Luke says that the women come to the tomb very early on the first day of the week. In Jewish weekly reckoning this is the day following the Sabbath.
The expression is the ancient way of locating what English-speaking readers call Sunday.
Jesus in Context
The First Day of the Week
Luke dates the women's return to the tomb to the first day of the Jewish week, the day after the Sabbath and the day that became central to Christian resurrection remembrance.
Introduction
Historical and Cultural Context
The Jewish Sabbath extended from evening to evening, and the first day began after the Sabbath ended. The women had rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment and then returned to the tomb with their spices.
All four Gospels place the discovery associated with Jesus' resurrection on the first day of the week. Early Christian sources subsequently show the first day acquiring distinctive significance for Christian gathering and worship.
Why It Matters
The calendar background clarifies Luke's sequence: burial before Sabbath, Sabbath rest, then the early-morning return on the following day.
The first day is therefore not an incidental date. It becomes permanently associated in Christian memory with the discovery that the tomb was empty and that Jesus had risen.