Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
When Nehemiah had finished building the wall, he held a huge celebration for the Jews of Jerusalem. The highlight of the celebration and the main point of it all was the public reading of the Torah of Moses. The Word of God brought forth tears of sorrow (repentance by the Law) and tears of joy (faith in the Gospel), because they heard the Word with understanding. The Lord convicted the hearers of sin and guilt and of forgiveness and mercy. V. 8: “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.”
This sounds like what we get to experience every Sunday, or “Holy Day.” Nehemiah miah and Ezra said, “This day is holy unto the Lord your God.” What makes it holy? The Word read with understanding makes it a holy day. Thus Luther changed the Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath Day,” to a NT meaning, “Sanctify the holy day.” What makes Sunday a holy day? The Word is read with understanding. The Bible is read aloud and the sermon gives the meaning; the Gospel is given in Word and Sacrament.
This is what makes Sunday a special day: we hear the gospel. Then what happens? We go our way, eat, drink, and give gifts of good works. We go out of the church service smiling and rejoicing. For we have this promise: the joy of the Lord is your strength. And we are good to go for another week, reinforced with daily devotions. We have God’s Joy and God’s Strength.