King James Bible
"Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you."
Jesus uses the double 'verily' (amen, amen) to emphasize the critical importance of what follows. This solemn introduction occurs after the crowd's grumbling about his claim to be the bread from heaven, marking a pivotal teaching moment in the Bread of Life discourse. This shocking metaphor would have scandalized Jewish listeners, as consuming blood violated Mosaic law. Jesus deliberately uses visceral language to describe the intimate spiritual union required with him—likely pointing to both faith in his sacrificial death and participation in the Lord's Supper. The consequence is absolute: without this spiritual consumption of Christ, one remains spiritually dead. 'Life' here refers to eternal life, the divine quality of existence that Jesus alone can impart to those who receive him fully.