Proclaim and Praise Lent Devotional - Book - Page 53
Proclaim and Praise: A Lenten Journey for Abiding in Christ
DAY 20
The New Sabbath Day
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the
women took the spices they had prepared and went to the
tomb.
Luke 24:1
B
iblical scholars all agree that the event we call Easter
happened on the first day of the week. For today9s
calendar-makers, this means nothing, but to that
ancient world dominated by Rome, it meant everything. The
ancient Romans, who were worshipers of the sun, moon, and
other assorted gods, named Sunday after the sun, just as they
named Saturday after Saturn. But on this day, the whole
definition of that day would change. It would be transferred
from the dominance of Rome to that small, rejected, abject
group of people called Israel. That day, Sunday, would
become the new Sabbath, the first day of the week. Indeed,
everything would change on that day.
This is the reason why we gather in church on this day. In
fact, most devout Christians attend services regularly, but we
should not approach this day casually or flippantly. Many of
us reduce the Lord9s Day to a single hour on Sunday morning.
Then, we use the rest of the day to indulge in our own
pleasures. However, the Lord has made this whole day
unique for His children to worship Him. At the same time,
