Jesus is a priest in the Order of Melchisedech: 
Genesis 14:18  But Melchisedech the king of Salem, bringing forth bread and wine, for
he was the priest of the most high God 
19 Blessed him...


Hebrews 5:6  As he saith also in another place: Thou art a priest for ever, according
to the order of Melchisedech.





Jesus Himself is the perfect sacrifice offered once, and no further sacrifice is
necessary: 
Hebrews 9:28   So also Christ was offered once to exhaust the sins of many;

10:12   But this man offering one sacrifice for sins, for ever sitteth on the right
hand of God...




The sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross was an eternal sacrifice, beyond our ability to
understand time:


1 Peter 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and
undefiled, 
20 Foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but manifested in the last
times for you...


Revelation 13:8   And all the dwell upon the earth adored him, whose names are not
written in the book of life of the Lamb, which was slain from the beginning of the
world.





Jesus declared the Last Supper to be His body and blood...the sacrifice:
Matthew 26:26   And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and
broke: and gave to his disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat. This is my body. 
27  And taking the chalice, he gave thanks, and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of
this. 
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto
remission of sins. 


Luke 22:19  And taking bread, he gave thanks, and brake; and gave to them, saying: This
is my body, which is given for you. Do this for a commemoration of me.




The 're-offering' of the one sacrifice of Christ is detailed in the Old Testament: 
Malachias 1:11 For from the rising of the sun even to the going down, my name is great
among the Gentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to my
name a clean oblation: for my name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of
hosts.

QUESTION: Won't this prophecy be fulfilled at some time in the future, perhaps with a
'restored' Israel?


ANSWER:  Hebrews 10:3  But in them there is made a commemoration of sins every year. 
4 For it is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sin should be taken away.


All animal offerings are 'impure' sacrifices.  Christ's sacrifice was once for all.  So
the 'clean oblation' 'offered' can only be the sacrifice of Christ in the Mass. 





Christ is represented as as the 'Passover' lamb: 
1 Corinthians 5:7  Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new paste, as you are
unleavened. For Christ our pasch is sacrificed. 
8 Therefore let us feast...



The offering of the blood of the Passover Lamb was always done by the priest, in this
case Christ Himself,  while the people at the 'body' of the sacrifice: 
Hebrews 9:12   Neither by the blood of goats, or of calves, but by his own blood,
entered once into the holies, having obtained eternal redemption. 



Provision was made for those not able at the time to eat the Passover Lamb:
Numbers 9:10  Say to the children of Israel: The man that shall be unclean by occasion
of one that is dead, or shall be in a journey afar off in your nation, let him make the
phase (Passover)  to the Lord. 
11 In the second month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, they shall
eat it with unleavened bread and wild lettuce...

QUESTION: Wasn't the Passover a 'remind' or memorial of the original historical event
when Israel was freed from bondage in Egypt?

ANSWER:  The Passover lamb was an actual sacrifice.  This implies that Christ's body is
also an actual, 'real' sacrifice to be consumed.




The taking of communion is called a sacrifice: 
Hebrews 13:15   By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise always to God,
that is to say, the fruit of lips confessing to his name. 
16 And do not forget to do good, and to impart; for by such sacrifices God's favour is
obtained. 


*impart: Greek koinania also translated 'communion' in 1 Corinthians 10:16; both
clearly referring to consuming the Lord's body.




Jesus told the disciples that they must 'eat' his flesh and drink his blood in the
future: 
John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
52 If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will
give, is my flesh, for the life of the world.
54 Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the
Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. 
55 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will
raise him up in the last day.



The Jews and disciples took Jesus literally as referring to the consumption of His
physical body: 
John 6:53  The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us
his flesh to eat? 


56  For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed. 
57 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him. 


61   Many therefore of his disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard, and who
can hear it? 


67  After this many of his disciples went back; and walked no more with him. 

QUESTION: Isn't Jesus referring to spiritually 'feeding on' His teachings...on the
'Word'?
ANSWER:  Matthew 19:27  Then Peter answering, said to him: Behold we have left all
things, and have followed thee: what therefore shall we have? 


The disciples and others (the Seventy) had already been 'feeding' on his teachings and
had left all earthly attachments to follow Him...this is what they expected to be asked
to do.  Jesus asked something, which they and the hearers, clearly regarded as eating
(Greek phago meaning devour, consume, eat) Christ's literal body.




Paul declares those who receive communion 'unworthily' are guilty of the actual
'body' of the Lord:
1 Corinthians 11:23  For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto
you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. 
24 And giving thanks, broke, and said: Take ye, and eat: this is my body, which shall
be delivered for you: this do for the commemoration of me. 
25 In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the
new testament in my blood: this do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the
commemoration of me. 
26 For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall shew the
death of the Lord, until he come. 
27 Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord
unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. 
28 But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the
chalice. 
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself,
not discerning the body of the Lord.
30 Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep.

QUESTION: Doesn't this imply not taking seriously the 'act' commanded by Jesus, rather
than a dishonoring of Christ's actual, literal body?

ANSWER:   Greek diakrino means discern, determine, discriminate...in other words,
realize and recognize the 'body'.  Koimaomai, or sleep, is often used to mean death
(Lazarus in John 11:11' Stephen in Acts 7:59).  


The Old Testament emphasizes the need to be 'clean' or worthy to  participate in the
sacrificial process (note Mary waiting 40 days for her 'purification' before presenting
Jesus in the Temple and making sacrifice (Luke 2:23, 24).  Other 'commemorations' or
feasts such a Dedication and Tabernacles did not have requirements of cleanliness. 


Passover (Numbers 10:9), where the sacrifice is to be eaten by the people, requires
ceremonial 'cleanliness' or 'worthiness'.  God's supernatural physical punishment due
to partaking of the body in an 'unworthy' manner implies that it is more than just a
'reminder' of what Christ did for man.




Certain things were reserved for the Apostles to do, rather than ordinary believers:
John 20:22  When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye
the Holy Ghost. 
23 Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall
retain, they are retained. 


Acts 8:14  Now when the apostles, who were in Jerusalem, had heard that Samaria had
received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John. 
15 Who, when they were come, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost. 




In order to a 'transformation' of the bread/wine to the body/blood of Christ, a
blessing must be given:
1 Corinthians 10:16   The chalice of benediction, which we bless, is it not the
communion of the blood of Christ? And the bread, which we break, is it not the
partaking of the body of the Lord? 

QUESTION: Can't anyone, through prayer, consecrate (bless) the communion elements?

ANSWER:  The Greek word eulogeo is most often used by someone authorized or in a
spiritual leadership  capacity to convey God's 'blessing' (in just about every use of
the term 'bless' with Jesus, such as Matthew 26:26 with the bread and wine of the Last
Supper; Simeon blessing the Baby Jesus in Luke 2:28 through the Holy Spirit;  
Melchisedech blessing Abraham Hebrews 7:1).  


The process of 'blessing' implies a spiritual 'setting apart' of some individuals to
supernaturally convey God's blessing and consecration of the bread and wine. The
apostles were authorized to do this, as were those they authorized (bishops, priests),
but not every Christian.

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