OK, it's true that the institution of the Supper was on a weekday evening, and not just any weekday, but one in which a Jewish Passover meal was being eaten. The Passover connection was important, in terms of Jesus consciously fulfilling prophecy (which is why the previous Sunday -- the day of the triumphal entry -- wasn't suitable for this particular instruction). As Paul would later state, "For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." 1 Cor 5:7 (NIV) There was important symbolism in Jesus' choice of timing, in order to demonstrate his fulfillment of the old covenant and establishment the new (Matthew 5:17, Colossians 2:14, Luke 22:20). The timing there was important, because it was the conclusion of an old covenant. Deliverance from sin, not deliverance from Egypt, was imminent. A transition was taking place, centered in what Jesus himself was about to do in accepting condemnation and death. The institution of the Lord's Supper, as an instruction to the original disciples, occurred as that Mosaic covenant was on the verge of fulfillment in Christ. He referred to the bread as "my body, given for you" (Luke 22:19) and directed them to "do this in remembrance of me" before his body had physically been given, before there was a need to remember.

After Jesus had in fact fulfilled the old covenant, and established the new, his church came into being. It didn't exist before he paid a blood price for it (Acts 20:28). The church is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). Prior to the cross, when Jesus and his disciples gathered in the upper room to observe the Jewish passover, which was about to find its fulfillment in Christ's own sacrifice, he instructed them for the future to "do this in remembrance of me." We know from Biblical example and instruction and corroborative history that they did so, on the first day of the week.

Let's consider briefly how we approach examples in the Bible, hopefully without muddying the waters. As a Jew, Jesus observed the weekly Sabbath and customarily gathered with his fellow Jews at Synagogue (Luke 4:16). He was under the Law (of Moses) and kept it, intending to fulfill it. I would consider Jesus' Sabbath custom an example that supports the idea of God favoring a weekly gathering of his people for instruction in the Word, as the New Testament teaches us the church did on the first day of the week, the Lord's day. I would not consider that the church is supposed to keep the Sabbath (seventh day) because the New Testament does not teach that by example or commandment. Jesus' example, under the law, exemplefies a principle, but doesn't tell us which day he would invoke for the new covenant church, when he rose from the dead on the first day of the week after the Sabbath had ended. Similarly, when Jesus was baptized by John, he set an example in the sense that we see he was willing to submit to baptism, and an example of how baptism was one (they went down into the water, etc.), but Jesus wasn't baptized for remission of sins, as believers in Jesus are to be, nor was he baptized into himself, as believers are to be baptized into Him, in his name. Nor does his baptism tell us that we should be baptized in the Jordan river (or any river, as opposed to any kind of body of water). Rather, we have instruction and exmaples in the New Testament that build on what we know that Jesus did, and clarifies application to believers coming to him in faith. Jesus personal example in baptism affirms the later teaching we have about Christian baptism, but receiving John's baptism (as he did) was not appropriate for later disciples coming into Christ (Acts 19:1-7). On the other hand, when I read of the church gathering on the first day of the week, I'm reading about the implementation of Jesus' will for his new covanant body, and when I read of Jesus telling his apostles to go and baptize "in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit" and subsequent believers being told to be baptized "in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit," I'm reading what Jesus had in mind with his examples and his teaching.

: Second, the only time of day we are ever given is in the evening, most accounts do not give a time of day. If we should follow what example we have, shouldn't we be having communion in the evening?

In fact Passover was always celebrated in the evening, so that was the chosen time to institute the supper and make that connection, but the nature of that example is discussed above.

In Acts 20:7 the day is specifically mentioned, the first day of the week, but there is no comment about time of day -- although we do know that particular meeting lasted long into the night, with Paul's long dialogue with the brethren, there is no statement as to when it may have begun. In fact, the New Testament says nothing directly about the time of day when the churches assembled to observe the Supper and edify one another. Prior to Constantine giving legal sanction to "Christianity" in the 4th century it was probably difficult for believers to all gather in many localities during ordinary working hours. Consequently, first day meetings in the early days would have been more likely in the very early hours of the morning, or else in the evening. While the day is specified by example in the church of the New Testament, the hour of meeting is not. The whole church coming together at the agreed upon time was and is important, and should be a priority of each believer (Hebrews 10:24-25).

One non-Christian source in the early second century from Pliny the Younger to the emperor Trajan, at a time when being Christian was illegal and punishable by death, states that, when examined, Christians in his province admitted "they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, nor falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of food--but ordinary and innocent food." Pliny's description of what he extracted by torture from certain Christians may not give us a clear picture of how those early church meetings were organized, but at least in his province they seem to have been in the early morning hours of a particular day (known to us from other sources as the first day of the week, also called the Lord's day). It's great (I think) that we have the luxury of options about what time of day to meet, and security to do it openly, which not all believers have had or do have.

When Jesus instituted the supper, he referred to "that day when I drink it anew with you, in my Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:29). I would suggest that he had in mind his presence with the church on "that day", the first day of each week, at whatever time of day his body assembles in his name and his power is present(1 Corinthians 5:4). He could of course have said something about morning or evening, or noon, but he didn't. Nevertheless, there is a particular day, though not a specific time of day, presented to us in consistent New Testament example and direction.

I hope there is some helpful clarity in these thoughts, and not too many sidetracks.

: Thanks for your time

You're welcome, any time.