Answer..Not me...I'm going with the Bible on this one...

John 7:37-39. Jesus said "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive.

His own disciples walked away from him on this on...

Not so much the door or the vine analogy..

Because this one they understood to be real....

TheBonifaceOption said:

---

I am the door.

I am the vine.

Imagine not realizing Jesus was part of a tribe that INVENTED the metaphor.

---

In both of your examples, Jesus clearly explains the intent of his saying. He doesn't just say "I am the door" and leave it at that....

John 10:

"7 So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

John 15:

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."

Yet when he gets to the Lord Supper he simply says:

Matthew 26:
26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."


Paul, who is throught to have been the first to write about the Lord's Supper also doesn't seem to be concerned with explaining beyond bread = Body, wine = Blood:

1 Corinthians 11
"23 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, 24 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." 25 In the same way also he took 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." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged."

So in light of of this, we (Lutherans) accept Jesus at his word. I think Rome goes too far in trying to explain something that is truly a mystery, but the have the basic premise correct. I prefer to simply take Luther's response that "is means is" and I choose to believe what Jesus said.

Thaddeus73 said:

---

His own disciples walked away from him on this on...

Not so much the door or the vine analogy..

Because this one they understood to be real....

---

ya and where is woke Jesus here? It's not like Jesus stops them and says it's just a symbol. He doubles down and asks Peter if he wants to leave. Also it's very hard for people to conceive of bodies that are bigger than the individual, especially a divine one.