FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK or SUNDAY or THE LORD’S DAY
This series on Biblical Timing (read the introduction here) is being posted in a very haphazard way. Having looked in some detail at Day Six (read that post here), the day animals and then humans were created, and the day that humans became animals and murdered God the Son, I now want to look at Day One, called Sunday by us today, but also towards the end of the New Testament, called the LORD's day.
The following readings are just some Day One references from Scripture. Not surprisingly, the day we remember as the day when God said Let there be light,is also the day that the Light of the World would be raised from the dead in order to shine His light on ALL the world ALWAYS. Day one is also the day (Pentecost) that the disciples would receive POWER to become and to be light of the world themselves.
Day one is also the day that the early church would set apart every week to remember and celebrate the Resurrection and they began to call it the LORD's day. Each first day of the week, Sunday, thus became a “little Easter.”
It is important to bear in mind that in the early church (first century) by far the majority of new Christians were (like Jesus) Jews who embraced Jesus as the fulfilment of prophecy and as the promised Messiah. Therefore throughout the New Testament you see the 'early Christians' like Peter, John, Paul, etc, going to the Temple and synagogue, keeping the Sabbath (Day 7, what we call Saturday) and ALSO meeting on Day One to remember and celebrate in the breaking of bread and in worship the LORD's resurrection. They were Sabbath keepers on Day 7 AND Resurrection celebrators on Day One.
In my own life as a born again Christian there was a time when Day 7 (Sabbath) and Day 1 (Sunday) morphed into one day and in retrospect I realise that I lost, or actually never really got to know and enjoy, the beauty that each day has to offer, and the unique remembrance and celebration that each one requires. I have had to discover that God's timing is in fact the best timing there is for my own spiritual growth and for my growth in personal holiness.
Day One in Scripture
Gen 1-5 In the beginning, when God created the universe, the earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water. Then God commanded, "Let there be light"---and light appeared. God was pleased with what he saw. Then he separated the light from the darkness, and he named the light "Day" and the darkness "Night." Evening passed and morning came---that was the first day.
Mar 16:1-2 And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
or another translation of the same verses
Mar 16:1-2 After the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices to go and anoint the body of Jesus. Very early on Sunday morning, at sunrise, they went to the tomb.
Mar 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
Joh 20:19 It was late that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Then Jesus came and stood among them. "Peace be with you," he said.
Act 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
1Co 16:2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
Rev 1:10 On the Lord's day the Spirit took control of me, and I heard a loud voice, that sounded like a trumpet, speaking behind me.
