Contra messianics and other "seventh-day" groups, the Bible nowhere teaches the Sabbath was, is, and will always be the seven day of the week. They wish to have Exodus 20 read like this:
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the Sabbath day is the seventh day of the week."
Of course Exodus doesn't say that. It plainly says the seventh day is the Sabbath. And so it was under the old covenant. Exodus is laying down the principle of one day in seven rest. Sabbath means "rest". The seventh day was the day of rest under the old covenant. This, or course, was a picture of our eternal rest in the finished work of Christ (Heb. 4:9).
"Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death." (Exodus 31:15)
The "seventh day" argument twists the meaning of the Sabbath texts to say something is plainly does not say. Jesus makes that clear when He declared.
"And He said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.'" (Mark 2:27,28)
The Lord of the Sabbath had the prerogative to change the day of the week that was the Sabbath from the last day to the first. This He did but rising from the dead on the first day of the week, gathering with His disciples after the resurrection on the first day of the week, and His apostles meeting with the flock, breaking bread, and hearing their teaching on the first day of the week.
Jesus truly is the Lord of the Sabbath. The vestiges of the old, decayed and putrefied covenant have been totally set aside. Not longer do we worship God through human priests. No longer to we need to come to a physical temple with bloody sacrifices. No longer do we find our Sabbath rest on the last day of the week. Jesus is our Sabbath rest, and by rising on the first day He reminds those who truly worship Him on that day of all He has accomplished on their behalf.
You know, topcat54....you seem like a good guy and I have enjoyed this discourse with you very much. But you are incorrect here also. The Messiah came out of that tomb at sunset on the Sabbath and I don't think you want to try and argue that with me scripturally. It was the traditions of men that caused the institution of Sunday worship....not the Word of God.
Exo 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
Exo 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
This seems pretty clear. It is a sign between the Lord and the children of Israel...FOR EVER. It is a PERPETUAL covenant. The seventh day, the sabbath of the Lord.
The Lord of the Sabbath had the prerogative to change the day of the week that was the Sabbath from the last day to the first. This He did but rising from the dead on the first day of the week, gathering with His disciples after the resurrection on the first day of the week, and His apostles meeting with the flock, breaking bread, and hearing their teaching on the first day of the week.
You're got the traditional explanation down pat. However, nowhere in scripture is the 7th day sabbath changed to any other day. The 7th day was never made unholy or desanctified by anyone, much less Jesus.
Historically, the sabbath was changed by the early Roman church for a variety of reasons. The Roman church changed it on its own authority. They believe that they are the true church of God and have the authority to change it. Protestant churches apparently go along with this notion because it has become entrenched in history and tradition. I would recommend that you study the issue.