45 it is having been written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God; every one therefore who heard from the Father, and learned, cometh to me; 46 not that any one hath seen the Father, except he who is from God, he hath seen the Father. 47 'Verily, verily, I say to you, He who is believing in me, hath life age-during; 48 I am the bread of the life; 49 your fathers did eat the manna in the wilderness, and they died; 50 this is the bread that out of the heaven is coming down, that any one may eat of it, and not die. 51 'I am the living bread that came down out of the heaven; if any one may eat of this bread he shall live—to the age; and the bread also that I will give is my flesh, that I will give for the life of the world.' 52 The Jews, therefore, were striving with one another, saying, 'How is this one able to give us 'his' flesh to eat?' 53 Jesus, therefore, said to them, 'Verily, verily, I say to you, If ye may not eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and may not drink his blood, ye have no life in yourselves; 54 he who is eating my flesh, and is drinking my blood, hath life age-during, and I will raise him up in the last day; 55 for my flesh truly is food, and my blood truly is drink; 56 he who is eating my flesh, and is drinking my blood, doth remain in me, and I in him.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 6:45-56
Commentary on John 6:36-46
(Read John 6:36-46)
The discovery of their guilt, danger, and remedy, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, makes men willing and glad to come, and to give up every thing which hinders applying to him for salvation. The Father's will is, that not one of those who were given to the Son, should be rejected or lost by him. No one will come, till Divine grace has subdued, and in part changed his heart; therefore no one who comes will ever be cast out. The gospel finds none willing to be saved in the humbling, holy manner, made known therein; but God draws with his word and the Holy Ghost; and man's duty is to hear and learn; that is to say, to receive the grace offered, and consent to the promise. None had seen the Father but his beloved Son; and the Jews must expect to be taught by his inward power upon their minds, and by his word, and the ministers whom he sent among them.
Commentary on John 6:47-51
(Read John 6:47-51)
The advantage of the manna was small, it only referred to this life; but the living Bread is so excellent, that the man who feedeth on it shall never die. This bread is Christ's human nature, which he took to present to the Father, as a sacrifice for the sins of the world; to purchase all things pertaining to life and godliness, for sinners of every nation, who repent and believe in him.
Commentary on John 6:52-59
(Read John 6:52-59)
The flesh and blood of the Son of man, denote the Redeemer in the nature of man; Christ and him crucified, and the redemption wrought out by him, with all the precious benefits of redemption; pardon of sin, acceptance with God, the way to the throne of grace, the promises of the covenant, and eternal life. These are called the flesh and blood of Christ, because they are purchased by the breaking his body, and the shedding of his blood. Also, because they are meat and drink to our souls. Eating this flesh and drinking this blood mean believing in Christ. We partake of Christ and his benefits by faith. The soul that rightly knows its state and wants, finds whatever can calm the conscience, and promote true holiness, in the redeemer, God manifest in the flesh. Meditating upon the cross of Christ gives life to our repentance, love, and gratitude. We live by him, as our bodies live by our food. We live by him, as the members by the head, the branches by the root: because he lives we shall live also.