The Case For Sunday Worship
John 20:19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week...
The Sabbath day, which is every Saturday, was given by God to Israel as a unique sign that they belonged to Him (Exod. 20:8–11; 31:13–17; Neh. 9:14). No other nation had this, and Israel stood out among the nations by ceasing from their labors, both they and their animals, for the purpose of refreshment. It was not necessarily a day of worship, although in obedience to God’s command to observe the Sabbath, it was by default a day of worship.
By Jesus’ day, Israel had come under the leadership of corrupt men like the Pharisees and Sadducees. These men were legalists, and their interpretation of God’s law caused the Sabbath to be a day of bondage to Israel instead of being a day of rest and blessing to them. This is why Jesus deliberately violated their Sabbath traditions. Yet He still honored the Sabbath.
Jesus rose from His tomb on a Sunday, the first day of the week. He appeared to a group of women (Matt. 28:9–10) and then to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11–18). Luke’s Gospel relates how two disciples, distinct from the Eleven, encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–35). This incident occurred during the afternoon of that Resurrection Sunday. John 20:19 continues Luke’s story on the same evening after the two disciples returned to Jerusalem from Emmaus to tell the Eleven about their encounter with Jesus. By that time, Jesus had already appeared to Simon Peter, aka Cephas, though this incident is not narrated, only stated (Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5). All this occurred on the first day of the week, Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the dead. That night, Jesus appeared to the Eleven, minus Thomas (John 20:19–25). Then the next Sunday, He appeared to them with Thomas present (John 20:26–31).
It was because of the resurrection of Jesus and His appearances on the first day of the week that the early Church gathered on Sunday to worship Christ and commemorate His death and resurrection (cf. Acts 20:7). This was also the day they came together to pool their money as they prospered (1 Cor. 16:1–2). Since these early Christians were Jewish, it is remarkable that they actually abandoned their observance of the Sabbath on Saturday and replaced their day of rest and for Sunday. This proves that they knew there was no longer a command to observe the Sabbath, and they were now under the New Covenant (cf. Jer. 31:31–34; 2 Cor. 3; Heb. 8), released from the old. Not only did the Jerusalem Council make no demands to Christians to observe the Sabbath (cf. Acts 15), the Apostle Paul never commanded it either. In fact, nowhere in the NT is the Sabbath commanded. Christians live the Sabbath every day of their lives, having ceased from their labors and having begun to enjoy their eternal rest in Christ (cf. Heb. 4).
Food For Thought
Jesus was crucified on Friday, rested in the tomb on the Sabbath day, and He came back to life on Sunday. From the time Jesus Christ rose from the dead, Sunday has been known as “the Lord’s Day” (Rev. 1:10). Whereas the Jewish Sabbath honored God’s finished work of creation (Gen. 2:1–3), Sunday honors Christ’s finished work of redemption—the new creation of a holy people. The Triune God worked for six days to create the universe; then He rested. God the Son suffered on the cross for six hours; then He rested. It should be evident why we worship formally on Sunday. Sunday even foreshadows the future “Day of the Lord.” It is a day foreknown by the prophets (cf. Isa. 2:11–19; 11:11; 12:1, 6; Jer. 31:6, 27–34; Ezek. 34:11–12; Joel 2:1–2, 11, 31; Amos 5:18–20), and it is a day reaffirmed in the NT (cf. John 6:39–40; 12:48; Matt. 24:22, 36; 26:29; Rom. 2:5, 16; Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:2–4; Heb. 10:25; 2 Pet. 2:9; 3:10–11; Rev. 6:16–17; 16:14; etc.). On that Resurrection Sunday, God revealed His power in the most extraordinary way! Have you experienced it by trusting in Christ alone for salvation?
The Sabbath day, which is every Saturday, was given by God to Israel as a unique sign that they belonged to Him (Exod. 20:8–11; 31:13–17; Neh. 9:14). No other nation had this, and Israel stood out among the nations by ceasing from their labors, both they and their animals, for the purpose of refreshment. It was not necessarily a day of worship, although in obedience to God’s command to observe the Sabbath, it was by default a day of worship.
By Jesus’ day, Israel had come under the leadership of corrupt men like the Pharisees and Sadducees. These men were legalists, and their interpretation of God’s law caused the Sabbath to be a day of bondage to Israel instead of being a day of rest and blessing to them. This is why Jesus deliberately violated their Sabbath traditions. Yet He still honored the Sabbath.
Jesus rose from His tomb on a Sunday, the first day of the week. He appeared to a group of women (Matt. 28:9–10) and then to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11–18). Luke’s Gospel relates how two disciples, distinct from the Eleven, encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–35). This incident occurred during the afternoon of that Resurrection Sunday. John 20:19 continues Luke’s story on the same evening after the two disciples returned to Jerusalem from Emmaus to tell the Eleven about their encounter with Jesus. By that time, Jesus had already appeared to Simon Peter, aka Cephas, though this incident is not narrated, only stated (Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5). All this occurred on the first day of the week, Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the dead. That night, Jesus appeared to the Eleven, minus Thomas (John 20:19–25). Then the next Sunday, He appeared to them with Thomas present (John 20:26–31).
It was because of the resurrection of Jesus and His appearances on the first day of the week that the early Church gathered on Sunday to worship Christ and commemorate His death and resurrection (cf. Acts 20:7). This was also the day they came together to pool their money as they prospered (1 Cor. 16:1–2). Since these early Christians were Jewish, it is remarkable that they actually abandoned their observance of the Sabbath on Saturday and replaced their day of rest and for Sunday. This proves that they knew there was no longer a command to observe the Sabbath, and they were now under the New Covenant (cf. Jer. 31:31–34; 2 Cor. 3; Heb. 8), released from the old. Not only did the Jerusalem Council make no demands to Christians to observe the Sabbath (cf. Acts 15), the Apostle Paul never commanded it either. In fact, nowhere in the NT is the Sabbath commanded. Christians live the Sabbath every day of their lives, having ceased from their labors and having begun to enjoy their eternal rest in Christ (cf. Heb. 4).
Food For Thought
Jesus was crucified on Friday, rested in the tomb on the Sabbath day, and He came back to life on Sunday. From the time Jesus Christ rose from the dead, Sunday has been known as “the Lord’s Day” (Rev. 1:10). Whereas the Jewish Sabbath honored God’s finished work of creation (Gen. 2:1–3), Sunday honors Christ’s finished work of redemption—the new creation of a holy people. The Triune God worked for six days to create the universe; then He rested. God the Son suffered on the cross for six hours; then He rested. It should be evident why we worship formally on Sunday. Sunday even foreshadows the future “Day of the Lord.” It is a day foreknown by the prophets (cf. Isa. 2:11–19; 11:11; 12:1, 6; Jer. 31:6, 27–34; Ezek. 34:11–12; Joel 2:1–2, 11, 31; Amos 5:18–20), and it is a day reaffirmed in the NT (cf. John 6:39–40; 12:48; Matt. 24:22, 36; 26:29; Rom. 2:5, 16; Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:2–4; Heb. 10:25; 2 Pet. 2:9; 3:10–11; Rev. 6:16–17; 16:14; etc.). On that Resurrection Sunday, God revealed His power in the most extraordinary way! Have you experienced it by trusting in Christ alone for salvation?
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Our mailing address is:
Harvest Bible Church
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Cypress, TX 77433
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