Lord's Day Takeover [Trinity 25; St. Matthew 24:15-28]

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO HERE.

On this antepenultimate Sunday, that is the third before the last, our Lord speaks directly to us saying,

“Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.”

Last week, we discussed the importance of Sunday and how at first it was placed alongside the Sabbath day, in Apostolic times, as we continue to consider what a Land without a Sunday would be like in these Last Days that we live in. Therefore, today we consider the fact that the Sabbath is taken over by the Lord’s Day in importance, observance, and place in Church.

As time progressed for the Christians and more meditation was had upon what it means that Christ is the end of the law (Rom. 10:4), the Apostles had to face dilemmas regarding new converts, both Jews and pagans.

The challenge these new converts presented was the same for both groups: to what extent do we follow the Jewish laws and require non-Jews to do the same? Of course when we read the book of the Acts of the Apostles, we hear of the struggles on the point of circumcision, not eating unclean animals, and other such laws, however today we will only be specifically looking at the law of observing the Sabbath Day.

So far in our discussion, the Apostles are still trying to be good Jews and yet exalt Christ above all things. Yet, how are we able to do that when we are still clinging to the Sabbath day in simple, ritual observance? And what does God’s command actually mean when He demands we keep the Sabbath holy (Ex. 20:8)?

In Acts 15, this issue is taken up in the first council of Jerusalem. It is there that the question is asked, “Do believers need to observe the law of Moses?” St. Paul concludes his arguments saying that the law should not be observed. From verses 10 and 11: “Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

Of course, the “yoke on our necks” is the Law, which is unable to save but always accuses us in front of God. The Sabbath always accuses us, if only for the need to repeat it week after week. So it is that St. James, presiding bishop of Jerusalem, makes a declaration to not trouble those turning to God with these burdens. St. James uses the clear reasoning of holy Scripture which plainly saith that the Gentiles are called by God’s Name.

He quotes Amos 9 saying: “After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David hat has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name”

Who also agrees with King David who says: “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the Gentiles. I will be exalted in the earth.” (Ps. 46:10)

And with Isaiah who says: “In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance’” (Isa. 19:24-25). Egypt and Assyria, of course being filled with non-Jews.

The Gentiles are fellow heirs of the kingdom (Eph. 3:6). Why would they not be included in the promises of God? Why would something such as the observance of the Sabbath Day prevent them from becoming Christians? They will be blessed by God  in the future, thus saith the Lord, so they must be today, also, and now, in His Church.

So it is, with these passages and many others and the decisions of this ecumenical council, that the Sabbath day be overtaken by the new covenant and a new day be made for the great Divine Service: the Lord’s Day.

Now you thought I was going to say Sunday. Well, it just so turns out that Sunday just happens to be the best day to teach on this subject; to show forth the Lord’s Easter and teach about the Resurrection. But, it is not THE day. In fact, because the Lord’s Day is now an eternal day of Resurrection, it can be celebrated any day of the week; every day of the week.

In the Book of Revelation, St. John says that he was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day” (Rev. 1:10) when Jesus began to reveal to him this book of the Bible. So towards the end of the 1st century, the Sabbath has already been put away as a sign pointing to Jesus and His great work of Resurrection and replaced with the Lord’s Day.

We are not to give up meeting together (Heb. 10:25), but we are to keep the Sabbath Day holy by not despising preaching and the Lord’s Word, but holding it sacred and gladly hearing it and learning it. Which can now be done any, and every, day of the week. In Christ, we do not judge according to the observation of a Sabbath (Col. 2:16-17), but instead keep it holy by hearing the Word and receiving the Sacrament.

So it is that the 2nd century Christians encourage us, saying: “…every Lord's day gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure.” (Didache, 14) In fact, they considered it monstrous to practice any sort of Judaism altogether (St. Ignatius, Letter to the Magnesians 10:3).

Once again we see that the rest of the Sabbath pales in comparison to the eternal life and peace of the Lord’s Day. Not only is the Resurrection promise more important than Ritual, Sabbath observation, but it is even more important than the end of the world, if we are to take Jesus’ meaning from the Gospel heard today.

Jesus says to pray that your flight not be in winter or on the Sabbath. We understand the suffering that can occur on an outdoor trek in the middle of winter, but really how hard can a flight on the Sabbath be in comparison?

You must think about it in light of our new-found affection for the Lord’s Day. Not only would Sabbath become a day of work, violating the 3rd Commandment, but now the Christian would not be communing with his Lord an Savior.

Look at what is important to Jesus in the Gospel reading. It is not the Abomination, He never explains clearly what that is. What is important is what that Abomination interrupts. It interrupts family and home-time, it interrupts seasonal times, and most importantly it interrupts finding the Christ on His Sabbath of sabbaths.

This is what Jesus spends His time explaining to us in this Gospel reading. The horrible and unforgivable intrusion that this Abomination and even the Last Day wreaks on the normal, holy work of Christ’s people is the true danger of these final days before Christ Returns. Especially that it interrupts the seasonal, familial time spent in the Divine Service. 

In fact, this is the real meaning of “Abomination of desolation that stands in the holy place”. It is anything that removes your faith from you. It means being able to be offended by Sabbath Day violations and keep the faith. It even means being able to see Almighty God suffer and die on a cross and yet still believe.

It was eternally important for the Lord’s Day to overtake the Sabbath Day as central to the Faith. The Lord’s Day finally brings the promise of rest made on the Sabbath to fruition. What the Law could not accomplish, no matter how many people or times it was observed, Christ accomplishes for us on the cross, on His Day, and today in His Divine Service.