1. “When therefore it was evening on that day, the first day of the week...where the disciples were...Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them...Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:19, 22).
On the day of the Lord’s resurrection, the first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together in the evening, and the Lord came and appeared to them to breathe into them the Holy Spirit of life. On the first day of the week, the disciples were meeting after the Lord’s death and resurrection, and the Lord appeared to them. On this day the Holy Spirit of life was received. This shows that the Lord wants His disciples to meet together on the first day of the week because this day signifies His resurrection. It signifies that the old creation has passed away and that His resurrection is the beginning of the new creation. This principle tells us that when we meet, we must be in His resurrection in order to receive the Lord’s appearing and receive the Holy Spirit of life.
1. “After eight days, His disciples were again within... Jesus came...and stood in the midst” (John 20:26).
On the second first day of the week following the Lord’s resurrection, which is called the eighth day in John 20:26, the disciples were again gathered together, and the Lord again appeared to them. Thus, on the first day of the week, when the disciples were again gathered, the Lord again appeared to them. His appearing to them was a solid confirmation that He wanted them to meet on the day of His resurrection because it signifies the meaning of His redemption.
1. “As the day of Pentecost was being fulfilled, they were all together in the same place. And suddenly there was a sound out of heaven, as of a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting...And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:1-2, 4).
The Holy Spirit of life was received on the day of the Lord’s resurrection; the Holy Spirit of power descended on the day of Pentecost. The day of the Lord’s resurrection was the first day of the week, and the day of Pentecost was also the first day of the week. It was the eighth first day of the week following the passage of seven weeks, meaning it was the first day of the eighth week following the completion of seven weeks. Thus, the Lord’s resurrection, the receiving of the Holy Spirit of life, and the descending of the Holy Spirit of power all occurred on the first day of the week. The receiving of the Holy Spirit of life on the day of the Lord’s resurrection and the descending of the Holy Spirit of power on the day of Pentecost indicate that the first day signifies God’s work in the New Testament age. The Lord’s resurrection brought all things into a new realm, a new beginning. The receiving of the Holy Spirit of life, which enabled believers to obtain the life of Christ so that they could become members of His Body, and the descending of the Holy Spirit of power, which produced the church as the Body of Christ, were new beginnings. These new beginnings are signified by the first day of the week. Therefore, this day is a special day in the New Testament.
1. “On the first day of the week, when we gathered together to break bread” (Acts 20:7).
According to Acts 20:6 Paul and those who were with him stayed in Troas for seven days. Although they stayed in Troas for seven days, they broke bread only on the first day of the week. This is very significant. Because the first day of the week is the day on which God completed, accomplished, His full redemption, the Holy Spirit led the New Testament saints to carry out their service and worship to Him on this day. The first item of service and worship to God is the breaking of bread. The New Testament saints met to break bread to show that they were redeemed, their sins were forgiven, they were joined to Christ, they were members of His Body, and they were one Body in Christ. The best day to signify these things was the first day of the week because Christ’s resurrection, the receiving of the Holy Spirit of life for people to become the members of His Body, and the descending of the Holy Spirit of power to produce the church as the Body of Christ were all accomplished on this day. Moreover, when the New Testament believers break bread, they are in resurrection, so breaking bread on the day of the Lord’s resurrection is most in accordance with the spiritual significance of resurrection.