signs, the superiority of spiritual over physical bread and Eucharistic symbols. The
exegetical study in chapter 2 analyzes the multifaceted theological dimensions that develops
the metaphors and language in the discourse. From Christ’s identity as Son of Man to the
Passover resonances, this chapter elucidates the incarnational, sacrificial and sacramental
meanings moved through the text. We emerge with a profoundly transformed vision of Jesus as
the manna from heaven who feeds us with His very body and blood. Building on this exegesis,
chapter 3 investigates the implications of the Eucharist for the life of the faithful. Through
Christ’s gracious self-offering in the Eucharist, believers receive the gift of divine life and enter
into mystical communion with God. This communion sustains the church, nourishes grace,
inspires sharing, anticipates the kingdom and empowers mission. But the Eucharist also makes
forceful demands compelling us to break ourselves in service and take up Christ’s redemptive
sacrifice.
The findings of this study can be summarized as the following;
Christ the Living Bread: Christ is the true heavenly bread that gives eternal life.
Through the sign of feeding the five thousand and His bread of life discourse, Jesus establishes
33
His identity as the living bread came down from heaven (Jn. 6:51). This symbolizes His
incarnation bringing divine life into the world. Just as bread nourishes physical life, Christ
offers Himself as spiritual nourishment that satisfies the deepest hunger of humanity.
Sacrament of Communion: The study traced the development of Eucharistic language
in John 6 in the words of Jesus, “my flesh is true food and my blood is true blood” (Jn. 6:55).
This inaugurates the sacramental practice where partaking of His body and blood in communion
enables an intimate union with Christ. This bond is captured in the phrase “to abide in me and I
in you” (Jn. 6:56). The Eucharist thus allows participation in the eternal relationship of love
between the Father and the Son.
Implications for Christian Living: Examining the theological significance of the
Eucharist sheds light on its implications for the life of the faithful. As the “source and summit”
of the Church, the Eucharist removes sin, transforms lives, inspires sharing and empowers the
mission. By conforming the believers to the pattern of Christ’s self-giving sacrifice, the
sacramental body and blood serve as an antidote to sin and a channel of sanctifying grace.
Through worthy participation, the Eucharist guides the Church towards the heavenly Jerusalem.
St. John’s Eucharistic doctrine, so realistic and so spiritual, is absolutely central in his
Gospel which is dominated by the theme of the Word made flesh to give life to the world.
Through commemorating Christ’s sacrificial death, celebrating the Real Presence and partaking
of His sanctifying grace, the Eucharistic mystery renews the faithful, transforms human
existence and draws us towards eternal beatitude. The believing reception of the Eucharist helps
the believer to grow in divine life and in mutual indwelling presence of Christ. By committing
ourselves to Christ’s invitation with faith, reverence and understanding, we allow the Eucharist
to uplift and divinize our lives as God intended. It also, at the end, guarantees the eschatological
resurrection. So the ultimate challenge the Eucharist puts before the believer is to reach eternal
life, the life with Christ
34
3 3
9
5
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DEIGN Final Thesis Perfect

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MORNING STAR REGIONAL

JOHANNINE THEOLOGY OF EUCHARISTAND ITS INFLUENCE

A Paper Submitted In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements

2.4 THE MYSTERY OF THE PASSION

I am forever grateful to Rev Dr George Panthanmackal, the Rector of Morning Star

Bro. Deign Josco Joseph

AB The Anchor Bible

1.1 THE DELIMITATION OF THE TEXT

1.2 THE LITERARY CONTEXT OF CHAPTER 6

1.2.1 IMMEDIATE CONTEXT OF CHAPTER 6

1.2.2 LARGER CONTEXT

1.4 LEADING THEMES IN THE TEXT

1.4.1 JESUS AS THE BREAD OF LIFE

1.4.2 MIRACLES AND SIGNS

1.4.3 SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL BREAD

1.4.4 CONTROVERSY AND OPPOSITION

1.4.5 THE EUCHARIST/COMMUNION

2.1 MEANING OF THE SON OF MAN (v27 and v53)

2.2 JESUS AS MANNA (vv31-33, v35, v41 and vv48-51)

2.2.1 MANNA IN JOHN

& Charles Black, 1977), 186.

2.2.2 MANNA IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

2.2.3 MANNA IN NEW TESTAMENT

2.3 THE MYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION OF THE LOGOS (V.51a)

2.4 THE MYSTERY OF THE PASSION OF THE LAMB (V.51b)

2.4.1 JESUS AS THE LAMB OF GOD IN JOHN

2.4.2 LAMB OF GOD IN OLD TESTAMENT

2.4.3 LAMB OF GOD IN NEW TESTAMENT

2.5 THE PARALLELISM BETWEEN FLESH AND BODY

2.6 ANALOGY OF LIFE AND RELATIONSHIP IN V.57

2.7 BREAD OF LIFE

2.7.1 THE PARALLELISM IN (V50 AND V51)

2.7.2 EGO EIMI (V35 AND V48)

2.8 THE EUCHARISTIC COMMUNION (vv52-59)

2.8.1 ABIDING IN JESUS

In the bread of life discourse of John 6:25-59, we encounter a profound revelation of

3.1 EUCHARISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF JOHN 6

3.2.1 REDUCE THE EFFECTS OF SIN

3.2.2 GUARANTEES REDEMPTION

3.2.3 LEADS TO COMMUNION AND UNITY

The Gospel of John speaks frequently of the community of disciples as those

3.2.4 NOURISHES GRACE ORIENTED EXISTENCE

3.2.5 INSPIRES TO SHARE

3.2.6 HELPS TO EXPERIENCE THE KINGDOM OF GOD

3.2.7 A CALL TO BREAK AND SHED ONE’S BEING

3.2.8 TRANSFORMATIVE ACTION

3.2.10 OPENS HEAVEN

3.3 PASTORAL IMPLICATIONS OF JOHN 6

3.4 RELEVANCE OF EUCHARIST IN THE MODERN WORLD

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