We assemble together for worship on Sunday, the first day of the week. Others come together for their religious observances on Saturdays. Not long ago, I saw a billboard advertising one group’s convenient new times for praise and worship on Monday evenings. Does it really matter what day we meet for worship? What does the Bible say?
In the days of the Old Testament, the children of Israel worshipped on the Sabbath Day. The word Sabbath refers to the seventh, a time of rest, or a completed week. All of these meanings correspond with God ending His work in the creation account (Gen 2:1-3). The seventh day was set apart by God. This same emphasis was given, time and again, through Moses (Exo 20:8-11). The Sabbath Day was a time of rest, devoted to the Lord (Exo 16:23; Deut 5:14). If we lived under the Old Law, then we would certainly be worshipping on Saturday.
The Ten Commandments, including keeping the Sabbath, were given for the nation of Israel (Exo 34:27-28; Deut 5:1- 3). And everything under the Old Covenant was merely preparation for the New Covenant (Jer 31:31; Gal 3:23-26; Heb 8:6-13; 10:9). In the Bible, the Sabbath Day is included among other Jewish observances that are not required of Christians (Col 2:14-16; Gal 4:9-10; Rom 14:5). The Law of Moses is taken out of the way because Christianity is not a Jewish religion, but a universal religion (1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:28; Col 3:11).
In the days of the New Testament, the first day of the week was the day of worship. Why the shift from Saturday to Sunday? Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week! This detail is recorded in all four gospel accounts (Matt 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). From the earliest days, the Bible records the Lord’s disciples being together on this day (John 20:19, 26). In addition to this, we read of the church being established on the day of Pentecost, which would be Sunday (Acts 2:1). The word Pentecost refers to the fiftieth day from the Passover. This is the day after the seventh Sabbath (Lev 23:15-16). Early Christians came together on the first day of the week to remember the sacrifice of Jesus and to make their offerings (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 11:23-26; 16:2). We worship on Sundays following the pattern of the apostles and the example of the first-century church
When John refers to “the Lord’s Day” in Revelation 1:10, his meaning is immediately clear. He is not referring to the Sabbath, which is never called by this title. He is referring to the first day of the week, Sunday. We have noted the significance of this day – the day when the Lord resurrected, when the Lord’s gospel was first preached, when the Lord’s disciples met, when the Lord’s collection was taken up, and when the Lord’s Supper was observed. No other day of the week can compare, not Saturday and certainly not Monday.
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