FIRSTFRUITS

Whenever a man brought to God an offering of firstfruits, Exod. 23.19, he was doing two things. In the first place, he was ensuring that the very best of the produce, whether grain, fruit, oil or cereal, was given to God. There is something special about the first harvest as any gardener will know. Those first crops, vegetables or fruits, over which much labour has been spent, are always eagerly anticipated. Yet, the best was to be reserved for God. Secondly, the offerer was acknowledging that all had come from God’s good hand and he was anticipating what was to follow in God’s good will - a full harvest.

In the New Testament, the resurrection of Christ from the dead is likened, metaphorically, to this offering to God of firstfruits. The picture here is that when He rose from the dead, the Lord was the first and best of many who would rise after Him. That He is the best goes without saying. Many saints will rise after Him, but none will ever be as perfect or as good as He, though we will be like Him when we see Him for we shall see Him as He is. But, as the firstfruits, He is not only the best, He is also the assurance of an abundant harvest of mankind, of men, women and children, who will be raised from the dead as He was, to live forever.

There have, of course, been others who rose from the dead before the Lord did. Elijah and Elisha brought young men back to life, 1 Kgs. 17, 2 Kgs. 4. Our Lord Himself raised Lazarus from the dead, as well as Jairus’ daughter and the widow of Nain’s son, John 11; Mark 5. 35-43; and Luke 7. 11-17. Paul took up Eutychus alive after he fell from a window, Acts 20. 9-12. Yet, each of these others came back from the dead only to die once again. Christ is the first to rise from the dead never to die again. He broke the bands of death, He removed its sting, He destroyed him that had the power of death, even the devil, Heb. 2. 14. He lives to die no more; and so will we. Our Lord is yet to bring many sons to glory. What a prospect is ours in this humdrum, often inglorious world in which we live. Christ has risen and is the firstfruits of a guaranteed harvest of those that are His at His coming.