Why Sunday? What is so special about Sunday? In the christian community, Sunday is more special than any other day of the week and is considered to be “The Lord’s Day’”for several reasons. First and foremost, Sunday was the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead. The scriptures record, “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb” (John 20:1).
Whereas in some ways each day seems to “says something” to us, but Sunday, the Lord’s day, speaks best. Christians who toil all week long appreciate Sunday as an welcomed opportunity for them to be able to attend church services. The Lord’s day beckons us away from a world of care and confusion, and invites us to “enter His gates with thanksgiving in our hearts and into His courts with worshipful praise and adoration. This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Sunday is a time for “corporate worship” when we respond with heartfelt gratitude to the call to worship and devote ourselves anew to Almighty God.
Sunday is distinguished from the Jewish Sabbath which starts at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday, and is regarded as a day of rest from all labor. In commemoration of their deliverance from Egypt, God instituted the Sabbath for the nation of Israel, “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day” (Deuteronomy 5:15).
Christians are free to worship on any day of the week they choose. However, we come together in God’s house for fellowship with each other and our great Savior and Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us. In so doing, we express our love for Him. First Peter 1:8 says, “Though we have not seen Him, we love Him. Though we do not now see Him, we believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.”
Believers also publicly gather together on Sunday to “observe and commemorate the Lord’s death” at the communion service (“the Lord’s Supper”), which was instituted by Jesus Christ Himself. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). This is one of two sacraments or ordinances of the Christian Church. The other being baptism.
The joys experienced during Sunday worship and the fellowship shared, are second to none. Jesus is most worthy to receive adoration and praise, honor, power, and glory; much more than we can offer to Him, because of human limitations. Let us therefore crown Him with many crowns who died for us and hail Him as our King of kings and Lord of lords because He is Lord. He has risen from the dead. Let every knee bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:10,11).