John 6:54
John 6:5454Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
The Watchtower restricts partaking of the bread and wine at the annual Memorial to those who claim to be among the 144,000 anointed. The "great crowd" of Witnesses with an earthly hope attend the Memorial as respectful observers but pass the emblems along untouched. In 2025, of more than 20.6 million attendees worldwide only 24,576 partook — 99.88% of those present did not eat or drink. is acknowledged as a serious word of Jesus but is reframed: the Watchtower teaches that the principle applies to all Christians while the practice is reserved for the anointed.
Jesus' words are an unconditional universal: "Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life." There is no qualifying class, no asterisk for "anointed only," no instruction to "watch others eat." If a Witness has been told they may not partake, Jesus' own statement is the question to put gently to them: "Jesus says whoever does this has life. If you do not, what does he say about you?" The Watchtower itself acknowledges that the principle of applies to all Christians "in heaven or on earth" — but then forbids 99.88% of its members from the very meal that enacts that participation. The principle and the practice cannot be split. Pair with — "drink from it, all of you" — and , where Paul says "we who are many" all share in the one loaf.