Remember Egyptian Bondage or Remember His Death?
It is obvious that Jesus went to the weekly gathering of the Jews in the synagogue. What most have failed to see is that the synagogue assembly on the Sabbath was never observed in the Old Testament. Synagogue worship began when the Jews were scattered by the Babylonian captivity in 536 B.C., and it was devised as a way for Jews to spend time together. Worshiping together on Saturday began a thousand years after God commanded to “remember the Sabbath.”
God revealed that the purpose of the Sabbath rest day was because the Jews had been slaves and had no rest. On each Saturday after they left Egypt they were to rest (Deut. 5:14-15). It was a holy day when an entire nation ceased working.
When Gentiles were united with the Jews under a new covenant, the bondage in Egypt had little significance. The New Testament does not command even one Christian to “remember the Sabbath.” There is something every Christian is commanded to do. In that upper room, Jesus told the disciples He would eat the Lord’s Supper with them in the church (Matt. 26:18). His command was, “Do this, in remembrance of Me.” Christians are not commanded to remember a day given to the Jews to remind them of a time when they had no rest. There is another event which is far greater for us to remember—His death and the salvation of the world found in His blood. The remembering of Egyptian bondage of the Old Testament is not worthy to be compared to the greatest day of history—the redemption of the world at the cross.
The apostles revealed when the church was to assemble to eat at His table. Study Paul’s first letter to Corinth. There was a time when the entire church assembled at the same time (1 Cor. 11:18; 14;19, 23, 26). Chapter 14 shows that in this assembly there was singing, praying and preaching (inspired preaching called prophecy). Chapter 16 shows that there was also giving when they assembled. Look carefully at chapter 11 to see Paul’s rebuke of them for not having the Lord’s Supper and then his instructions about how to properly eat the Lord’s Supper. The central purpose of their coming together was to eat the Lord’s Supper (11:33-34)!
Chapter 16 shows what day of the week they assembled. It was Sunday! We must do the same today. The Lord commanded us to remember Him at His table. The apostles show us how God revealed to them the day it should be done.
Sunday is not a holy rest day like the Old Testament Sabbath (rest) day. However, it is the day we fulfill His command to assemble and eat His supper. He commanded us to remember Him and then showed us how to do it!