Should we keep Sunday in honour of the resurrection?
Jesus did rise on the first day of the week, but nowhere is there the slightest legitimate hint in the Bible for us to keep this day holy. See also the Sabbath to Sunday change or who changed the Sabbath to Sunday for the first day of the week misunderstandings. History confirms that some Christians around 90-120 A.D. changed to Sunday to avoid the intense persecution for Judaism using the resurrection as their excuse, and there are always those who will do their own thing contrary to God’s Word, but obviously it is not man’s prerogative to change God’s law for any reason. Jesus said, “…Full well you reject the Commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition.” Mark 7:9
Many honourable events occurred on certain days of the week, but we have no command to keep them Holy. Jesus died for our sins on Friday. But not one Bible text hints that we should observe this day of such great significance that is probably the most significant event recorded in all history. It marks the moment our death sentence was commuted and our salvation assured. So how do we honour the crucifixion? Do we worship on Friday to honour the crucifixion? No! As long as you break the bread and drink the cup of communion you show the Lord’s death till He comes. Communion is what commemorates the crucifixion on Friday. It was a dramatic moment when Jesus rose from the grave on that Sunday morning, but again there is no biblical evidence whatsoever that we should observe it in honour of the resurrection. Not one instance of Sunday observance has been found in the recorded Scriptures. As with communion, honouring the resurrection should be done how God instructs us, not how man decides. This of course is done through Baptism which is a memorial of the resurrection commanded in the Bible, but it is not Sunday keeping. Paul wrote in Romans 6:4 “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Communion commemorates the Friday crucifixion and Baptism commemorates Christ’s death, burial and Sunday resurrection.
Those who believe that Sunday observance honours His resurrection cite the upper room meeting of the disciples on the same day He arose from the grave. To them that gathering was to celebrate His resurrection. But when we read the Bible record of the event, we discover that the circumstances were quite different. Luke tells us that, even though the disciples were confronted with the eyewitness story of Mary Magdalene, they “believed not.” Mark 16:12-14 states, “After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.” Obviously, none of those disciples believed He was raised, so they could not have been joyously celebrating His resurrection. John explains their reason for being together, “…the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews…” John 20:19. See also “Sunday Keeping in Corinth” and the erroneous Wednesday crucifixion theory pushed by some.
