eats My flesh and drinks My blood: Jesus answered the question the people asked (6:52). His words pointed ahead to the Lord’s Supper, which would come later (see Luke 22:19). In Jewish speech, the phrase “flesh and blood” referred to the whole person. In this context, Jesus was calling people to receive him fully by completely believing in him.
Ever since the Protestant Reformation, there have been three main interpretations of the words of Jesus about the bread and wine:
Transubstantiation: The bread and wine are believed to change into the actual body and blood of Christ, while still appearing to be bread and wine.
Real Presence: Christ is understood to be truly present in the sacrament in a mysterious but real way that is beyond human understanding.
Memorial or Symbolic View: The bread and wine are seen as symbols. The act of sharing them recalls Christ’s death and resurrection, and believers receive spiritual benefit through faith.