To the contrary, it is argued that the words in St. Luke 22:19, “Do this in
remembrance of me,” testify that Christ only intended to establish a
memorial meal
whereby Christians throughout all ages would remember
and give thanks for the ‘once and for all’ sacrifice of Calvary. However, the
word for remembrance in Greek is anamnesis, which means a remembering
that makes something past become present. As ex-Protestant Max Thurian
wrote before his conversion,
“This memorial is not a simple objective act
of recollection, it is a liturgical action … which makes the Lord present …
which recalls as a memorial before the Father the unique sacrifice of the
Son, and makes Him present in His memorial.”³
The Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would offer a true sacrifice
to God in the form of bread and wine, that Jewish sacrifices would one day
be brought to an end, and that in their stead the Gentiles would in every
place offer a daily and pleasing sacrifice to God’s Name. In Genesis 14 we
read that Melchizedek, the king of Salem and priest, offered sacrifice under
the form of bread and wine:
“After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were
with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh
(that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out
bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and
said, Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; and
blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your
hand! And Abram gave him a tenth of everything” (vv. 17-20).
Psalm 110 [109] foretold that the Messiah would be a Priest “after the order
of Melchizedek”:
“The Lord says to my lord: Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your
footstool … The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, You are a priest
for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (vv. 1 & 4).
3
The Eucharistic Memorial, II, The New Testament, Ecumenical Studies in
Worship: from Stephen K. Ray, Crossing the Tiber––Evangelical Protestants
Discover the Historic Church, Ignatius Press, 1997, p. 210.
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