Why Christians Worship On Sunday

The feast of First Fruits accurately foretold the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This feast always takes place on the first day of the week. It is the first of three harvest feasts (Leviticus 23:10-11).

Early in the harvest season the people took a small handful of wheat or grain and gave it to the priest to offer as a wave offering before the Lord. This was a faith offering given in anticipation of the larger harvest, which was expected to come later. This feast was called First Fruits (Leviticus 23:10).

We saw in the feast of Passover, the physical death of Jesus Christ. This was absolutely necessary. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22).

We saw in the feast of Unleavened Bread the putting away of the Law of Moses. This was absolutely necessary. Grace was not possible under the law. The law had to go (Galatians 5:4).

That little handful of grain, waved before the Lord at the feast of First Fruits, represented much more than grain. It represented Jesus Christ rising from the dead—physically. This was absolutely necessary. Without the physical resurrection of Christ, we have no hope of a resurrection for ourselves (1 Corinthians 15:13-14, 1 John 3:2).

And the anticipated harvest represented much more than grain as well. It represented souls— saved souls, many of them, from down through the ages, being reunited with their bodies at the Resurrection of Life (John 5:29, 1 Corinthians 15:20).

What Was Jesus Resurrected Body Like?

Jesus was but the first of many to rise from the dead in a glorified physical body (Acts 26:23, Roman 8:29).

Question: Why was it necessary for Christ's body to rise from the grave? Do the scriptures really teach a literal physical resurrection of the man Christ Jesus rather than simply a spiritual one?

Answer: 2 John 7 says this: “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and an antichrist.”

The scriptures are clear, Jesus Christ cannot return in the flesh unless he first rose in the flesh.

The entire 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians deals with only one subject—the fact that unless Christ rose physically from the dead, we cannot possibly hope to. In light of that information, was it absolutely necessary for Christ's body to be raised?

Job said, “And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God” (Job 19:26).

The scriptures speak of believers who will never experience death, but the bodies they already have will be changed. In a moment of time they will be changed from mortal beings, capable of dying physically, to immortal beings that will never die again. Their mortal bodies, cursed to death because of Adam's sin, will instantly become glorious bodies free from the curse of sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

Jesus said, in John 2:19-22, that his body would die, but three days later that same body would live again. In fact, that was the proof he gave of his authority to be doing and teaching the things he did concerning eternal life and the Kingdom of God (John 2:18).

In order for us to attain a physical resurrection from the dead, as God promises in his word, it was absolutely necessary for Christ to attain a physical resurrection first.

When Jesus appeared in his resurrected body, everyone was alarmed. They thought they were seeing a spirit. Jesus’ response to this was to assure them it was he, himself. He pointed out that a spirit would not have flesh and bone like he did (Luke 24:36-40).

Acts 2:30-32 is very revealing as to the nature of his resurrected body. It reveals that Christ’s flesh saw no corruption. It reveals that genetically he died a descendant of David, and when he rose—he was still a genetic descendant of David. When he returns to this earth again, and sits on the throne of David—it will still be as a genetic descendant of David. And this is due to his physical resurrection from the dead. Verse 30 is very specific on this—according to the flesh, he (God) would raise up Christ to sit on his (David's) throne.

2 John 7 makes very clear that anyone who denies that the man, Jesus Christ, is returning in the flesh, is a deceiver and an antichrist.

1 John 4:3-4 goes into even more detail in identifying the spirit of antichrist. Verse 4 clearly states that anyone who denies that Jesus Christ is come is not of God.

The perfect tense, which verse 4 is written in, is not a present tense, although it does not exclude the present tense. The perfect tense encompasses all tenses (past present and future) and indicates permanence.

Jesus did not become the Christ when he was baptized and the Holy Spirit descended and remained upon him. He was born the Christ. The phrase is come, being framed in the perfect tense, tells us there was never a time in the past that Jesus was not the Christ, and there will never be a time in the future that he will not be the Christ. Jesus entered this world as, and always will be, the only Christ (Luke 2:11, 1 John 4:3-4).

Jesus, the only Christ, was born in the flesh, died in the flesh, rose in the flesh, ascended in the flesh, lives continually (remains perpetually) in the flesh, and will return in flesh.

**Recap: 1 John 4:3-4 & 2 John :7 tells us that in order to be of God, we must confess that Jesus was born the Christ (in the flesh), that the only Christ also died in the flesh, rose in the flesh, exists presently and perpetually in the flesh and most certainly will be returning in the flesh.

There is… one mediator between God and man—the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).

If anyone teaches eternal life is possible without the physical resurrection of Christ, they have no scriptural authority to be doing so. They are preaching another Jesus and an unauthorized gospel—not at all the same one the apostles preached. The real Jesus said his authority would be based upon the fact of his physical resurrection (2 Corinthians 11:3-4, Galatians 1:8, John 2:19-22).

What Will Our Resurrected Bodies Be Like?

1 John 3:2 should effectively answer any questions we may have on that subject. When we are raised, in incorruptible bodies, our bodies will be exactly like Christ’s—for the scriptures say we shall be like him.

When Thomas saw Jesus after his resurrection, he still had the wounds from his crucifixion. Jesus’ body could have been raised without scars, or any other blemish. But it is the opinion of this writer, that he kept his scars as reminders, through-out eternity, of his boundless love for us, and as proof of his life, death, resurrection and permanent existence as the man Christ Jesus (John 20:25-27, 1 Timothy 2:5).

Review Questions:

• What are the ungodly being destroyed from in 2 Thessalonians 1:9?
• In Ezekiel 28:16 what was the Covering Cherub destroyed from?
• What does Hebrew 10:1 tell us about the Mosaic Law?
• According to Luke 2:11 was Jesus born the Christ or did he become the Christ at some later date?
• According to Galatians 5:4, what will happen to Christ in our life if we attempt to maintain our salvation through obedience to the law?
• Galatians 3:23 tells us we were protected under the law until when?
• Did you read the entire book of Galatians?

Are you reading your Bible daily, always picking up today where you left off yesterday? If not, the book of John is a good place to start. A King James Bible with no footnotes is recommend.