The Greek phrase mia sabbaton, often translated as the first day of the week, appears in several New Testament accounts related to the day of Christ's post-resurrection appearance, as seen in Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1, and John 20:1, 19. Notably, sabbaton is plural, indicating not just a single day like Sunday, but the first of the weeks in the count to the Feast of Weeks. Beyond the gospels, mia sabbaton is also found in I Corinthians 16:1-2 and Acts 20:7, where it literally reads as upon the first of the weeks, underscoring its connection to Wavesheaf Day rather than merely a specific day like Saturday night or Sunday. In Acts 20:6-7, the timing of events surrounding mia sabbaton is clarified through a re-examination of the Greek word meta, often translated as after but more accurately meaning into the midst of or among. This suggests that Paul and his company arrived in Troas among the Days of Unleavened Bread, staying seven days until mia sabbaton, identified as Wavesheaf Day, which occurred on a Sunday immediately following the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This usage of mia sabbaton in Acts demonstrates that Wavesheaf Day, the first day in the count to the Feast of Weeks, can occur outside the Feast of Unleavened Bread, aligning with certain historical practices of the time.

The Greek phrase mia sabbaton, found in Matthew 28:1 and parallel accounts in Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1, John 20:1, and John 20:19, is translated as "first day of the week," but literally means "the first of the weeks" due to the plural form of sabbaton. This phrase signifies Wavesheaf Day, marking the beginning of the seven-week count to Pentecost, and occurred on the Sunday following the Sabbath during the Days of Unleavened Bread when Jesus Christ appeared to His disciples. The plural form of sabbaton highlights the significance of this day as the start of the weeks, a detail often obscured by translators rendering it as merely the first day of the week. Additionally, in Acts 20:6-7, the same phrase mia sabbaton appears, indicating Wavesheaf Day when Paul and the disciples gathered to break bread after the Sabbath, during a journey that arrived in Troas in the midst of the Days of Unleavened Bread. The Greek word meta, translated as "after," more accurately means "into the midst of" or "among," clarifying that their arrival and subsequent seven-day stay aligned with the Wavesheaf Day falling on the Sunday right after the Days of Unleavened Bread. This instance confirms that the weekly Sabbath must fall within the Days of Unleavened Bread, while Wavesheaf Day can occur just outside this period.

The phrase mia sabbaton appears in the gospel accounts of Jesus Christ's post-resurrection appearances. In Mark 16:9 the term mia denotes one or first while sabbaton renders the plural form of the word for Sabbath or week. The resulting expression therefore identifies the day not merely as the first day of a single week but as the first day of the weeks in the seven-week count leading to Pentecost. The same wording occurs in Matthew 28:1, Luke 24:1, and John 20:1 and 19. Each passage is conventionally translated the first day of the week, yet a literal rendering yields the first day of the weeks. This designation marks Wavesheaf Day, the day after the weekly Sabbath within Unleavened Bread, when the resurrected Christ appeared to His disciples as the First of the Firstfruits and the count to Pentecost commenced. The plural sense of sabbaton is consistently obscured in English translations, thereby concealing the New Testament's explicit reference to Wavesheaf Day.

The Greek phrase mia sabbaton appears in all four Gospel accounts of the women arriving at the tomb on the morning of the resurrection. In each case the expression designates not merely the first day of a week but the first of the weeks in the count to the Feast of Weeks. The same phrase therefore identifies Wavesheaf day itself as the day after the weekly Sabbath within Unleavened Bread. This usage supplies independent confirmation that the Sadducees correctly anchored the count to the weekly Sabbath rather than to the annual Sabbath on the fifteenth of Abib. Because the Sadducees alone controlled the Temple service at the time, their practice determined when the national Wavesheaf offering occurred. The Gospel writers record no disagreement with that practice, thereby aligning the early church with the method that places Wavesheaf day after Unleavened Bread in years when Passover falls on the weekly Sabbath. The phrase thus removes the Pharisaic method from consideration and demonstrates that the later requirement to keep Wavesheaf day inside Unleavened Bread rests on an assumption unsupported by the New Testament evidence.