The Lord’s Day

I have come to love “The Lord’s Day” with a genuine love I did not know through the early years of my Christian life. It is liberating to discover this unique plan of our Creator for returning one of every seven days back to the Giver. He never intended that we sacrifice the seventh day back to Him but that we give it freely as a celebration. He sanctified it for rest and renewal in His fellowship. The First Testament Saints celebrated the covenant that God had made with them. The New Testament celebration is superior to the first celebration because we literally celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and all the victory it represents. Our Lord’s Day is a new beginning every week. The First Testament saints celebrated at the end of the week but we celebrate at the beginning of the week. Only God could design something so beautiful.

The “Lord’s Day” celebration is prefigured beautifully throughout the First Testament. The Ark of Noah rested on the exact day that Jesus Christ was to be resurrected. “And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.” (Genesis 8:4) Israel, as a nation, was commanded to celebrate the Feast of Firstfruits (a type of Christ’s Resurrection on the day after the Jewish Sabbath. “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.” (Leviticus 23:9-11) The Children of Israel crossed the Red Sea between two walls of water on the first day after the sabbath. Their feast of Pentecost also occurred on the first day of the week.

The triumph which we celebrate on the Lord’s Day was not a partial victory but utter defeat of every enemy of humankind. After Jesus had arisen from the dead at the beginning of the first day of the week, He appeared three times that very day. First, He appeared to Mary Magdalene, then to the two disciples as they walked to Emmaus, and then He appeared to all the disciples except Thomas. “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.” (John 20:19)

He appeared again on the next first day, eight days later. “And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.” (John 20:26)

The Day of Pentecost in Acts Two occurred fifty days (Pentecost means Fiftieth) after His resurrection which places it on the eighth “Lord’s Day”. The early church worshipped, received communion and brought their tithes on the First day of the week or the “Lord’s Day”. “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread…” (Acts 20:7a) “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him…” (I Corinthians 16:2a). The Great Prophet of God, John the Revelator, spoke of himself saying, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day…” (Rev 1:10)

Celebrating on the Lord’s Day

The “Lord’s Day” has been sacrificed to pleasure, personal interest, even good works and has become an abomination to the church world. We must either quit calling it the “Lord’s Day” or quit robbing it from the Lord. Our children will learn to fear God when they are taught to revere sacred occasions and sacred things. Israel as a distinct people has maintained their identity because of their devotion to the Sabbath Day and other holy days.

It must not be legalistic or observed as a bondage. It is a day to withdraw from common work and common activity and delight oneself in the Lord. Unless we delight in the “Lord’s Day’, it is of no value to us. If we delight in Him and His Life, He will give us the desires of our heart. “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (Ps 37:4) Only a people with a pure heart, set free from worldly pleasure, can delight in this unique day that the Scripture calls the “Lord’s Day”.

Joseph