Deuteronomy 8: 3
[God gave you manna] to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every Word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Jesus quoted this passage when Satan tempted Him.
Matthew 4: 4
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
John 1: 1-5 tells us that Jesus is the Word of God.
John 6: 32-33, 47-51, 53-58
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who gave you the Bread from Heaven, but it is My Father Who gives you true Bread from Heaven. For the Bread of God is He Who comes down from Heaven and gives life to the World."
"I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the Bread of Life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the Bread that comes down from Heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living Bread that came down from Heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever. This Bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the World."
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last Day. For My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the Bread that came down from Heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this Bread will live forever."
Then Jesus explained this to His disciples:
John 6: 63
"The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The Words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life."
And Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the Words of eternal life." (John 6:68).
I was raised Catholic, so I was rather confused about this whole concept of Jesus flesh being bread, and His blood being drink.
So God showed me how Jesus explained it to His disciples, just a few verses later. And even then, many of His disciples turned back and didn't follow Him any more (v. 66). When Jesus asked the 12 if they would also leave, Peter gives his sterling answer. I doubt he understood it fully, but he chose to believe.
So the Word of God, our Bible, is spiritual food, to give us spiritual life, which engenders our physical life. Purely physical life is based on our spiritual parts being joined to our body, as when they leave, the body is dead. So, before we receive God's Spirit into our spirit, the life we have will end, we'll die; the flesh alone is worth nothing to God.
But when we realize that we deserve death, and Jesus came to take our death on the Cross for us individually, and let Him pay that eternal debt we each owe to God; then we come alive with true, real life, life that will last forever.
And this is how we are to feast on the Body and Blood of Jesus our Lord--by devouring His Word. True, real life is spiritual, and mere physical life flows from our spiritual life.
Just like the Psalmist hid His Word in his heart, so I ponder and think about His Word also, allowing it to lead and guide my thoughts and words into His love and righteousness.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
