THE BEST DAY OF THE WEEK
by Mac Williams, Pastor
“We should look upon this day as
the best day in the week.”
- Thomas Watson
Which day of the week do you look forward to the most? Is it Friday because that is the last day of your workweek? Is it Saturday because that’s your day to do “fun” stuff? Or maybe its payday! What criteria do you use to determine which day of the week is the best day?
I would like to suggest that God has already determined for us what the best day of the week is. It’s Sunday! Not because of football games, time off from work, or a free day to do whatever you please. God has a whole different set of criteria than we do. One of the reasons we don’t value Sunday as we should is that we don’t really understand what is so special about it. But Christians above all people should understand the significance of this day. As a matter of fact the way we treat Sunday should be a witness to those around us. William Smith says, “the world ought to notice that this is one of the many ways in which Christians are different – they reserve a day for God and they enjoy it.”
What makes Sunday so special? Three very important reasons.
First of all, Sunday is a reminder of God’s sovereignty over all of creation.
In Exodus 20:11 we are given the reason that God says to “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy”. He says “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
Sunday is a reminder for us every week that God is the Creator. Every Sunday we are reminded that creation reveals the power, the wisdom, and the glory of God. As a result God specially blessed this day. In other words He made it the best day of the week.
Secondly, Sunday is a remembrance of the deliverance God has provided for His people. In Deuteronomy 5:15 we are given another reason for remembering the Sabbath day. “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.” Sunday is to be a reminder of God delivering the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. This deliverance, which culminated with the Passover observance using a sacrificial lamb, is a foreshadowing of the deliverance (i.e. salvation) that is available to us through Jesus Christ as the ultimate Passover Lamb. As a matter of fact the reason the early church began considering the Sabbath to be Sunday instead of Saturday was because it was on Sunday that Jesus, our Deliverer was resurrected from the dead. Every Sunday is to be a reminder of the finished work of Christ. That’s good news for sinners like us. It’s the best day of the week.
Third. Sunday is an anticipation of the eternal rest the people of God will receive in glory. In Hebrews 4:11 we read that “…there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” When we receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord we rest from our works, our attempts at trying to be right with God by our own deeds. Christ purchased righteousness for us and by faith, God puts that righteousness to our account. It is a righteousness that is perfect, it is complete. There is nothing we can do to add to this righteousness. We are able rest in our Savior.
There is also a heavenly rest that awaits God’s children. In heaven we are made like Christ. We will be glorified. Sunday, as a day of rest, is a reminder to us of the eternal rest that awaits us. What a glorious hope we have. That’s why we must keep this day holy. It’s the best day of the week.
The best way to keep the best day of the week is to meet in worship with the people of God at a local church. We would invite you to join us this Sunday as we honor God in worship.
“This day is called the Lord’s day, the day when He rose from the dead. The Lord’s Day – but some say every day is the Lord’s Day. Of course, for the sake of avoiding argument, this is absolutely true. But strictly speaking, no other day can so appropriately be called the Lord’s day, as the first day of the week. After all, no other day of the week, or of the year, has the same badges of the Lord'’ glory on it, such divine grace put on it, as the this first day of the week.” - John Bunyan