Passage

[John 6: 53-55]
So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. [54] "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. [55] "For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.

Introduction

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
You learned about the meaning of the resurrection of the Lord in this morning's service.
First, the resurrection of the Lord teaches us what true life is. Namely, true life gives us eternal life.
Jesus died on the cross, but He lived again breaking the authority of death. Those who are united with this Lord will receive true life and not face eternal death.
Second, the resurrection of the Lord is the evidence of the true love. God the Father let His one and only Son Jesus become the atoning sacrifice to save sinners.
He clearly showed the evidence of true love for the sinners. And as a fruit of this devout love of God, the Lord has resurrected.
Thirdly, the resurrection of the Lord is the result of the true faith. Jesus could accept the crucifixion because He believed wholly and completely in God.
Jesus believed that if He died on the cross the Father would bring Him back to life because He was sinless. And He resurrected as He believed He would.
Through this, we also came to have true faith that we can live again even after death, but only if we are united with the Lord in faith.
Through the resurrection of the Lord, God the Father has given us a very valuable gift to us called true life, true love, and true faith.
Now, He tells us He desires something of us. If God the Father appears before you and says, "My child, I have a request of you," then what would you do?
Most of you would say, "Father, God, what is it? I will do it!"
At this time, I will explain to you what God wants you to do. I urge you to remember this and make it happen for God the Father.

Main

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, now, what is it that God the Father desires of you?
It is to live forever in the kingdom of heaven with you. And among many dwelling places in heaven, He wants many children to come into New Jerusalem.
This is the hope of God that He has for you. I would like you to fulfill this earnest desire and hope of God for you. I urge you to diligently take hold of heavenly kingdom by force.
If you have faith to go into the Paradise, you should march forward towards 1st kingdom, and from there to the 2nd kingdom, and towards the third kingdom, and then towards New Jerusalem.
You should never say, "I am satisfied with the 1st kingdom. I am OK with the 2nd kingdom of heaven." Those who truly understand the heart of God will not have such mind that is put at ease.
Those who truly love God the Father will never give up New Jerusalem. It sometimes may feel difficult to advance to New Jerusalem, but you will overcome everything thinking of the Father God.
You will continually strive to take hold of a better heavenly dwelling places thinking, "I will definitely go into New Jerusalem and become the Father's joy. I will become a fruit of the Father's love who gave the life of His one and only Son Jesus. I will pay back the grace of the Father for His grace who has held me all the time, enduring with me for a long time."
Then, what is it to take hold of heavenly kingdom by force? The answer is in the spiritual meaning of Holy Communion that we will celebrate shortly after the message.
Spiritually, to eat the flesh and to drink the blood of the Son of Man is the way to advance into heavenly kingdom.
By spiritually eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of Man, we can go into better dwelling place in heaven.
Even physically, when a baby is born, he is very small. He would weigh only about 3 or 4 kg.
But as he keeps on eating, his height will grow up and he will also gain weight.
Likewise, those children of God who are born of the Holy Spirit have to keep on eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of Man. This way their faith grows.
Today's passage John 6:53 says, "So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves."
Even after becoming God's children who are born again by the Spirit, they can lose spiritual life if they do not eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man.
It's same as men will die if they don't eat anything.
Therefore, God's children can keep their spiritual life only when they eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man. This way their spiritual faith will grow up, too.
So, in today's passage John 6:55, it says, "For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink."
Then, what is the flesh of the Son of Man, which is the true food? The 'Son of Man' refers to Jesus.
John 1:14 says, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us." This is Jesus.
Also, John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Therefore, the flesh of the Son of Man refers to the word of God. To eat the flesh of the Son of Man is to consume the word of God.
Our spirit can keep its life and also grow up only when we ingest the word of God diligently.
Then, what can we do to take in the word of God? First, we have to read the Bible and listen to the sermons in the worship services to learn the word of God.
But then, we cannot say we truly take in the word of God just by knowing it.
We have to put that word of our knowledge into our hearts.
After eating nutritious food, we have to digest it and absorb it so we can gain strength from it.
For example, when we eat some food with high protein, this protein in the food can become our muscles only when we digest it and absorb it.
It is useless if we do not digest it and absorb it.
Likewise, we have to spiritually digest and absorb the word of God so our souls can prosper.
For example, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Most of you know this verse. But I said we cannot say we have taken in the word of God just by knowing it.
Those who have ingested the word of God properly are those who spiritually digest this verse, absorb it in their hearts, and cultivate the fruits of joy, prayer, and thanks in the heart.
Brothers and sisters, for people to digest physical food well, there must be water, or fluid. It is better to eat and digest the food that has some fluid.
Likewise, when we eat the flesh of the Son of Man, we have to drink the blood of the Son of Man together. This way we can digest and absorb the flesh of the Son of Man.
The blood of the Son of Man is the blood of Jesus. Then, what is it to drink His blood? How can we drink His blood? The blood of Jesus is the precious blood that is pure and blameless.
Leviticus 17:14 says, "For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life."
Hebrews 9:22 says, "...and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
According to this spiritual law, Jesus shed His precious blood to redeem all mankind from sins.
But although Jesus shed His precious blood for the sins of everyone, not everyone will receive the forgiveness.
1 John 1:7 says, "...but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."
It says the blood of Jesus will cleanse us from all sins when we walk in the light. The power of the precious blood of the Lord will be manifested only to those who walk in the light.
Those who do not walk in the light will not receive the forgiveness of sins even though they profess that they believe in the power of the blood.
Therefore, to drink the blood of the Son of Man, we have to walk in the light.
Here, the light refers to the word of God.
To act according to the word of God is to walk in the Light.
Earlier I said we have to drink the blood of the Son of Man to take in the flesh of the Son of Man properly.
In order to digest and absorb the word of God in knowledge and to cultivate it in heart, we have to practice the word of God in action.
Of course, we cannot practice the word of God 100% from the beginning. But if we try to practice it with our gratitude for God's love, He will give us grace and strength.
Also, the Holy Spirit in our heart helps us. So, we can practice more things than before.
As we practice the word of God more, our heart will change into spirit more, and our faith will grow.
And when we cultivate spiritual heart and grow up in faith on earth, this is to take hold of heavenly kingdom by force.
If we cultivate the whole spirit and reach the complete measure of faith, we will go into New Jerusalem, the best dwelling place.
God the Father wants all of you to diligently eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man to come into New Jerusalem.

Conclusion

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Luke 15:7 says, "I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."
And how much more will the Father God rejoice when there is a true child who can go into New Jerusalem? That joy cannot be expressed with words.
I hope you will become this fruit of joy to the Father. I urge you not to forsake God's earnest hope and expectations for you but fulfill it.
Through the celebration of Holy Communion, I ask you to make up your mind once again thinking, "I will surely become the fruit of joy of the Father and give glory to Him in thanks on that day!"
I pray in the name of the Lord that many of you will come into whole spirit and fulfill the desire of God for you.

[Amen]