Sunday is a holy day that deserves our reverence.
It is evident that Luke 4:19 provides a contextual link to Isaiah 58 within the New Testament church era, specifically when Jesus embarked on the journey to the cross to
atone for the sins of His chosen ones.
Isa 58:3-7 KJV – 3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. 4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? 6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? 7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, – Luke 4:18 KJV
This parallels Luke 4:19 (KJV): “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord,” reinforcing the theme between Isaiah 58 and Jesus’ mission during the pivotal period of the New Testament.
Isaiah 58:13-14 KJV – 13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: 14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. – Psalm 37:4 KJV
And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. – Acts 20:7 KJV
The day of Pentecost was on a Sunday where about three thousand souls became saved.
Acts 2:1, 41 KJV – 1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. … 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Leviticus 23:15-16 KJV – 15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: 16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
The New Testament marked the dawn of a new era for Sabbaths.
In the end of the sabbath,[G4521] as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week,[G4521] came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. – Matthew 28:1 KJV
Jay P. Green’s Literal Translation gives a more accurate translation for the word sabbath(sabbaton) which is strongs G4521. In this context it should be translated as the plural word Sabbaths since strongs G4521 can be translated as either a singular or a plural word.
But after the sabbaths[G4521], at the dawning of the first of the sabbaths[G4521], Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the grave.