…Before they got there. Now let’s understand something very profound: no one saw Jesus raised from the dead. When Jesus was raised from the dead, He didn’t need the stone rolled back to get out, because as we will see later on, as a spirit being He could walk through walls. He could walk through stone. So why did the angel roll back the stone? So the apostles, and disciples, and the women could see that He wasn’t there. So He was raised some time before the first day of the week. And when you really understand the calendar, and you understand the chronology, and you understand that Jesus is our Passover, Who was sacrificed for us, and He was crucified on the Passover day, which was in the middle of the week in the year of His crucifixion, and He was going to be three days and three nights in the grave, and He was put in there just before the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread began, He had to be raised right at the end of the Sabbath.

Now, being raised right at the end of the Sabbath, being a spirit being, He could walk right out of the tomb. When the angel opened it up for them to see, he said, “He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, and see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead;...” (vs. 6-7). Now is there anything here to do with Sunday-keeping? Let’s ask some questions. We already saw what was taking place. We answered that question. They were doing secular work, weren’t they? Was there a worship service? No. Did they keep the Sabbath holy and then go out? Yes. Was there evidence of a change? No evidence of a change. The apostles didn’t command a change, the angel didn’t command a change, Jesus didn’t command a change. Was there any council out here that sat out there and said, “Well, now and we’re taking a council, and we’re going to do it on the first day of the week”? Nope. Was there a precedent that was set? No. Ordinary activity to go out and see the tomb. They didn’t even understand that Jesus was going to be raised from the dead.

Now let’s come to the account in Mark 16 and let’s read it there. Now let’s follow along here back in Mark 15, and let’s pick it up in verse 44. Now if you want a chronology of the last ten days of Jesus’ life, you can write in for that. We have a series of tapes that go through it, and goes through the three days and three nights very carefully. Now verse 44, “And Pilate marvelled [that is, that Jesus was dead] if He were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether He had been any while dead. And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. And he bought fine linen, and took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen, and laid Him in a sepulcher which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulcher. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where He was laid” (Mark 15:44-47). So they saw Him laid in there, saw it closed.

Now, “And when the sabbath was passed...” (Mark 16:1). Now we need to understand something concerning this Sabbath. It’s very important. Because this is not a weekly Sabbath that it’s talking about here, because in that week that Jesus was crucified there was the Passover on a Wednesday, the first holy day of Unleavened Bread on a Thursday, Friday was the preparation for the weekly Sabbath, and then there was the weekly Sabbath. So there were two sabbaths during that time.

“And when the sabbath was passed, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him.” Now if this were Saturday night, there weren’t any stores open Saturday night. So this is when the Sabbath had passed, and now we’re dealing with Friday in the daytime. They bought the spices that they might come and anoint Him. Now notice what happened when they got there on the first day of the week. “And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulcher?” Because there were going to go in and anoint Jesus’ body. “And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: He is risen; He is not here: behold the place where they laid Him. But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see Him, as He said unto you. And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulcher; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid” (Mark 16:1-8).

Now here’s a key verse, verse 9, another one for the first day of the week. But let’s finish this first section here that we just covered. Again, let’s ask the question: what was taking place? They were going out to do a secular activity, were they not? Had the holy solemnity of Sabbath been transferred to Sunday? No. They were going to go out there and work and anoint the body of Jesus. Was there a worship service? No. Was it kept holy like the Sabbath? No. Was there evidence of a change? No. Did the angel say anything to them about a change? No. So you can’t prove that there was any transfer from the Sabbath day to the first day of the week by this verse. What it really proves is that the Sabbath was binding. And His disciples, who believed in Him, kept it. Just like today. If you believe in Christ you will keep His Sabbath because He is Lord of it.

Now verse 9. Now here’s the way it should read: “Now [after] Jesus was risen[,]...” Now in the Greek this is an aorist participle, meaning that it is after a punctilious point in the past, was when He was risen. “Now [after] Jesus was risen[,] early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene...” So what we have here in the editing of the King James Version of the Bible, what you really have is a misplaced comma. Because they wanted to make it appear that Jesus was resurrected on the first day of the week. No evidence of that whatsoever. None at all. So early the first day of the week He appeared to Mary Magdalene. That means He was already resurrected, already alive from the dead. “...Out of whom He had cast seven devils [demons].” So we find no sanctification of Sunday.

All right, let’s look at the fourth one. We’ve covered three already: Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, and Mark 16:9. Now let’s come to Luke 24, and let’s pick it up beginning here in verse 1 and see the account here. “Now upon the first day of the week...” No, let’s back up to chapter 23. Remember that they bought the spices after the Sabbath, as we saw there in Mark 16:1. Now Luke 23:56, “And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.” Well, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a holy Sabbath, as we will see here in just a minute. They did not go back and work on that holy Sabbath day, which was an annual Sabbath, and prepare the spices. They bought the spices on Friday, they came and they prepared the spices, and then they rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment - meaning that they rested the regular Sabbath day. So now we come out on the first day of the week. What is it that they kept? Did they keep the first day of the week, or did they keep the Sabbath? Well it says that they rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment. Meaning that they kept the holy day Sabbath commandment, “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” No evidence of a change. Quite the contrary. What we see is an enforcement and a willing observance of the seventh day Sabbath, don’t we?

Now Luke 24: 1. “Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:…” So now we find that not only was there one angel, but there was another one too. “And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they [the angels] said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is [has] risen: remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again” (vs. 1-7). Well, you see, the first day of the week was the fourth day. Now we will cover the explanation on that concerning the third day here a little bit later on.

Now - so we find no change, no evidence of the Sabbath being changed at all; no beginning of Sunday services there, nothing like that. Now when we come to the account in the book of John we are going to hear the words of Jesus Christ Himself. And we are going to see what He said. And we will ask the question: did He authorize any change to the day of worship? Let’s come to John 20, and let’s see the fifth place now where the first day of the week is mentioned. John 20, and let’s come there, begin right in verse 1. “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark,…” So she left her house while it was yet dark, but as they were going, the sun…she went over and got the other women and the sun was coming up. So while she was walking to the sepulcher the sun was rising, and so it perfectly coincides with the other accounts. Just a matter of timing.

“…When it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher.” Before the sun even rose. And she runs and comes “…to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid Him” (John 20:1-2). Well what you know about that. Even she didn’t believe in the resurrection. No basis for Sunday worship because of the resurrection, right? No. None whatsoever. Then Peter and John run, and they look into the tomb, and so forth, and they left perplexed, not understanding. We’ll see a little later on that Jesus came and appeared to them and opened their minds to understand. Now the question is concerning you, do you understand concerning the Sabbath? Are you willing to have your mind opened to understand what these Scriptures are really saying? This gives no sanctification for any Sunday worship whatsoever.

Now let’s come to verse 11. “But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing Him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, Sir, if thou have borne Him from hence [or, taken Him from here], tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master” (vs. 11-16).

Now notice what Jesus said. “Jesus saith unto her, Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father:…” (vs. 17). Now the first day of the week during the Feast of Unleavened Bread is called the Wave Sheaf Offering day. And the command is found in Leviticus 23, that there was a special sheaf which was cut. The ceremonial sheaf represented the first of the firstfruits harvest. On the morrow after the Sabbath the priest was to wave it and elevate it unto the Lord. And this was a ritual type of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, being accepted by God the Father in heaven above. So whatever time this was, Jesus had not yet ascended. Now we’re going to see this is very important.

And because it is the Wave Sheaf Offering day, Jesus did not say, “Well, you have to have a special ceremony here; you have to now make this Easter.” None of those things are said here, you see. There was no worship service. There was no instruction to change the day. Notice what He told her: “…For I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her” (vs. 17-18). So here we have first day of the week, there is nothing there which shows any necessity to change the Sabbath at all. No “Thus saith the Lord: I say to you, you have heard it said in old time in the past that you shall remember the Sabbath to keep it holy; but I say to you, you shall now keep the first day of the week, because I rose on this day.” Now what I just said is an utter lie, but that’s what most people believe. Because He wasn’t resurrected on the first day of the week, it was at the end of the Sabbath. He ascended to the Father on the first day of the week, fulfilling the wave sheaf offering.

Now notice what else He did on the first day of the week. And let’s read it right here in verse 19. “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week [Now let’s read, and see what this says], when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews,...” Now why were the disciples there? A lot of people say, “Well they were there to have their first Sunday service.” Why were they there? Because they were afraid of the Jews. They were afraid the Jews were going to get them and kill them as well. But notice what happened: “...Came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.”

Now what did He do on this first day of the week? Let’s go back to Luke 24 and let’s see what He taught them. Now Luke 24 would have to be the place in the New Testament where, if it were true - which it’s not, which means that it is a lie - but just, let’s say if it were true that the Sabbath was transferred from the seventh day to the first day, this is where Jesus would had to have done it so that the apostles would have known. Because on that first day of the week they were assembled there for fear of the Jews. And Jesus could have come there and said, “Now I know you are here assembled for fear of the Jews, but I want you to understand something very profound: I am changing the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day. And this is My first commandment that I am giving you since I have been resurrected from the dead.” Did He say that? Is that recorded in scripture? There are a lot of people that believe what I just said. But that’s not what Jesus said. Let’s read it.

Luke 24:36, “And as they thus spake, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.” That’s going right to the same time when He first appeared to them as we read in the gospel of John, chapter 20. “But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that that they had seen a spirit. And He said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have” (Luke 24:36-39). So He could manifest Himself back into being a human being again. Now that has an awful lot to do with the destiny of human beings, if you understand it. But we’ll cover that at another time.

“And when He had thus spoken, He shewed them His hands and His feet. And while they yet believe not for joy, and wondered, He said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And He took it, and did eat before them. And He said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me.” Now verse 45 is a key: “Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,...” No change of the day of worship. None whatsoever. No evidence. You can go through all these places of the first day of the week. There’s no evidence for it.

Now notice verse 46. “…And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved [that means it was ordained and necessary for] Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (vs. 46-47). No place at all. So there we have all of these accounts. Now we have gone through six places of the eight concerning the first day of the week. Now let’s look at the seventh one. Let’s come to Acts 20.

Now this one comes closest to looking like it was a church meeting, because Paul was speaking. But let’s follow the sequence here of this, beginning in Acts 20:6. “And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread,…” Why? Why did they go after? Why did they not go during? Because they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread. So just like it said, “…and after the Sabbath ended, they went and bought spices” (Luke 23:56, paraphrased). So here, after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the days of Unleavened Bread, they left “…and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.” So they got there and guess what? Another Sabbath took hold. That’s why they were there seven days. Now verse 7, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread,…” (Acts 20:6-7). Now the Catholics say this is where they come together to take the Eucharist. Not so. This means to eat a meal. It does not mean to break bread in the sense of taking the Eucharist. It means to break bread in the sense of eating a meal.

And what were they doing? They were there eating. “…Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow [meaning that would be Sunday morning];…” And he was ready to go, and we will see that he took a journey. “…And continued his speech until midnight.” That’s how we know this was Saturday night going on into Sunday, because he preached into midnight. “And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where there were gathered together. And there sat in the window a certain young man...being fallen in a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead” (vs. 7-9). Now there’s a long winded preacher for you. See, Paul was ready to go and they would probably never see him again. So he preached, and preached, and preached, and preached, and preached clear on into midnight. Now let’s notice what happened.

“And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him and said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.” So that’s what we need to look at here. Now let’s read the rest of the account so we get it clear what it’s telling us. “When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread and eaten,…” Now if this was the Eucharist, then you would have to admit that they took the Eucharist right after sunset, as the Sabbath had ended; and then after midnight; after the young man fell down from the loft and was taken up; he was alive, then they took the Eucharist again. Now the only thing that makes sense is that they ate – they ate a meal. And after preaching clear until midnight you would be hungry again, so that’s why they ate. “…And talked a long while, even till the break of day, so he departed” (vs. 10-11).

So Paul stayed up all night and preached all night, didn’t he? He didn’t go to sunrise service at the break of day…he left. He didn’t have Sunday morning services, because Sunday morning he was walking. And as a matter of fact, if there are any indications of it, Paul walked some twenty miles that day to meet the boat where the other disciples were and scheduled to pick him up there. Let’s read it. “And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted. And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot. And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene” (vs. 12-14). No evidence of Sunday service. Paul, there in teaching the disciples, no evidence that he taught them that now the Sabbath was no longer needed to be kept. He preached on the Sabbath, preached right on through the Sabbath, and on into the first day of the week, clear on up to midnight. And after they had eaten their second meal after midnight, then what happened? They all stayed around and talked until the break of day. And then Paul got up and walked twenty miles. Now if that’s keeping Sunday holy, you got another thought coming. So you see, every argument that has been used to try and prove that the first day of the week is now a holy day really has fallen completely down. No evidence of that whatsoever with any of it.

Now let’s look into last place. Let’s come to 1 Corinthians 16. Let’s look at this one. Now here in 1 Corinthians 16, let’s read it and let’s see what it says. Let’s see if there was a church meeting. Let’s see what it’s telling us here. Now verse 1, Paul writes, “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come” (1 Cor. 16:1-2). Now let’s analyze these two verses here and see, was there Sunday keeping?

First of all, “concerning the collection for the saints…” this is not taking up an offering, Sunday morning, in church. Though almost every little envelope in Sunday-keeping churches says, “Laid by in store on the first day of the week.” Who is the collection for? The saints. Not for the church. These were the starving saints in Jerusalem, and they were taking food and goods down to them. “…As I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you... [come to church].” No, it doesn’t say that. “…Let everyone of you lay by him in store...” In other words, “Go out and bring in the produce and lay it by you in storage, ready for the collection so it can be taken down to Jerusalem.” No Sunday-keeping here. “…As God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” So this was a what? The first day of the week was a work day. Why? Because they kept the Sabbath the day before, that’s why. Paul taught them to keep the Sabbath in Corinth. Did you know that? We’ll see that. We’ve already covered some of that, but will look at it again.

Now verse 3, “And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approved by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.” So there it is. No church meeting anywhere whereby it gives any indication to change the day of the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day of the week. It is not there.

Now let’s come back to Acts 18 and let’s see where Paul taught on the Sabbath day in Corinth. As a matter of fact, did so during the whole eighteen months that he was there. Now let’s come here to Acts 18, and let’s see what Paul did. “After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth [so this is his first introduction]; And [he] found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath [day], and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks” (Acts 18:1-4).

Now let’s understand something: were there Gentiles there in the synagogue? Yes. Were there Jews there in the synagogue? Yes. They were both worshiping together on the Sabbath day, were they not? Yes. What does this tell us? This tells us that the Sabbath day was made for man, including Gentiles. And that knocks in a cocked hat the argument which people say the Sabbath was made for the Jews but Sunday was made for the Gentiles. They were both there. How can he persuade both Jews and Greeks if the Greeks, being Gentiles, were not there?

“And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man’s house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue [right next to it]. And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized” (vs. 5-8). All this because of preaching on the Sabbath. Nothing whatsoever to do with Sunday.

Now, then the Lord appeared to him in a vision, spoke to him at night, and said, “...Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them” (vs. 9-11). And it was every single Sabbath that he was teaching. Because that’s what he did up here. So you see, nowhere, nowhere in the Scriptures do you find any sanctification for Sunday.

Now let me read to you some very profound things, that some of them we may have already even heard. Now let me read this to you from Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, defining Sunday. “Sunday, so called because this day was anciently dedicated to the sun or to its worship; the first day of the week; the Christian Sabbath.” Now notice how they define it, already accepted as fact. And we have proved that the first day of the week is not the Christian Sabbath. But the Christian Sabbath is the seventh day of the week. “…First day of the week; the Christian Sabbath; the day consecrated to rest from secular employment and religious worship; the Lord’s Day.”

“Sunday: Dias Solis, of the Roman calendar, the day of the sun because it is dedicated to the sun; the first day of the week was adopted by the early Christians as a day of worship.” Now we will see…and we’ve already covered that. It was forced upon them by Constantine and the Catholic Church. It wasn’t adopted. “The son of Latin adoration, they interpret it as ‘The Son of Righteousness.’” And that is the Schaff-Hertzog Encyclopedia, Old Edition.

Now let’s read some other confessions, some other Roman Catholic confessions concerning Sunday. And there’s some very profound ones here that we need to understand. A contradiction - “Question: How prove you that the Church hath [has] the power to command feasts and holy days? Answer: By the very act of changing the Sabbath to Sunday, which Protestants allow of, and they that thereby fondly contradict themselves by keeping Sunday strictly, and breaking most other feasts commanded by the same Church.” Now that’s taken from the Manual of Christian Doctrine. [1]

A substitution - “Question: Have you any other way of proving that the Church has [the] power to institute festivals of precept? Answer: Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her…” Well now, that is reasoning in a circle. They’re not going to the Scriptures and saying that the Catholic Church was ever given that power. Not so. We’ll cover that next time. “…She could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday [Sabbath], the seventh day [of the week], a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.” And that’s from A Doctrinal Catechism.[2]

“The Catholic Church,…by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday.”[3] That was written by Cardinal Gibbons. Now a lot of these controversies were going on just before the turn of the twentieth century. And that’s where a lot of these come from. “1.) Is Saturday the 7th day according to the Bible and the Ten Commandments? I answer yes. 2.) Is Sunday the first day of the week and did the Church change the 7th day, Saturday, for Sunday, to the 1st day? I answer yes. 3.) Did Christ change the day? I answer no! Faithfully yours, ‘J. Cardinal Gibbons.’”[4]

The Church did. Christ didn’t. If there was any change Christ had to have changed it. Look at the presumptuousness of men. No man can change what God has made Holy. No man can disannul the commandments of God that they may be righteous. Now this is something. This is something. Cardinal Gibbons also wrote, “…you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the observance of Saturday, a day which we [that is, Catholics] never sanctified.”[5] Startling. I’ll have more to read to you next time.

Listen, we need to understand something - the religious teachers of this world know that they are lying when they talk about Sunday. They know that they are not preaching the truth. They know that these things are not of God, but of men. That’s very important for us to understand concerning which day is the true Sabbath.

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