Sunday, Sabbath, Christmas, Easter, etc.
Last Updated on November 28, 2021 by Rocklyn Clarke
Questions About Sunday, Sabbath, Christmas, Easter, etc.
(under construction)
This page addresses questions that people sometimes ask about the day we meet and the holidays we celebrate:
Sunday vs. Saturday
Is Sunday the Christian Sabbath?
No! There is no “Christian” sabbath – just the single sabbath that appears in the Bible: Saturday. In the Bible, the Jews considered the each day of the week to begin at sundown and end a sundown:
“God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And there was evening and there was morning – the first day” – Genesis 1:5 (NIV)
The same pattern (‘and there was evening and there was morning . . .”) is repeated throughout the rest of the days of creation. Because we reckon our days differently, the Sabbath begins at sundown of the day we know as Friday and lasts until sundown on Saturday. There is no passage in the New Testament that changes the Sabbath sway from Saturday!
Why don’t we meet on Saturday?
Because the Sabbath is Saturday, some people (especially Seventh Day Adventists) cite the following Bible verse as a reason that Christians should meet on the sabbath:
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. – Exodus 20:8-11 (NIV)
The 1st century Jews of Jesus’ day met together on the Sabbath for instruction at the synagogue. Since all of the early Christians were Jews who had become followers of Jesus, they continued to meet on the Sabbath together – often with other Jews who were not Christians. Since the synagogues continued to be comprised of mostly Jews who didn’t follow Jesus, those Sabbath observances did not have an explicitly Christian character. As Gentiles (i.e. non-Jews) began to become followers of Jesus, the early church had to confront the issue of how the Gentiles should relate to the Old Testament Law. They soon realized that, although the lifestyle of Gentile Christians agrees with many aspects of the Old Testament Law, it is because they are obeying the teachings of Jesus rather than attempting to directly obey the Old Testament Law. Checkout the following resources:
- Watch: How to Read the Law and Biblical Discourse Video | BibleProject™
- Acts 15:1-35 NIV – The Council at Jerusalem – Certain – Bible Gateway
- Romans 14 NIV – The Weak and the Strong – Accept the – Bible Gateway
Why do we meet on Sunday?
Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday – the first day of the week. All of his recorded appearances to his disciples as a group took place on that first Sunday or on subsequent Sundays. This is the principle reason that the early church began meeting together on Sundays in order to celebrate Jesus (and participate in the Lord’s Supper). thus Sunday became known as The Lord’s Day. Checkout the following passages:
- Acts 20:7-12 NIV – Eutychus Raised From the Dead at Troas – Bible Gateway
- 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 NIV – The Collection for the Lord’s People – Bible Gateway
- Colossians 2:16-19 NIV – Freedom From Human Rules – Therefore do – Bible Gateway
- Revelation 1:9-11 NIV – John’s Vision of Christ – I, John, – Bible Gateway https://bit.ly/3bEYzT5
This is why we meet on Sunday – The Lord’s Day!
Christmas, Easter, Pagan Holidays
Is Christmas really a pagan holiday?
We’ll have more to say about this eventually, but to get started, take a look at the following resources:
Is Easter really a pagan holiday?
We’ll have more to say about this eventually, but to get started, take a look at the following resources:
