First Fruits

Proverbs 3:9,10 (NKJV)

9Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

First Fruits-

The first produce of a season given to the Lord

The Ministry of First Fruits

Leviticus 23:10,11 (NKJV)

10“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. 11He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

A Ceremony presenting the First Fruits of the Harvest to the Lord

Truths

1. The sheath of the harvest was the first complete fruit to rise out of the ground.

2. Waved before the Lord “on the morrow after Sabbath”

Waiving of the fruit was an act of worship and triumph

Assurance that the rest of the harvest would be gathered in

The Miracle of First Fruits

I Corinthians 15:20-22 (NKJV)

20But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

The Resurrection of Christ parallels the presenting of the First Fruits in the Old Testament

Truth

1. Christ was the First Fruits to rise out of the ground

2. Christ was resurrected on the first day of the week. (the morrow after the sabbath)

3. His resurrection was an act of worship and triumph

4. His resurrection assures of our resurrection

The Miracle

Christ was buried alone, but He did not rise alone

Matthew 27:50-53 (NKJV)

50And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

The Old Testament type of the First Fruits was perfectly fulfilled by the resurrection of Christ

What became of these resurrected saints?

Acts 1:9-11 (NKJV)

9Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

The Promise

Mark 13:26 (NKJV)

26Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

Christ will come again with his saints