Resurrection Day was a great time to worship and be with family. I hope that your celebration was rich also!
Many different passages are chosen for Resurrection Day to discuss the significance of Jesus’s death and the power of the resurrection/empty tomb. I am very thankful for the message I heard that Jesus is the “first fruit” of resurrection life. That sermon drew from the origin of “firstfruits” in the book of Exodus, and carried into Paul’s description of Jesus as firstfruit.
Jesus was raised by God’s power, but because His blood was applied to our account before God, we too will be resurrected! Paul says of Jesus “He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” (Colossian 1:18). Also, “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20)
Jesus is He who defeated death and sin, and thus the first one of many who would be raised from death. Paul also says “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:29)
God’s people were supposed to offer to God from the best of their increase a “firstfruit” offering during the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost.
In Exodus 4:22, God speaks of Israel as his “firstborn son”. Jews is Israel were commanded “As you harvest your crops, bring the very best of the first harvest to the house of the LORD your God.” (Exodus 23:19 NLT)
Jesus being the firstfruits of Resurrection is proof of God giving His best to His people, as He instructed His people to offer to Him. He offered to us the victory Jesus won on the Cross, by sacrificing His life in our place.
These verses reflect the unfolding plan of God to bring mankind back to their inheritance as a people for His own possession, as 1 Peter 2:9 says. His plan for our return to Him, of our redemption to our created purpose by the work of Jesus, is the subject of Made for Eden. May we rejoice this season that Jesus’ resurrection guarantees ours!
