Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."
      [1.] What is meant by the  flesh and blood of Christ.  It is called (John 6:53),  The flesh of the Son of man, and his blood, his  as Messiah and Mediator: the  flesh and blood  which he  assumed  in his incarnation (; Hebrews 2:14), and which he  gave up  in his  death  and  suffering: my flesh which I will give  to be crucified and slain. It is said to begiven for the life of the world,  that is,  First, Instead  of the  life of the world,  which was  forfeited  by sin, Christ gives his own flesh as a ransom or counterprice. Christ was our bail, bound  body for body  (as we say), and therefore  hislife must go for  ours,  that ours may be spared.  Here am I, let these go their way. Secondly, In order to  the  life of the world,  to purchase a  general  offer of eternal life to all the world, and the  special  assurances of it to all believers. So that the  flesh and blood  of the Son of man denote the Redeemer  incarnate  and  dying;  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 adoption of sons, access to the throne of grace, the promises of the covenant, and eternal life; these are calledthe flesh and blood  of Christ, 1. Because they are purchased by his flesh and blood, by the breaking of his body, and shedding of his blood. Well may the purchased privileges be denominated from the price that was paid for them, for it puts a value upon them; write upon them  pretium sanguinis—the price of blood.  2. Because they are meat and drink to our souls.  Flesh with the blood  was prohibited (Genesis 9:4), but the privileges of the gospel are as flesh and blood to us, prepared for the nourishment of our souls. He had before compared himself to  bread,  which is necessary food; here to  flesh,  which is delicious. It is a  feast of fat things,  ; Isaiah 25:6. The soul is satisfied with Christ as  with marrow and fatness,  Psalms 63:5. It is  meat indeed,  and  drink indeed; truly so,  that is spiritually; so Dr. Whitby; as Christ is called the  true vine;  or  truly meat,  in opposition to the shows and shadows with which the world shams off those that feed upon it. In Christ and his gospel there is real supply, solid satisfaction; that is  meat indeed,  and  drink indeed,  which satiates and replenishes,  ; Jeremiah 31:25-26.