In what sense they don't have life in them? John 6:53-57

In these last days, Jesus is sharing the "bread" of life and the "cup" with His disciples/believers/Church. This BREAD/flesh is the WORD which gives us wisdom and understanding given through the Holy Spirit to those who have already received Him; the understanding of scripture especially what was veiled/hidden is being revealed in these last days. Please note: it is being revealed bit by bit as we obey God;s law and live a righteous life with the help of The Holy Spirit. This is something no one can fake because it is direct from God. This bread can also be described as the "Hidden Manna" from heaven. Those receiving it are being purified by the divine fire - the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For example, in my case, I go through something and receive understanding afterwards. This I can explain is like when Jesus was at the mount of transfiguration, He told His disciples not to tell anyone what they had seen until He (Jesus) was resurrected. In the same manna, the spiritual "staff" that God has appointed to prepare us; the two anointed witnesses who is the Holy Spirit (Elijah) and the Word of God (Jesus - read John 1) are giving understanding afterwards. So the flesh is the WORD which according to JOHN 1 is made flesh for the edification of the CHURCH. John says the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, but darkness did not recognize it. Being in darkness means being spiritually dead. It means that your spirit has not been awakened. When our spirit is awakened, it goes through a period of transformation, and then it is joined with the Spirit of God and becomes alive. This is the "marriage" of the lamb - the joining together of our spirit and the Spirit of God. The WORD is from God's mouth. "Man cannot live by bread/scripture alone but by every word that comes from God's mouth". This WORD is uttered by God via His angel. "God himself will come down with a loud shout and the TRUMPET of the archangel". Trumpets are messages. For example, in my case, the word that was uttered to me one early morning was "TURN ON THE LIGHT". It was uttered by God in the presence of His council (spiritual)- and we all know that God creates by His word. eg, in creation of the universe, He said "let there be light". God is creating the new regenerated man in these end times. End of this age. Deuteronomy 4:12 - "Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice". The fire mentioned here is the refining fire, or the baptism of the Holy Spirit. When I heard those words, I had gone to bed crying because I was going through this baptism, but at the time I did not understand what was happening to me. 2) The CUP is the suffering we are sharing with Jesus - which includes the baptism of fire by the Holy Spirit. Why is the Holy Spirit one of the 2 witnesses? Because He is playing the role of prophet and only He can call for the fire from heaven - the consuming divine fire that refines. So, true disciples of Jesus are sharing in this cup of suffering. The "cup" that will be poured to the world without mixture is the suffering (wrath of God) that is coming to the whole world to those not sealed after the grace period is over. It is without mixture/undiluted because the "cup" we are sharing now with Jesus is mixed/diluted with God's mercy/grace. I hope I answered your question. God bless you.

John 6:57 has the answer:

As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me.

We recieve the life of Jesus Christ, that is, we recieve the Life, in our body and soul when we partake of the Eucharist, which is partaking in "the body and ...the blood of the Lord" (1 Cor 10:16; 11:27).

According to 'The letter of Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch to the Trallians' (8:1).

Recapture your gentleness, and by faith (that's the Lord's flesh) and by love (that's Jesus Christ's blood) make yourselves new creatures.

The Catholic Church is the oldest Christian Church. It is in straight linear continuation of the belief of the Church Fathers, of which this quote comes from.

(References from: The Apostolic Fathers, 2009, Moody Classics)

Ignatius' way of interpreting the eating and drinking of our Lord Jesus Christ may, however, not be the only Catholic way of looking at it, because in 'Clement's second letter to the Corinthians (16:3) we read that:

Fasting is better than prayer, and charity (is better) than both.

"Prayer" is a manifestation of faith, and "charity" a manifestation of love. Less evident than "prayer", "fasting", is also a manifestation of faith. Consequently, in Catholic thought, fasting may be the hidden factor in the eating of Jesus flesh.

Thus, in Catholic thought "eating Jesus' flesh" may carry the more subtle symbolic meaning of being a daily fasting during the 4/5 hours Jesus was crucified, until 'death' comes (until we fall asleep). This kind of fasting could be, at least, one of the keys of heaven that was promised Peter.

This thought is based on the mystical interpretation of Jesus' crucifixion, commonly known as the 'inverted cross of Peter'. The pope has the sign of an inverted cross on one of his chairs, and the sign of the cross that Catholics make with their hand, is a cross made invertedly. Below is an inverted cross found in a Catholic Church in Colchester, England.

Examples of inverted crosses

I believe the counterpoint in the next verse explains it:

Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day. (John 6:54-55)

They lack eternal life, which John 17:3 defines:

Now this is eternal life: That they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

St Augustine, a Doctor of the Church, teaches in his 26th Tractate on John

He spoke these words, not certainly to corpses, but to living men. Whereupon, lest they, understanding it to mean this life, should strive about this thing also, He going on added, Whoso eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, has eternal life. Wherefore, he that eats not this bread, nor drinks this blood, has not this life; for men can have temporal life without that, but they can noways have eternal life.