John 6:35-59

This passage occurs in the Narrative Lectionary, Year 4, Lenten cycle, most recently Feb 16, 2014.

Here is a link to another John 6 post on the bread of life:
http://lectionarygreek.blogspot.com/2012/08/john-63541-51.htm
The themes of John 6 manifest themselves in every portion of the chapter.  This conclusion just drives home a few points, again, stated in the rest of the chapter (if not the whole book!).  A few ideas for sermons:

- eternal life is a present (its a gift):
        Jesus says that he will give διδωμι (6:51) the bread of life.  Everlasting life is a gift.

- eternal life is present
       The verb εχω ("have", 6:54) is in the present tense:  "The one who eats/drinks HAS eternally life CONTINUALLY" is how this passage should read.  There is a dimension of eternal life that includes the resurrection of the dead, but this is not when life begins.
       I think also worth dwelling on here is that the eternal life comes through the flesh and blood, the bread and the wine.  Jesus uses earthly things, even broken things, to give eternal life.  To get to eternal life, we've got to get into earthly life, to put it another way.  Much to ponder and many directions here for a sermon!

- eternal life is a presence
        Jesus says that those who eat μενω ("abide", 6:56) in him.  This is a key theme in the Gospel of John, in fact, one of the opening questions -- where are you abiding? (John 1:38).  Eteneral life is the same thing as staying with Jesus.  So what does eternal life look like?  Well, it looks/feels like that amazing feeling of knowing that we are in the presence of God.