If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then (#26) He Is the Firstfruit

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“Because I live, you also will live” John 14:19

I know someone who surrendered his life to Christ because of these very words. They connect, again, the resurrection of Christ with the future hope that we, too, will be raised in like manner… physically. And, it meant, as Paul stated, that Jesus was the “firstfruits” of those who would be raised from the dead.

But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 15:20

What is this? 

God had set a day for His people on which they were to offer the very first of the spring harvest. It wasn’t easy because there wasn’t much to harvest that early. But it was an act of faith in which they offered the “first fruit” of what they had at that point with the underlying promise of an abundant harvest to come. In fact, there are some who believe that the literal translation of the Hebrew word for firstfruit, bikkurim, is “promise to come”. 

What is strange, however, is when God commanded for this firstfruit to be offered. The sheaf of the firstfruit was to be waved before the Lord on a very peculiar day: “the day after the first Sabbath after Passover”.

Why? 

Because it was going to match, exactly, the resurrection day of Jesus. 

Coincidence? No. 

As the true Passover Lamb, Jesus died on Passover; as the true Firstfruit, He rose on the first day after the first Sabbath after Passover—the first day of the week.

All in God’s amazing sovereign plan and all planned from the beginning. Just as He made the stars and set the planets in motion so that “in the fullness of time” those stars and planets would announce the birth of Christ to the Magi, so too was everything else a “shadow of the things to come” in Christ.

 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Colossians 2:16-17

Remember Jesus on the road to Emmaus and how He opened the Old Testament to Cleopas and his companion?

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24:27

The Firstfruits offering was another foreshadowing of the Messiah who, in being raised from the dead, was indeed THE Firstfruit. When the sheaf was waved before God on that day, it was a sign that the entire harvest belonged to the Lord. So, too, when Jesus rose, the entire future resurrection of those who are in Christ belongs to Him. He IS the Firstfruit—He embodies the Firstfruit. He IS the resurrection. He IS the life. He IS the Word. He IS the true Passover Lamb--and He IS the Firstfruit. All that was done on Passover and the Day of Firstfruits before pointed towards Him. All that is done on Passover and the Resurrection Day now point back to Him.

Since Jesus is the Firstfruit, the implication and the clear teaching of Scripture is that we will follow Him in like manner. There is therefore a promise in the Firstfruit of that which will come later, in abundance.

But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:23

The word “order” here is a military term that refers to rank. The resurrection of Christ is at the top, the first and highest rank. The next rank is the resurrection of life and the last is the resurrection of judgment. 

Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. John 5:28-29

It can be confusing for us who are caught up in the warp and woof of time—a cause and effect world in which everything marches forward in sequence. We can only think in these terms. But God is not caught up in time. He IS the Alpha and He IS the Omega. He IS both the beginning and the end (Revelation 1:8; 21:6; 22:13). He exists outside of time, so every point in time is ever present before Him. This is hard for us to imagine, especially when it comes to trying to form in our minds some “sequence” associated with what happens to us when we die and when our bodies will be raised, the future judgment etc.

Paul dealt with some of this and we will look at that soon. 

But for now, we need to contemplate and give thanks for the deposit that has been made for us by the Firstfruit. He is the promise to come. As Paul said, if Christ had not been raised from the dead then our faith is in vain.

But, our faith is not in vain, because of Jesus, the Firstfruit.

“Because I live, you also will live” John 14:19

Hallelujah!

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When Infants Invade Adult Bodies
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I suppose even worse was that after they would shout their obscenities, they would then howl in laughter pointing at him as if he were a joke. Of course, in the world of child-like behavior, this is considered the cruelest of all taunts… to make another seem like a worthless outcast… insignificant scum. Although I couldn’t hear what the young man was saying, he remained calm and would sometimes turn and wave at cars that would supportively “beep-beep” as they drove by. As I write this, I’m not sure if I was right or wrong to not jump into the middle of it. I was committed to offer help if it looked like it was going to escalate beyond words, but for now it was free-speech being played out, though admittedly disgusting. After the lunch crowd had returned to their classrooms, I approached the young man and our conversation went something like this: “Students were pretty rough on you.” “Yeah. A lot of nasty stuff.” “I’m impressed you remained calm through all of it.” “Well, I kept telling them that obscenities didn’t add to the conversation and just encouraged any of them to simply enter into a civil discussion with me.” “I’m sorry they didn’t do that.” “Me too. I really wish we could just talk about the issues like adults.” I think it was the “adult” word that helped frame some of this for me. I had, indeed, witnessed deep immaturity, with its pure emotional spewing and little to no rational thought. I don’t go to the park all the time, but I’m there enough to occasionally hear their conversations. I remember one of the first times, next to a group of high school girls, in which I was dumbfounded at the filth of their language. I spent over 20 years in the military, and I’d never heard anything that matched it. Where does this come from? My heart sank as I experienced what was happening Tuesday. 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10
If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then... (#0)
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event in history. It is the most important truth claim in a biblical worldview. It is the key apologetic for Christianity. Over the next seven weeks, I would like for us to think through forty compelling arguments and implications that are true if Jesus, indeed, “rose from the dead”. This will take us through Ascension Day and Pentecost. Both are important days of remembrance following the Resurrection and we will highlight them. But more importantly, I want for us to see the tremendous significance of the Resurrection by looking at not only the many proofs, but also the many implications. And this, I pray, will lead to deep contemplations in our hearts and minds. Paul states that without the resurrection, our faith would be in vain and we would still be lost.  “… if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”      1 Corinthians 15:17 This is not a minor statement, and it should cause us pause, for it puts this unique historical event into sharp perspective. Without the Resurrection, we are hopelessly lost. We are without a true faith and we are unforgiven, still condemned in our sins. We should probably read that verse over several times before plowing forward. It is easy for me, and possibly you, to treat Easter as another Christian holiday marked by multiple, and possibly extensive, preparations. Church choirs rehearse diligently and on overtime, special services are prepared (think Good Friday and sometimes Sunrise Services), thousands of lilies are tended and provoked to bloom at the right time and are purchased to line sanctuary rails, special meals are planned and prepared and joyously consumed, treasure hunts are created, painted eggs are hidden and Easter baskets are filled with chocolate bunnies, peeps, and who knows what else the market has, and will, come up with.  The point here is that just like Christmas and Thanksgiving and every other holiday, including birthdays, anniversaries, and the multitude of “take-your-boss-to-lunch” kind of days, they are preceded with much preparation, happy execution, and then forgotten except to toss the wrappings into the trash and press on with life as usual. When I was at the White House, the annual “Easter Egg Roll” on the south lawn was a big deal with weeks of preparation, followed immediately by a massive clean-up and the Secret Service hustling folks out of the “compound”. For the Resurrection, however, Paul implies that it is something so critical to our faith that it should be an ever-present reality. The astounding cry, “He lives!” should be ongoing, not a one-and-done holiday. I believe it is important for us to frequently ponder and meditate upon the deep implications that the tomb was really, truly empty and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is absolutely true… a historical fact that has everyday implications. So, we will look at not only these implications, but also the apologetic propositions and the incredible truths that logically follow this unmatched historical assertion. We will not go through these in any particular order. We are not going from the least to the greatest or vice versa, although we will generally lay down the apologetic arguments first and then deal with the implications. And hopefully, after seven weeks, we will have imprinted these truths deep in our hearts such that they will help us with our walk into the darkness we call future. Because it is the Resurrection of Christ that stands at the forefront in the apologetic reality of who Jesus is and what God has done for us. As a famous hymn states: "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow." [Next: The Seal Was Broken]