The First Day of the Week

carpecollum@gmail.com — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:06:37 GMT

Every one of the Gospels clearly mark the resurrection as happening on the first day of the week (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). This was the day after the sabbath - certainly not the same as the sabbath day.

In Luke's account, we find two men were walking that very day (Luke 24:13) towards Emmaus, which was about 7 miles from Jerusalem. Jesus walked with them and had a conversation with them about Himself. After the arrived at Emmaus, their eyes were opened and they realized this was Jesus! It was towards evening (Luke 24:29), but they picked up and went back to Jerusalem "that very hour" (Luke 24:33) and found the eleven apostles gathered together. While they were telling the apostles about seeing the Lord, Jesus appeared to them all (Luke 24:36).

In John 20:19 we find the disciples were gathered together on the first day of the week behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. It is pointed out as "evening on that day" - indicating it was still the day of the resurrection. Then, in John 20:26, we read, "After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, 'Peace be with you.'" The commentaries I have checked (which include Matthew Henry, R. C. H. Lenski, Adam Clark, and Albert Barnes) all agree this was the NEXT first day of the week. In other words, they counted the day they were on and added seven more. I believe some of these commentators may make too large a deal out of this, but this IS good supportive evidence that Jesus had left His disciples a tradition which was quite different than the Jewish tradition of meeting on the sabbath. Jesus appeared to His disciples two Sundays in a row after His resurrection.

If the first day of the week was not important, why is it mentioned with such frequency? Where in the New Testament does any author mention the second day of the week? Or the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh? The "third day" is mentioned several times, but it is referring to the third day after Jesus' death, which actually turns out to be the first day of the week. Hebrews 4:4 says, "For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: 'AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS.'" This is the only place where the seventh day is mentioned, and the context refers to a day of rest (a Sabbath rest) which God has prepared for His people. This is a reference to heaven, not a day of worship in our physical week.

I believe God wants us to understand the first day of the week is important.

Nathan

Daily Bible Message

The First Day of the Week