Over the years I’ve read numerous zombie and vampire books, or watched TV shows and movies about them. There’s The Walking Dead, The Vampire Diaries, the Twilight series, and loads more. Some are good. Some not so good. All are gruesome and bloody. The most bizarre had to be Pride & Prejudice…and Zombies.
It is an adaptation of the famous novel, but it is set in a zombie apocalypse caused by the Black Plague. And the famous Bennett sisters? They’re now trained ninjas, fighting to save the world…and entertain suitors. It’s hilarious, ridiculous, and…well…bloody. So why in the world am I talking about zombies and vampires?
Would it surprise you to learn that the section we are studying in the Gospel of John, John chapter 6, in which Jesus teaches that he is the Bread of Life, is also gruesome and bloody? “The Bread of Life” sounds so wholesome. What makes this chapter disgusting? Jesus does!
This past week, for example, we studied John 6:22-51, in which Jesus says, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Gross, right? Who talks like that? Jesus did!
That’s classic zombie talk. Eating flesh. This week, get ready for the vampire talk. As we continue studying John 6, Jesus says that we should do what vampires do. For real. Take a look at John 6:52-71 and see for yourself. It’s rather graphic. Jesus is rather graphic. But why?
Answering the “why” question is what we’ll attempt on the blog next week. Actually, it is a most important “why” question. What Jesus teaches in this last section of John chapter 6 is of utmost importance for us, his followers. Read the passage ahead of time, and then we’ll discuss it further.
Photo by Nathan Wright on Unsplash
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