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Once He ascended that continued to be a possibility. He is definitely NOT speaking purely spiritually - read verse 63 and 64 [63] If then you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? [64] It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life.

Christ by mentioning his ascension, by this instance of his power and divinity, would confirm the truth of what he had before asserted; and at the same time correct their gross apprehension of eating his flesh, and drinking his blood, in a vulgar and carnal manner, by letting them know he should take his whole body living with him to heaven; and consequently not suffer it to be as they supposed, divided, mangled, and consumed upon earth.

And in verse 64 He emphasizes that the flesh of Christ is the living flesh -- Dead flesh separated from the spirit, in the gross manner they supposed they were to eat his flesh, would profit nothing

Note that Jesus literally was crucified -- a literal explanation in the same speech -- that was not figurative but literal. Similarly the eating of His both is literal not figurative.