Is the Doctrine of Holy Eucharist unique to Christianity?

Answer 1

26And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

Similarities which are sometimes drawn between various aspects of Christian doctrine and other faiths lose their validity when closely examined with the possible exception of some aspects of Judaism. Jesus was actually in the process of eating the Jewish passover meal when He instituted this meal for Christians as their memorial. In the verse below Paul makes a particular application of the sacrifice of Christ as the passover lamb. Jesus is referred to on quite number of other occasions as the 'Lamb of God'.

7Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

What is unique is that Jesus is here in a very real sense fulfilling the 'type' of the Old Testament passover lamb, which died in Egypt so that the Israelite nation could come out and eventually enter the promised land. In the same way Jesus, through His sacrificial death, leads out a people who are called Christians who (as alluded to by Paul above) are meant to be different from the world (the 'old leaven) and eventually enter their own promised land.

Jesus was Himself thus the 'lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.' This is radical and unique as against Judaism from which it came and followers of Judaism regard Jesus as not being the Messiah and essentially an imposter. Similarity is also there in terms of the memorial meal and the idea of blood atonement and substitution. But it is unique in the sense of these being applied to Jesus Christ, Himself the almighty God, who in Egypt used the lamb but here gives Himself in the person of His Son.