“Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread,” Acts 20:7.
Twice this week in my Bible studies, the subject of Sabbath worship vs. Sunday worship came up. I thought most Christians were aware why we meet together to worship the Lord on Sunday. It piqued my interest to see what the scriptures had to say on the subject. The Old Testament command was taken from Exodus 20:8-10. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.” Under the old covenant with Israel, the Sabbath day was extremely strict, no work was to be done, not even to gather sticks for a fire. All this strictness was part of the law to lead Israel to Jesus Christ, the final sacrifice that would end the Law.
When Jesus rose from the dead on Resurrection Day, things changed. The church determined that for Christians under the new covenant, the day of worship and celebration of the Lord’s Supper was to be the first day of the week. That was the day the Lord appeared to Mary. “Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” John 20:1. That same day, Resurrection Day, Jesus appeared to two walking to Emmaus. They recognized Him when He broke the bread. The two ran back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples. Jesus presented Himself to the disciples that evening, still Resurrection Day, where they were gathered for fear of the Jews. Jesus showed them His hands and feet and explained, “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Luke 24:44. What an amazing day Resurrection Day was! Jesus presented Himself as the Messiah!!
One week later, Jesus again appeared to them showing Thomas the print of the nails in His hands and feet. Thomas replied, “My Lord and My God.” Many of Jesus’ appearances after the resurrection were on the Lord’s Day. The Church was born on the first day of the week. The Day of Pentacost was the 50th day after the Sabbath of Passover week, thus the first day of the week, Acts 2:1. The Holy Spirit came down and indwelt believers forming them into a Body.
There is no scripture passage that specifically teaches the Sabbath was transferred from one day to another. It seems that the shift was gradual. The apostle Paul, as was his custom on his missionary travels, went into the synagogue on the Sabbath days and reasoned with the Jews, proclaiming Jesus as the Christ. It appears he did this for evangelistic purposes, then met for worship in homes on the Lord’s Day. In Troas, “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread (communion). Paul spoke to the people and because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.” Acts 20:7.
In Revelation, the first day of the week was called “the Lord’s Day.” The apostle John wrote, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying ‘Write what you see in a book…..’” Revelation 1:10-11.
Ignatius, an early church father wrote around 100 A.D., in describing Christians with a Jewish background as those who “have come to the possession of a new hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in observance of the Lord’s Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death.” Interesting thoughts to ponder!
Your friend, Jean