"With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: 'You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.'
"But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." (Matthew 13:10-17, RSV)
Just as God through Jesus Christ was not trying to save the world then, He is not even now trying to save the world, but He will in His own good time. God must get mankind’s attention first, but that will not happen until punishment is executed and man repents of his sins. Getting back to your question, most of His disciples thought Jesus was talking "literally" about His flesh and blood. That is why many turned away and did not walk with Him after that. In reality, His saying was symbolic of the bread and wine that he would introduce to His twelve disciples (apostles) at His final Passover before He suffered. Then, what was He saying to His disciples who could hear and understand? That, in order to have eternal life, one must observe the Passover annually and take the symbols of bread and wine which represent Jesus’ body and blood. The annual observance of the Passover is the true Christian’s renewal of His baptismal contract. Unless one is called to salvation and observes the Passover, he has no eternal life dwelling in him/her. Jesus Christ gave His body and blood in a great sacrifice to cover the sins of humanity. Thus, with the observance of the "Pass-over", God "passes over" our sins because they are covered by the sacrifice and blood of Christ. Notice what Paul said: "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 [annually], you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.
"Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we should not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are chastened so that we may not be condemned along with the world. So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another-- if any one is hungry, let him eat at home-- lest you come together to be condemned. About the other things I will give directions when I come." (1Corinthians 11:23-34, RSV)
The observance of the Passover occurs in the Spring of the year (the 14th day of the first sacred month which in Hebrew is called Abib or Nisan) and is the beginning of God’s master plan of salvation for man. God’s master plan is outlined in the keeping of the seven annual holy days or Biblical festivals of God. These are outlined in the Old Testament book of Leviticus 23. Unless one if observing the Passover and these annual holy days, they simply can’t understand God’s plan of salvation and what He intends to do in the future.
Just as in Jesus’ day, the vast majority of humanity over the last two thousand years have not understood the REAL spiritual meaning of His teachings and have not yet been called to salvation. One day, however, they will after Jesus Christ returns to this earth in all power and glory to take over the reins of government and to restore this world the way it was meant to be. After Satan is bound and mankind repents of breaking God’s laws, spiritual understanding will be opened to everyone. Notice:
"And in this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all people a feast of choice pieces, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of well-refined wines on the lees. And He will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people, and the veil [Satan’s deception] that is spread over all nations.
"He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people he will take away from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken. And it will be said in that day: "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." (Isaiah 25:6-9, NKJV)
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