Celebrating Easter Every Sunday
Scripture Reading — Hebrews 10:19-25
Let us hold … to the hope we profess … And let us … not [give] up meeting together …
Hebrews 10:23-25
“There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins. And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains” (William Cowper, 1772). The author of Hebrews connects the cleansing work of Jesus with believers’ meeting in worship. Since we gain entry to God’s presence through Jesus’ blood, we ought to take advantage and “draw near to God.” And we encourage each other by doing it regularly.
Worshiping God was common from the earliest days after Jesus’ death and resurrection. It continued the familiar Old Testament practice—“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs” (Psalm 100:2). So even when the church scattered, Christians gathered regularly on the first day of the week.
Sunday worship began because Jesus rose to life again on the first day of the week. He also appeared to his disciples on that first Easter Sunday and again the following Sunday. Then, fifty days after the Sabbath of Passover, the Spirit was poured out on Pentecost Sunday. So powerful in memory and central to faith is Jesus’ rising on Sunday that the usual Jewish practice of Saturday rest and worship was replaced with Christian worship on the first day of the week.
So let’s gather and worship this Sunday—and the next, and every Sunday.
Father God, impress on us the importance of worshiping you and encouraging brothers and sisters in Christ this Sunday. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
About the author — John Rozeboom
Rev. John Rozeboom is a retired pastor of the Christian Reformed Church and a former director of Christian Reformed Home Missions. Currently he is coaching and supporting elders, ministers, and a congregation in mission. John and Linda Rozeboom live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and they have two married children and five grandchildren.
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