Why do we go to church on Sunday since Saturday is the Sabbath?
You are correct in saying that Saturday is the Sabbath. Let’s look at a couple of verses that show us that. Genesis 2:2-3 says, “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” Although the word ‘Sabbath’ is not used here to indicate the seventh day, it is in Exodus 16:26 as it speaks of gathering the manna when the children of God were in the wilderness. It says, “Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.” Under the law, the Israelites were to keep the Sabbath as a holy day. Exodus 20:8 says, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
However, the Lord Jesus fulfilled the law as He says in Matthew 5:17 – “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Paul tells us in Colossians 2:16 – “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days.” So, in this day of grace in which we live, we do not observe the Sabbath. In fact, we should not put one day above another. Each day is a day the Lord has made and we should live each day as unto the Lord. It is so wrong to think I should improve my behavior for one day out of each week. Scripture tells us in Colossians 3:23 – “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” That would mean each day of the week, we do all things heartily as to the Lord.
However, we do go to church on Sundays. Why? There are a number of scriptural reasons.
The Lord rose from the dead on the 1st day of the week. Luke 24:1-3 – “Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.”
The early church met on the 1st day of the week. Acts 20:7 – “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.”
Collections for the saints were to be taken up while gathering on the 1st day of the week. 1 Corinthians 16:2 – “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.”
The 1st day of the week is called, “The Lord’s Day” in Revelation 1:10 – “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.”
So we see that after the death of the Lord Jesus, emphasis was shifted from the last day of the week to the first day of the week. Although it is referred to as Sunday, it would be more fitting to call it The Lord’s Day, as we read in Revelation 1:10. (6.4)