The “Lord’s Day” may or may not be John’s indication that Sunday, being the first day of the week, is a day of worship. But he may also be pointing to the future day of the Lord often spoken of in Scripture. The New Testament never indicates that Sunday is the Lord’s day. Traditionally his term became common in the late first century or sometime in the second century.  Because the early Christians rest and worship on the first day this has continued for… two thousand years?

The Lord’s Day is not to be confused with the Day of the Lord. The Lord’s Day is Sunday. The term Lord’s Day is used only once in the Word of God where John writes in Revelation 1:10-11, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day when I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, saying: “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches—to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” NASB. Indeed, we can say that first-century Christians were using the expression.

God is not interested in our rituals and Isaiah writes, “To you this entire prophetic revelation is like words in a sealed scroll. When they hand it to one who can read and say, “Read this,” he responds, “I can’t, because it is sealed.” Or when they hand the scroll to one who can’t read and say, “Read this,” he says, “I can’t read.” The Lord says, “These people say they are loyal to me; they say wonderful things about me, but they are not really loyal to me. Their worship consists of nothing but man-made ritual.” Isaiah 29:11-13.

We normally think of the Lord’s Day as Sunday, but it is not to be connected to the Jewish Sabbath and not to be seen as the “Christian Sabbath.” Certainly, we should recognize one day for rest to honor the Risen Lord on the first day of the week. As born-again Followers of the Risen Christ, we may worship Him on any day.

My purpose for all of this is simple. Yes, today may be Super Bowl Sunday, but let us not forget that we Christians must remember who we are and Whose we are…this is the day we celebrate the Risen Lord.

Jesus remains Lord.