The word “sacrifice” comes from the Latin sacra and facere, meaning "to perform sacred rites."ⁱ According to the second-century Christian apologists Justin Martyr and Athenagoras accusations levied against Christians included cannibalism. I suppose when you feed Christians to the lions, it is necessary to conjure up for the public conscience the most horrid and distasteful practice imaginable.ⁱⁱ But why would the public so easily believe that Christians were eating the actual flesh of people and actually drinking their blood?

I can imagine how a rumor of the repetitive observances of a sacrifice of a person (Jesus) would conjure up images of cannibalism. After all, religious sacrifices were to the Jews the eating of animals offered (only their burnt sacrifices were not eaten) and to the Pagans eating of their animals sacrifices to their idols. ⁱⁱⁱ

Throughout the Old Testament’s Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers we read many passages about sacrifices. ^iv

My assumption is that most of today’s society does not really relate to animal sacrifices (although it is practiced in some places ^v). We may talk about them but we have no personal connection with them. When we talk about sacrifices we may just think ignorantly that the worshipper donated his animal to a god while kneeling and bowing and that was it. Actually with the exception of a “burnt sacrifice” this was not true.

The closest experience that I have would be a neighborhood bar-be-que where an animal is killed and cooked for a common feast. The worshipper rarely gave up (our concept of “sacrificed”) anything. At best it was a shared feast with a toast to a god. A sacrifice actually ended up in someone’s belly. The Jews would have to share with their Levites (temple servants). Greek sacrifices was similar to that of the Jews althugh they usually included pigs-- “not only were all of the members of the community there, eating together and bonding socially, but it was believed that their gods were participating directly as well.” ^vi

So, when the rumors were purposely spread that the Christians communed and ate and drank regularly of a “sacrifice of a human’s body and blood”, it was easy to join those like Caesar in celebrating the killing of such savages.

COMMAND FOR CHRISTIANS. The Lord’s Supper was instituted as a memorial to Jesus’ sacrifice commanded by Jesus Himself (Luke 22:19). It was called the “breaking of bread.” The Lord commanded His apostles to observe this unleavened bread in memory of His pending sacrificed body and to drink of the fruit of the vine [oinos] which was to represent His shed blood. He would be executed as “the Lamb of God” within a few hours (John 1:29, 36; Revelation 5:6).

When Jesus told His apostles that the bread “was” His body, He was signifying that the authorized Supper was to represent His sacrificed body. He said, “This is my body.” Obviously, He meant it represented His body since He was not yet crucified but was present with them and the bread.

According to Hebrews 9:1 & 9 the sacrifices commanded in the Old Testament (the tabernacle, etc.) was a figure, only a shadow, and “could not make him that did service perfect, as pertaining to conscience.” Jesus’ ministry and sacrifice was predicted (e.g., Isaiah 59:1ff) and according to Jesus actually was fulfilling the Law of Moses (Matthew 5:17; i.e., to fulfil means “to finish”, Strong’s G4137). Jesus’ sacrifice finished the things of the Old. On the cross, Jesus’ final words were “It is finished” (John 19:30).

What was finished? Was it not His job in completing and ending the rule of the Torah, including its Old Testament rituals of animal sacrifices? Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins was the pivot of all things. The Temple’s veil was rent (Matthew 27:51); no longer would an earthly temple provide access to God. Rather, the church’s body of people is proclaimed by God’s Spirit as God’s New Testament’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19) in which we as members are to offer ourselves as “living, holy, acceptable sacrifices to God” (Romans 12:1).

Hence, just as God divorced northern Israel, God allowed man’s destruction of the second temple “with tears as it were” (John 11:35) for the Jews had rejected God in practice. Unfortunately, instead of becoming followers of the promised Messiah, the Christ, some unbelieving Jews hope 2000 years later to reactivate a physical temple for its vain figurative sacrifices.

Restoring the memorial sacrifice in the New Testament church:

Here is what God’s Spirit-led church practiced: The Acts 2:42: “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” The “breaking of bread” of the apostles’ doctrine was a continual public memorial sacrifice.

Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” It was to be together.

Acts 20:7: “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, ...”

What did the apostle Paul rebuke Corinth for? 1 Corinthians11:20- 21, 23-24, 25b [ERV]: “When you all come together, it is not really the Lord's Supper you are eating. I say this because when you eat, each one eats without waiting for the others. ... The teaching I gave you is the same that I received from the Lord: On the night when the Lord Jesus was handed over to be killed, he took bread and gave thanks for it. Then he divided the bread and said, "This is my body; it is for you. Eat this to remember me." ... "This cup represents the new agreement from God, which begins with my blood sacrifice. When you drink this, do it to remember me."

Jesus told His apostles to teach, baptize and teach to observe all things I have commanded you (Matthew 28:18).