Christ’s Meetings After His Resurrection—When Were They Held? Did He Sanction Fishing on Sunday?
By I. A. Crane
No one in this day seems to doubt that the seventh day was once the Sabbath and was observed by all sincere worshipers of the true God. A great many honest people, however, have become greatly perplexed over what purports to be a transfer of the day of worship from the seventh to the first day of the week. Many ministers confidently affirm that Jesus honored the first day by always meeting with His disciples on that day, thus showing preference for Sunday as a day of worship.
Fishing Day — Day Not Known
THEY ASSEMBLED THROUGH FEAR
For the benefit of all honest seekers after truth, the accompanying diagram is presented. It will be seen, from this diagram, that the disciples gathered in their room at the close of the day upon which Jesus had risen from the dead. John 20:19. The place of this meeting was the upper room where they abode while in Jerusalem. Acts 1:13. Their Lord had been slain, and they themselves were accused of having stolen the body of Christ. Fearing further violence from the Jews, they sought their room as evening drew on, and shut themselves in. Evening is the time of the going down of the sun. Mark 1:32.
With the doors securely fastened, we can comprehend why they were so startled when Jesus suddenly appeared in their midst. Luke 24:36, 37. We are not told how long this first meeting lasted; but it evidently continued till late in the evening of the second day, which had begun as the sun went down.
WHEN DOES THE DAY BEGIN?
It seems difficult for many people to understand that one Bible day ends and another begins at the going down of the sun. They cannot grasp the fact that Sabbath evening is the night before Sabbath, and that first-day evening is the night before the first day. They well understand that Christmas eve is the night before Christmas, and Halloween is the night before Allhallow. Let such be assured that in Bible reckoning, all the twelve hours of night belong to the following day. God said, “From even to even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.” Lev. 23:32.
The first day closed, and the second day began, at sundown when Christ held His first meeting with His disciples. Men now call this Sunday night, but God calls it the evening of the second day of the week, our Monday. See Gen. 1:5, 8.
The second meeting, being after eight days, as shown in the diagram, could not have been earlier than the evening of Tuesday, the third day of the next week. This is now called Monday night.
DID THEY FISH ON SUNDAY?
The third meeting is recorded in John 21:1-14. Verse 14 says this was the third time that Jesus met with His disciples after He arose from the dead. If, as many ministers aver, Jesus met His disciples every time on Sunday, then of course this meeting was on Sunday. Those who make this assertion, certainly ought not to try to enforce laws against Sunday labor, especially against fishing; for the disciples were fishing at the time of this meeting, and Jesus told them where to cast the net.
Ascension day was another time when Jesus met with His disciples. This is recorded in Acts 1:1-13. Verse 3 states that He was with them forty days. As the illustration shows, this meeting was on Thursday.
With these plain facts before us, how can we honestly assert that Christ met with His disciples only on Sunday, or that He honored that day by special meetings?
THE LORD’S SUPPER ON SUNDAY
Another equally unscriptural doctrine is the claim made by many to-day, that the early disciples honored Sunday by meeting that day to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. The only Scripture used in support of this theory is Acts 20:7. But again the proof is wanting. This text does not say they celebrated the Lord’s Supper on that day. It says they came together to “break bread.” They broke bread daily. Acts 2:46.
Even if it could be proved that breaking bread here means the Lord’s Supper, this solitary meeting certainly could not make that day the Sabbath, or Lord’s day.
INSTITUTED ON THURSDAY NIGHT
We have positive evidence that Jesus celebrated the Lord’s Supper the night before He was crucified, which is now called Thursday night. That night and the day following surely have far greater claims for sacredness than has Sunday. On that night, Jesus celebrated the Lord’s Supper with the disciples; and on the day following, He consummated by His death the greatest of all acts in the plan of salvation. Yet no one claims that these stupendous events occurring on the sixth day have made that day sacred.
The breaking of bread spoken of in Acts 20:7 does not even bear proof that it was the Lord’s Supper, or that it occurred, or was intended to occur, on what is now called Sunday. The meeting was a night meeting, and Paul preached until midnight. If we take the Bible reckoning, they came together at sundown Saturday night. While Paul was preaching, his company set sail for Assos. Verse 13. If, however, as some allege, this was a Sunday night meeting, then they did not break bread on Sunday at all, but sometime between midnight and Monday morning. See verse 11.
Shall we set aside the plain command of294God which says the seventh day is the Sabbath, and be satisfied with the groundless claim for Sunday sacredness? The New Testament shows that the Sabbath had passed when the first day began. Matt. 28:1 and Mark 16:1, 2. We have also the example of those early Christians who kept the Sabbath according to the commandment and went about their work on Sunday morning. Luke 23:56; 24:1.
