What Is the First Day of the Week in Luke 24? Does It Mean Sunday?

Understanding the Bible

This post is part of our Understanding the Bible series—short, clear explanations of common questions, phrases, images, and themes found in Scripture.

The goal is simple: to help you read the Bible more clearly by explaining what the text says, what it meant in its original context, and why it still matters today.

These studies are designed for personal Bible reading, small groups, teaching preparation, or anyone who wants to grow in biblical understanding without needing technical training.

What Is the First Day of the Week? What Does “Early Dawn” Mean in Luke 24?

Series: Understanding the Bible
Primary Texts: Luke 24:1–12, Matthew 28:1–10, Mark 16:1–8, John 20:1–18

This study is written in three tiers so you can read at your pace: (1) Quick Answer, (2) Simple Explanation, (3) Deep Dive & Apologetics.

Key to watch: Luke’s simple phrase, “the first day of the week, at early dawn,” has generated questions about the resurrection, the Sabbath, Sunday worship, the Greek text, and Hebrew Roots claims. By reading Luke in context—and comparing all four Gospels—we discover that the resurrection accounts are clear, historically grounded, and beautifully consistent.

Table of Contents


Quick Answer

The “first day of the week” in Luke 24 means Sunday.

After resting on the Sabbath, the women came to Jesus’ tomb very early the next morning. Luke calls this “the first day of the week, at early dawn” (Luke 24:1).

All four Gospels place the discovery of the empty tomb on this same day.

Big Idea: Luke is not creating a hidden calendar code or teaching that Sunday saves anyone. He is simply telling us when the empty tomb was discovered.

The biblical, historical, and linguistic evidence supports understanding “the first day of the week” exactly as our English Bibles translate it: Sunday, the day after the Sabbath.

↑ Back to top


Why This Question Matters

At first glance, Luke 24:1 seems almost too simple to deserve much attention.

“But very early on Sunday morning, just at dawn…”

Or, depending on your translation:

“On the first day of the week, at early dawn…”

Yet this single sentence has become one of the most discussed time markers in the New Testament.

Questions include:

  • Is the first day of the week really Sunday?
  • Does the Greek actually say “Sunday”?
  • Why do some people say it means “first of the Sabbaths”?
  • Could this refer to counting toward Pentecost?
  • Did Constantine later change the Sabbath into Sunday?
  • What exactly does “early dawn” mean?
  • Do the four Gospels contradict one another about the timing?

These are worthwhile questions.

Some arise from genuine Bible study. Others come from internet debates. Still others come from the growing influence of Hebrew Roots teaching.

One goal of this article is to help readers distinguish between good questions and unnecessary confusion.

We will discover that Luke’s statement is far less complicated than many modern discussions make it.

↑ Back to top


A Principle for Reading the Gospels

Whenever we study Scripture, one of the healthiest questions we can ask is:

“What would Luke’s original readers have naturally understood?”

Sometimes modern readers approach the Bible carrying questions that first-century readers would never have considered.

For example:

  • Was Constantine changing the Sabbath?
  • Was Sunday secretly a pagan day?
  • Does this phrase contain a hidden feast-day code?

Luke was not answering those questions.

Luke was writing a carefully researched historical account (Luke 1:1–4). His goal was to explain what happened.

Good interpretation begins with the author’s intended meaning before asking how the passage relates to later theological discussions.

That principle will guide our study.

↑ Back to top


The Four Resurrection Accounts

One of the strongest arguments for understanding the timing correctly is that all four Gospels describe the same basic sequence.

Gospel Time Marker
Matthew 28:1 After the Sabbath, toward dawn of the first day
Mark 16:2 Very early on the first day, when the sun had risen
Luke 24:1 On the first day of the week, at early dawn
John 20:1 Early on the first day, while it was still dark

Notice something remarkable.

None of the Gospel writers debate which day it was. Their attention is on what happened that morning.

The differences involve perspective and emphasis—not disagreement.

↑ Back to top


What Is the First Day of the Week?

The answer begins with the weekly pattern established in Scripture.

From Genesis onward, God established a seven-day rhythm:

  • Day One
  • Day Two
  • Day Three
  • Day Four
  • Day Five
  • Day Six
  • Day Seven — the Sabbath

For Jewish people, the Sabbath marked the end of the weekly cycle.

The day immediately following the Sabbath naturally became the first day of a new week.

Simple timeline:

Friday evening → Saturday evening = Sabbath

Saturday evening onward = First day of the new week

Sunday morning = The women arrive at the tomb

This is exactly the sequence described in the resurrection narratives.

Jesus was buried before the Sabbath. The women rested during the Sabbath. Then they returned to the tomb on the first day of the week.

↑ Back to top


Does the Greek Really Say “First Day of the Week”?

This is where many online discussions begin.

Luke writes:

τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων

tē mia tōn sabbatōn

Some Hebrew Roots teachers point out that the word sabbatōn is related to the word Sabbath. That observation is correct.

However, what they often do not explain is that language contains idioms—phrases whose meaning is understood by common usage rather than by translating each individual word woodenly.

Just as English speakers may say, “I’ll see you in a couple of days,” without meaning exactly forty-eight hours, first-century Jews commonly referred to the days of the week by counting from the Sabbath.

Virtually every major Greek lexicon recognizes μία τῶν σαββάτων as an idiomatic expression meaning “the first day of the week.”

In other words, the phrase is built around the Sabbath because Jews counted the days relative to the Sabbath. It is not evidence that Luke intended something other than Sunday.

↑ Back to top


Greek Word Study Box

Greek Term Basic Meaning How It Functions Here
μία / mia one / first Identifies the first day in the weekly sequence
σάββατον / sabbaton Sabbath / week In this idiom, refers to the week counted in relation to the Sabbath
μία τῶν σαββάτων literally, “one of the Sabbaths/weeks” Idiomatic expression meaning “the first day of the week”

A wooden word-for-word rendering can confuse the meaning of an idiom. The goal of translation is not merely to reproduce words, but to communicate the meaning of the phrase in context.

This is why English translations consistently render the phrase as “the first day of the week.”

↑ Back to top


How Jews Counted the Days of the Week

Unlike our modern calendars, Jews did not generally use names like Monday or Thursday.

Instead, the days were numbered around the Sabbath.

Biblical Pattern Modern Equivalent
First Day Sunday
Second Day Monday
Third Day Tuesday
Fourth Day Wednesday
Fifth Day Thursday
Sixth Day Friday
Sabbath Saturday

Understanding this simple pattern removes much of the confusion surrounding Luke 24.

↑ Back to top


What Does “Early Dawn” Mean?

Luke tells us the women came to the tomb “at early dawn.”

Matthew says it was “toward the dawn of the first day of the week.”

Mark writes that it was “very early on the first day of the week” and that the sun had risen.

John says Mary came early “while it was still dark.”

Some people see these descriptions and conclude the Gospel writers disagree.

But do they?

Not at all. Each writer is describing the same period of the morning from a slightly different perspective.

Think about leaving your house before sunrise. When you leave, it is still dark. As you travel, dawn begins. By the time you arrive, the sun may be appearing over the horizon.

None of those descriptions are contradictory. They simply describe different moments within the same early morning period.

That appears to be exactly what the Gospel writers are doing.

↑ Back to top


Do the Four Gospels Contradict One Another?

One common claim is that the resurrection accounts cannot be trusted because one Gospel says it was dark while another says the sun had risen.

But notice what each author is actually describing.

Gospel What It Describes
John Mary leaves while it is still dark.
Matthew The morning is breaking toward dawn.
Luke It is early dawn.
Mark The sun has risen by the time they arrive.

Instead of contradicting one another, the accounts fit together remarkably well.

John emphasizes when Mary began her journey. Mark emphasizes when the women reached the tomb. Matthew and Luke describe the transition between those two moments.

The more carefully we compare the Gospels, the less tension remains.

↑ Back to top


A Simple Timeline of Resurrection Morning

Putting the four Gospels together gives us a very reasonable reconstruction.

Friday Afternoon
Jesus dies and is buried before the Sabbath begins.

Saturday
The women rest on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

After Sabbath Ends
The women prepare or bring spices.

Before Sunrise Sunday
Mary Magdalene and the other women begin traveling toward the tomb.

Dawn / Sunrise
The women discover the stone rolled away and the tomb empty.

Resurrection Announcement
The angels announce that Jesus has risen.

Witness
The women report the news to the disciples.

Notice something important.

The Gospels never say Jesus rose at sunrise. They say the women discovered the empty tomb around sunrise.

Jesus had already risen before they arrived.

↑ Back to top


Had Jesus Already Risen?

Yes.

This is an important distinction.

The angel does not say, “He is rising.”

Nor does he say, “He has just risen.”

Instead he declares:

“He is not here. He has risen.”

The tomb was already empty when the women arrived. The resurrection itself occurred before they reached the tomb.

The resurrection was not witnessed. The empty tomb was.

This is why Christians celebrate an empty tomb rather than claiming to know the precise minute Jesus left it.

↑ Back to top


Why Do Some Hebrew Roots Teachers Reach a Different Conclusion?

One strength of good Bible study is understanding opposing viewpoints fairly before evaluating them.

Not every Hebrew Roots teacher argues the same way, but many make an argument similar to this:

The Hebrew Roots Argument

  • The Greek phrase contains the word sabbaton, which is related to Sabbath.
  • Therefore, some argue it should be translated more literally as “one of the Sabbaths” or “first of the Sabbaths.”
  • Some connect this to the counting of the Omer between Firstfruits and Pentecost.
  • Therefore, they argue the phrase may refer to Sabbath counting rather than Sunday.
  • Some then claim Sunday resurrection language is later church tradition rather than biblical teaching.

That argument deserves to be understood fairly.

However, there are several significant difficulties with it.

↑ Back to top


Why Most Biblical Scholars Disagree

1. The Phrase Had Become an Idiom

Language often uses expressions that cannot be understood by translating every word woodenly.

Nearly every major Greek lexicon recognizes μία τῶν σαββάτων as an idiomatic expression meaning “the first day of the week.”

This makes sense because Jewish people counted the days of the week in relation to the Sabbath.

2. The Immediate Context Is About Weekly Time

Luke has already told us:

  • Jesus died.
  • The women observed the burial.
  • They rested on the Sabbath.
  • Then they came on the first day.

Nothing in Luke suggests he suddenly changes from the weekly calendar to counting toward Pentecost.

Luke is giving the sequence of events from Jesus’ death to the empty tomb.

3. Luke 24:18–24 Confirms a Resurrection-Week Timeline

This point is often overlooked.

Later in the same chapter, Cleopas summarizes the events for the stranger walking with them on the road to Emmaus.

He refers to Jesus’ condemnation, crucifixion, the disciples’ disappointed hope, and the women’s report from the tomb.

Then he says:

“Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.”

That statement strongly confirms that Luke is thinking in terms of the immediate resurrection-week timeline.

Cleopas is not counting Sabbaths toward Pentecost. He is counting the days since Jesus’ death and burial.

Luke interprets Luke: Luke 24 connects “the first day of the week” with “the third day since these things happened.” The context is the chronology of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection—not the Omer count to Pentecost.

This matters because the Emmaus conversation occurs on the same day the women found the tomb empty.

Luke is intentionally keeping the reader inside the same resurrection-day sequence.

4. All Four Gospels Use the Same Basic Time Marker

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all identify resurrection morning with the first day of the week.

It would be unusual if all four Gospel writers expected readers to discover an obscure feast-counting argument rather than understand a simple weekly reference.

The repeated Gospel pattern is clear:

  • after the Sabbath,
  • on the first day of the week,
  • very early in the morning,
  • the women came to the tomb.

5. The Omer Count Is Not Luke’s Stated Concern

Leviticus 23 is important for understanding Israel’s calendar and the counting toward Pentecost.

But Luke 24 does not mention the Omer, Firstfruits, or Pentecost in verse 1.

Instead, Luke mentions the Sabbath, the first day, early dawn, the women, the spices, and the empty tomb.

In other words, Luke’s concern is narrative chronology. He is telling us when the women arrived.

The simplest reading remains the strongest one: the women came to the tomb on the day after the Sabbath—the first day of the week, Sunday.

↑ Back to top


Did the Early Church Recognize the First Day of the Week?

Once we understand that the women discovered the empty tomb on the first day of the week, another question naturally follows:

Did the earliest Christians recognize the first day of the week in any special way?

The New Testament suggests they did.

But we need to be careful with our wording.

Christians did not create Sunday in order to replace the resurrection. Christians gathered on the first day because Jesus rose from the dead on the first day.

The resurrection came first. Later Christian worship patterns developed in response to the resurrection.

So when we discuss Sunday gatherings, Acts 20, 1 Corinthians 16, early church history, or Constantine, we must remember that none of those things created the resurrection timeline.

The Gospels had already placed the discovery of the empty tomb on the first day of the week.

↑ Back to top


Acts 20:7 — Believers Gathered on the First Day

Acts 20:7 says:

“On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them…”

This passage shows that at least in Troas, believers gathered on the first day of the week for fellowship, breaking bread, and apostolic teaching.

Several details are worth noticing:

  • The believers are gathered together.
  • They are breaking bread.
  • Paul is teaching them.
  • The meeting occurs on the first day of the week.

Acts 20 does not say, “The Sabbath has now been replaced.” It simply shows believers gathering on the first day of the week.

The passage is evidence of early Christian first-day gathering, but it should not be forced to say more than it says.

It does not command Christians to worship only on Sunday. It does not forbid Jewish believers from observing Sabbath customs. It does not claim Sunday saves anyone.

It simply shows that the first day of the week had significance in the worship life of early Christians.

↑ Back to top


First Corinthians 16:2 — The First Day of Every Week

Paul also mentions the first day of the week in 1 Corinthians 16:2:

“On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up…”

Paul is giving instructions about a collection for believers in need.

His main subject is generosity, not the Sabbath.

Still, his wording is important.

Paul naturally refers to “the first day of every week” as a known and understandable time marker.

Some scholars believe this assumes Christians were already gathering on that day. Others believe Paul is instructing believers to set money aside privately at the beginning of each week.

Either way, the phrase itself is clear.

Paul is not using “first day of the week” as a hidden reference to a feast-counting system. He is using ordinary weekly language that his readers would understand.

↑ Back to top


What About “The Lord’s Day” in Revelation 1:10?

Revelation 1:10 says:

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day…”

Christians have long discussed what John meant by this phrase.

Many understand “the Lord’s Day” as a reference to Sunday, the day associated with Jesus’ resurrection. Others argue it refers to the future “Day of the Lord.” Still others think it simply refers to a day especially devoted to the Lord.

Because Revelation 1:10 does not define the phrase for us, we should be careful not to build more certainty than the text itself provides.

However one understands Revelation 1:10, it does not change the meaning of Luke 24:1.

The resurrection accounts are clear on their own terms. The women discovered the empty tomb on the first day of the week.

↑ Back to top


What Did the Earliest Christians Say?

After the New Testament period, early Christian writings begin to describe how believers gathered and worshiped.

These writings are not Scripture. They are not equal to the Bible. But they are historically useful because they show how Christians close to the apostolic age understood their worship practices.

The Didache — Late First or Early Second Century

The Didache reflects an early pattern of Christian gathering, confession, thanksgiving, and breaking bread.

“But every Lord’s day gather yourselves together, and break bread…”

This is not inspired Scripture, but it does show that gathered worship and breaking bread were already established very early in church history.

Ignatius of Antioch — Around AD 110

Ignatius is often discussed because some translations contrast Sabbath observance with “living in the observance of the Lord’s Day.”

“living in the observance of the Lord’s Day”

There is some scholarly debate about the exact translation and whether Ignatius means “Lord’s Day” or “Lord’s way/life.” For that reason, we should not lean on Ignatius as the single strongest proof text. Still, his letter shows early Christians were already thinking about their life and worship in light of Christ’s resurrection.

Justin Martyr — Around AD 150

Justin Martyr gives one of the clearest early descriptions of Christian Sunday gathering.

“on the day called Sunday”

Justin explains that Christians gathered on that day because it was associated both with creation’s first day and with the resurrection of Jesus. This matters because Justin wrote long before Constantine.

Early church history does not create doctrine, but it does show that Sunday gathering was not invented centuries later by Constantine.

The historical point is simple: Christians were connecting the first day of the week with resurrection-shaped worship long before Constantine issued any civil Sunday law.

↑ Back to top


Did Constantine Invent Sunday Worship?

A common claim in some Hebrew Roots circles is:

“Constantine changed the Sabbath to Sunday.”

This statement needs careful evaluation.

It is true that Constantine issued a Roman civil law in AD 321 recognizing Sunday as a day of rest.

But that does not mean Constantine invented Sunday worship.

The New Testament and early Christian writings already associate the first day of the week with Christian gathering long before Constantine.

Constantine did not write Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, or 1 Corinthians.

He did not create the phrase “first day of the week.” He did not move the resurrection from one day to another. He did not invent the empty tomb.

Whatever someone thinks about Constantine’s later policies, those policies cannot explain away the first-century testimony of the Gospels.

The resurrection accounts identify the empty tomb discovery as occurring on the first day of the week nearly three centuries before Constantine’s Sunday legislation.

↑ Back to top


Did Sunday Replace the Sabbath?

This is a larger theological question.

Christians have answered it in different ways.

Some argue that Sunday functions as the Christian Sabbath. Others argue that Sabbath observance is fulfilled in Christ and no longer binds believers under the New Covenant. Others believe Christians may honor the Sabbath while also gathering on Sunday.

Those discussions involve passages like Romans 14, Colossians 2, Hebrews 4, and the New Covenant.

But Luke 24 is not primarily answering that question.

Luke 24 is not a command about weekly worship. It is a historical report about resurrection morning.

That means we should keep categories clear.

  • Historical question: When did the women discover the empty tomb?
  • Theological question: How should Christians understand Sabbath and Sunday worship?

The first question is answered clearly in the Gospels. The women came on the first day of the week.

The second question requires a broader biblical discussion.

We should not make Luke 24 say less than it says or more than it says. It says the empty tomb was discovered on the first day of the week.

↑ Back to top


Common Myths About the First Day of the Week

Myth #1: Jesus rose at sunrise.

Reality: The Gospels say the women discovered the tomb around dawn or sunrise. Jesus had already risen before they arrived.

Myth #2: The Greek really means “first Sabbath,” not “first day of the week.”

Reality: The phrase uses Sabbath-related language because Jewish people counted days around the Sabbath. In context, the idiom means “the first day of the week.”

Myth #3: Constantine invented Sunday worship.

Reality: The resurrection accounts, Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2, and early Christian writers all predate Constantine.

Myth #4: The Gospels contradict each other about the time of day.

Reality: The Gospels describe the same early-morning window from different angles: while still dark, toward dawn, at early dawn, and around sunrise.

Myth #5: Saying Jesus rose on the first day means Sunday worship saves people.

Reality: No day of the week saves. Jesus saves. The first day matters because it is when the empty tomb was discovered and resurrection hope was announced.

↑ Back to top


Why Luke’s Timing Matters Theologically

Luke is not giving us empty calendar trivia.

He is locating the resurrection in real history, but the timing also carries beautiful theological meaning.

The first creation began with the first day.

The new creation is announced on the first day.

The first day of the week reminds us that the resurrection of Jesus is not merely the continuation of the old world. It is the beginning of new creation hope.

Jesus’ resurrection announces that sin and death do not have the final word.

A new creation has begun in Christ.

That does not mean Luke is turning Sunday into a means of salvation.

It means resurrection morning marks the beginning of something new: forgiveness, life, mission, and hope through the risen Jesus.

↑ Back to top


What This Article Is — And Is Not — Saying

This article is NOT saying:

  • Christians are saved by worshiping on Sunday.
  • Christians are forbidden from worshiping on Saturday.
  • The Sabbath was unimportant in Scripture.
  • Every Christian tradition agrees on Sabbath theology.
  • Constantine was irrelevant to later church history.
  • Sunday worship should replace the gospel itself.

This article IS saying:

  • Jesus rose before the women arrived at the tomb.
  • The women discovered the empty tomb on the first day of the week.
  • In the Gospel resurrection accounts, “the first day of the week” means Sunday.
  • The New Testament shows early Christians gathering on the first day of the week.
  • Early Christian writings confirm first-day gathering long before Constantine.
  • Luke 24 should be interpreted in its own historical context before being pulled into later controversies.

The question is not whether Sunday saves anyone. It does not. The question is whether Luke means Sunday when he says “the first day of the week.” He does.

↑ Back to top


What We Can Say with Confidence

We can say:

  • The Sabbath was the seventh day.
  • The first day of the week was the day after the Sabbath.
  • In modern terms, the first day of the week is Sunday.
  • The women came to the tomb very early on the first day of the week.
  • “Early dawn” describes the transition from darkness to daylight.
  • The tomb was already empty when the women arrived.
  • Luke 24:18–24 supports a death-burial-resurrection timeline, not an Omer-counting framework.
  • The New Testament shows early Christians gathering on the first day of the week.
  • Constantine did not invent the resurrection timing.

We should be careful about saying:

  • Luke 24 is mainly about replacing the Sabbath.
  • Christians are saved by observing Sunday.
  • Revelation 1:10 must be used as the strongest proof text for Sunday worship.
  • The Greek phrase cannot mean “first day of the week.”
  • The Gospels contradict each other about resurrection morning.
  • Constantine created Sunday resurrection language.

The safest conclusion is clear: the women discovered the empty tomb early Sunday morning, the first day of the week.

↑ Back to top


What This Means for Us

1. The resurrection is rooted in history.

Luke gives time markers because he is reporting real events. Jesus truly died, truly was buried, and truly rose from the dead.

2. Context protects us from confusion.

When we read Luke 24 in its own flow, the meaning of “first day of the week” becomes clear.

3. We should not let modern controversies override the text.

Sabbath and Sunday discussions matter, but they should not cause us to rewrite Luke’s plain resurrection chronology.

4. The first day points to resurrection hope.

The women came expecting death. They left with the announcement of life.

↑ Back to top


The Gospel Connection

The women came early Sunday morning expecting to find a body.

Instead, they found an empty tomb.

“He Is Not Here. He Has Risen.”

Jesus had truly died.

Jesus had truly been buried.

Jesus had truly risen.

The resurrection means the cross was not defeat.

It means sin has been paid for.

Death has been conquered.

Jesus is alive.

Christian hope is not based on a calendar argument, but on the risen Christ who conquered the grave.

The first day of the week points us to the beginning of resurrection hope.

The old creation was marked by sin and death. The risen Jesus brings new creation, forgiveness, and eternal life.

↑ Back to top


Key Takeaways

  • The first day of the week means Sunday in the resurrection accounts.
  • Early dawn describes the early morning transition from darkness to daylight.
  • The Gospels do not contradict each other about the timing of the empty tomb discovery.
  • The Greek phrase uses Sabbath-related language because Jews counted the week in relation to the Sabbath.
  • Luke 24:18–24 confirms a resurrection-week timeline, not an Omer-counting framework.
  • Constantine did not invent Sunday resurrection language; the New Testament predates him by centuries.
  • Sunday does not save anyone; Jesus saves.
  • The first day matters because Jesus had risen, and the empty tomb announced the beginning of resurrection hope.

Bottom Line

What is the first day of the week?

In Luke 24 and the resurrection accounts, it means Sunday—the day after the Sabbath.

What does early dawn mean?

It means very early in the morning, as darkness was giving way to daylight.

Could “the first day of the week” mean something other than Sunday in Luke 24?

The biblical context, Greek idiom, Gospel harmony, and early Christian witness all point to the same answer: no.

The women came to the tomb after the Sabbath, early on Sunday morning, and found that Jesus had risen from the dead.

That is the point.

Not a hidden calendar theory.

Not a later pagan replacement.

Not a contradiction between the Gospels.

The first day of the week was resurrection morning.

Jesus was not in the tomb.

He had risen.

↑ Back to top


Keep Understanding the Bible Better

At More Than Sunday Mornings, our goal is to provide clear, trustworthy, and practical biblical teaching for everyday Christians.

Subscribe below to receive newly released:

  • Bible study resources
  • Understanding the Bible posts
  • Commentaries and sermon helps
  • Discipleship tools and ministry resources

No spam — just thoughtful resources to help you know Scripture, follow Christ, and grow in your faith.



Leave a Reply

Powered by WordPress.com.

Up ↑

Discover more from

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading