Monday, May 22, 2017
Luke 24:1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.
WHAT IS NEEDED?
Perhaps you have heard it said that "every Sunday is a little Easter." And surely the Resurrection was a reason for choosing the first day of the week as a worship day. However, in the early centuries of the New Testament era, some wanted to celebrate Easter on the same date every year (as we do with Christmas), no matter what day of the week that fell on. The bishop of Rome declared that all the churches must celebrate Easter on the same day, and at the end of the fourth century the Emperor Theodocious passed a law that threatened death to those who held Easter worship on a different day. Do you think that was needed?
And what about time of service? You know, the women did not *need* to go to the tomb at dawn. They had prepared the spices already on Friday afternoon. When the Sabbath was over at sundown, they probably thought it too dark to go into a tomb, so they waited about twelve hours until the first day of the week, until the sky was starting to get gray. But they didn't *need* to go right then. After waiting that long, they could have waited another hour. They could have waited until 8:00 or 10:05. No doubt, however, they could think of nothing better to do at dawn because of their great love for Jesus. That love was something they definitely did need in order to start out just before dawn, while it was still dark. Lord, help us so to love you always!
