Holy Thursday

John 6:47-69

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven;
if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever;
and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying,
"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

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 you;
he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,
and I will raise him up at the last day.
For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father,
so he who eats me will live because of me.
This is the bread which came down from heaven,
not such as the fathers ate and died;
he who eats this bread will live for ever."

This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. Many of his disciples,
when they heard it, said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?"

But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them,
"Do you take offense at this?
Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail;
the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
But there are some of you that do not believe."
For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe,
and who it was that would betray him.

And he said,
"This is why I told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by the Father."

After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.
Jesus said to the twelve,
"Do you also wish to go away?"

Simon Peter answered him,
"Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life;
and we have believed, and have come to know,
that you are the Holy One of God."

Matt 26:26-29

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread,
and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said,
"Take, eat; this is my body."
And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying,
"Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.