King James Bible
"For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed."
Jesus affirms that His flesh is true spiritual food, using 'indeed' (Greek: alēthōs) to emphasize authenticity against mere physical bread. This shocking metaphor in the synagogue at Capernaum challenged Jewish dietary laws while pointing to His sacrificial death as the source of eternal life. The parallel claim about His blood as true drink would have been particularly scandalous since consuming blood was strictly forbidden in Jewish law (Leviticus 17:10-14). Jesus transforms this taboo into a metaphor for the intimate spiritual union believers must have with His atoning sacrifice.