Summary and review for one chapter - Essay Example

Jesus established the Eucharist as a sacrifice at the last supper. When he gave the bread to the disciples, he let them know that this was representing his body. The bread was broken and distributed among the disciples. Jesus showed later that his body would be broken as he took upon his being the sins of the entire world. The cup of wine was given to teach the disciples that His blood would be spilled in an effort to atone for the sins of the world. In this teaching, Jesus was able to bring together many different strands of teaching about sacrifice.

In the Old Testament, animals were sacrificed by the High Priests. The blood of these sacrifices and the broken bodies of the animals were teaching the people that Jesus would come as Savior. These rituals were preparing the people for the time that Jesus would come and sacrifice his person for all the world. Other teachings about sacrifice are found in Jeremiah and Isaiah. It was prophesied by these prophets that the servant or Son would make the greatest of all sacrifices. Unlike Abraham that was willing but had his hand stopped before sacrificing his son, the Father would allow the son to be sacrificed in the case of Jesus.

This was necessary for salvation. In the Mass, as in the old days, the priests are the most important participants in worship. All participants are considered priests during the Mass and the Eucharist, but only an ordained priest can oversee the change of the Eucharist and officiate in the Mass. This shows us that the purpose of the Eucharist is to remind us of the sacrifice of Jesus that makes salvation possible for all that will follow him.