Verses 55 and 56 are not joined together by any connecting particle. The use of the present tense throughout should be noted: eats … drinks … lives … live.

Lives in me and I live in him is literally “remains in me and I in him”; the thought is similar to 15.4. The verb “to remain” is one of John’s most important terms, and he uses it of the relationship between the Father and the Son (14.10), as well as of the believer’s relationship with the Son (6.56; 15.4). In 1.32-33 the Spirit descends and remains on Jesus. See also such key verses as 5.38; 8.31; 15.7,9-10. Here the meaning is “lives in fellowship/union with me and I live in fellowship/union with him.” This concept of fellowship or union with Christ is expressed in some languages as “share with,” while in others one may speak of “being one together with.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .