There was something powerful that happened to change the broken
disciples of a dead religious leader and a lost cause into the confident
proclaimers of good news. Something powerful changed the ignominy of execution
on a cross into a symbol for life itself. Death was itself defeated by the
Resurrection of Jesus the Christ. Something very powerful had changed
everything.
Those who believed in the resurrection very early in the
life of the faith were all Hebrews. Their Sabbath was sundown Friday to sundown
Saturday but because of the resurrection their Sabbath was extended to include
dawn on the first day of the week as well. The Hebrew followers of Jesus would
fulfill their Jewish religious duties to God and then meet before they went to
work to celebrate the resurrection of their Lord. At this dawn worship they
would preach the Gospel, sing psalms, baptize new believers, and have
communion.
Later when gentiles became Christians their worship would
only be on the first day of the week. For the first three hundred years of the
Christian faith the followers of Jesus would meet before and after work on the
first day for worship. Then in 325 AD the Roman Empire got its first Christian
emperor and the First day became an official day of worship and rest. So the
resurrection of Jesus also changed the Sabbath for Christians from Saturday to
Sunday. More importantly the resurrection of Jesus makes a difference in our
relationship with God. Because of the resurrection we have salvation by the
awesome grace of God. The resurrection difference is wonderful.
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Happy Easter Pastor Larry. :)
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