Lewis
Member
Did Christ Rise On Saturday Or Sunday?
Most denominational people will agree that Jesus Christ rose from the dead on Sunday, but
there are those in the religious community who deny this fundamental point. Some argue that Jesus
rose on Saturday, and as a result, they worship on Saturday, the seventh day of the week, just as the
Jews did in the Old Testament. This disagreement concerning the day of Christ’s resurrection
revolves around the subject of the Sabbath day. In this short article, we will address both issues and
resolve the matter once and for all.
First, we must recognize that Christians are not bound to keep the Sabbath day. When Jesus
died for our sins, He nailed the requirements of the law of Moses to the cross. Paul confirms this
point in Colossians 2:14-16 when he says, “Blotting out the handwriting of requirements that was
against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross...Let no man
therefore judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the
Sabbath days.†It is clear from this passage alone that Christians have been freed from the bondage
of the law of Moses. We are not bound to keep the Sabbath. Many New Testament passages show
that the old law has been replaced (Acts 15:10; 2 Cor. 3:3-9; Gal. 5:1-4; Heb. 8:13). Under the new
covenant, Christians are to observe the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2), not the
Sabbath. Some want to distinguish between the law of Moses and the law of God in the Old
Testament, but their efforts are in vain when we consider verses like Ezra 7:6 and Nehemiah 10:29.
With this doctrinal point behind us, let us move onto the true purpose of this article- did Jesus
Christ rise on Saturday or Sunday? To establish that Jesus rose on Sunday, we will consider two
accounts of His resurrection from the gospel letters.
First notice the resurrection account in Mark 16. Several points are made here which prove
conclusively that Jesus rose on Sunday, not Saturday. It says in verse one, “And when the Sabbath
was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices,
that they might come and anoint Him.†What day is it? The first day of the week, as the Sabbath had
already past. Seventh-Day Adventists will argue that while the women came to the tomb early on
Sunday, that Jesus had already risen on Saturday. But their theory falls apart when the remainder of
the chapter is considered. Notice verse nine, “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the
week.†This proves that Jesus rose on Sunday, the first day of the week.
The account in Luke, however, is much more powerful and effective. Let us notice several
verses throughout the chapter, beginning in verse one. It says in Luke 24:1, “Now upon the first day
of the week.†This verse is short and simple. As with the account in Mark, the first day of the week
is under consideration. In verse seven, angels reminded the women of Jesus’ words when He said,
“The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day
rise again.†Jesus would rise the third day, and we find that Sunday was the third day since His death.
Finally, consider verse 21, “But we trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel:
and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done.†This proves conclusively that
Jesus rose on Sunday. Not only is the first day of the week, NOT the Sabbath, under consideration
here, but reference is made to it being the third day since Jesus’ death, the foretold day of His
resurrection.
Our Lord died on Friday, the day before the Sabbath. In John 19:31, we are told that “The
Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on
the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be
broken, and that they might be taken away.†When they came to Christ, He was already dead. They
took Him down from the cross before the Sabbath began and was buried. Three days later, as seen
in Luke 24, Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week- Sunday. Who can deny these
simple points? Only those who wish to bind the Sabbath and force the Bible to fit their doctrine
by Casey Head
http://www.lookingtojesus.com/resources ... Sunday.pdf
Most denominational people will agree that Jesus Christ rose from the dead on Sunday, but
there are those in the religious community who deny this fundamental point. Some argue that Jesus
rose on Saturday, and as a result, they worship on Saturday, the seventh day of the week, just as the
Jews did in the Old Testament. This disagreement concerning the day of Christ’s resurrection
revolves around the subject of the Sabbath day. In this short article, we will address both issues and
resolve the matter once and for all.
First, we must recognize that Christians are not bound to keep the Sabbath day. When Jesus
died for our sins, He nailed the requirements of the law of Moses to the cross. Paul confirms this
point in Colossians 2:14-16 when he says, “Blotting out the handwriting of requirements that was
against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross...Let no man
therefore judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the
Sabbath days.†It is clear from this passage alone that Christians have been freed from the bondage
of the law of Moses. We are not bound to keep the Sabbath. Many New Testament passages show
that the old law has been replaced (Acts 15:10; 2 Cor. 3:3-9; Gal. 5:1-4; Heb. 8:13). Under the new
covenant, Christians are to observe the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2), not the
Sabbath. Some want to distinguish between the law of Moses and the law of God in the Old
Testament, but their efforts are in vain when we consider verses like Ezra 7:6 and Nehemiah 10:29.
With this doctrinal point behind us, let us move onto the true purpose of this article- did Jesus
Christ rise on Saturday or Sunday? To establish that Jesus rose on Sunday, we will consider two
accounts of His resurrection from the gospel letters.
First notice the resurrection account in Mark 16. Several points are made here which prove
conclusively that Jesus rose on Sunday, not Saturday. It says in verse one, “And when the Sabbath
was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices,
that they might come and anoint Him.†What day is it? The first day of the week, as the Sabbath had
already past. Seventh-Day Adventists will argue that while the women came to the tomb early on
Sunday, that Jesus had already risen on Saturday. But their theory falls apart when the remainder of
the chapter is considered. Notice verse nine, “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the
week.†This proves that Jesus rose on Sunday, the first day of the week.
The account in Luke, however, is much more powerful and effective. Let us notice several
verses throughout the chapter, beginning in verse one. It says in Luke 24:1, “Now upon the first day
of the week.†This verse is short and simple. As with the account in Mark, the first day of the week
is under consideration. In verse seven, angels reminded the women of Jesus’ words when He said,
“The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day
rise again.†Jesus would rise the third day, and we find that Sunday was the third day since His death.
Finally, consider verse 21, “But we trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel:
and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done.†This proves conclusively that
Jesus rose on Sunday. Not only is the first day of the week, NOT the Sabbath, under consideration
here, but reference is made to it being the third day since Jesus’ death, the foretold day of His
resurrection.
Our Lord died on Friday, the day before the Sabbath. In John 19:31, we are told that “The
Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on
the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be
broken, and that they might be taken away.†When they came to Christ, He was already dead. They
took Him down from the cross before the Sabbath began and was buried. Three days later, as seen
in Luke 24, Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week- Sunday. Who can deny these
simple points? Only those who wish to bind the Sabbath and force the Bible to fit their doctrine
by Casey Head
http://www.lookingtojesus.com/resources ... Sunday.pdf
:yes 
