Sabbath and Rest: John of Damascus on Sunday as the New Sabbath

John of Damascus (d. 749) articulated the theology behind the Christian shift from Saturday Sabbath to Sunday worship. He wrote: "We celebrate the Lord's Day because on it the Lord rose from the dead. It is the first day of the week, yet also the eighth day -- transcending the old creation and inaugurating the new." Sunday, for John, is not merely a replacement for the Jewish Sabbath but its fulfillment and transformation.

The "eighth day" concept was important to early Christians: the week has seven days, so the eighth day represents a new beginning beyond the old order. Sunday worship thus celebrates not only rest from labor but the new creation inaugurated by Christ's resurrection.

Practical application: On Sunday morning, take a moment before worship to reflect: "This is the day the Lord has made." Let Sunday be marked by resurrection joy -- not merely rest from work, but active celebration of new life. John of Damascus teaches that the Christian Sabbath is fundamentally celebratory, not merely prohibitive.