Today we will continue our study of the Feasts that the nation of Israel was commanded to celebrate. These feasts were given to Israel as a teaching aid related to the Messiah. If you haven’t looked at the Passover and Unleavened Bread lessons, you may want to look at those two first. The next is the Feast of First Fruits.

Exodus 23:19

19 "You shall bring the choice first fruits of your soil into the house of the LORD your God.

This refers to the first things to come out of the ground. They were to be set aside for God. Look at this passage that describes it in more detail.

Leviticus 23:9-14

9 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

10 "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, "When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.

11 "He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

12 "Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to the LORD. (Here’s the Lamb of God, without sin.)

So you have the Passover, then the Unleavened Bread, then the Sabbath day. Sabbath day is Saturday, so First Fruits would be on Sunday. It’s the same day we celebrate Easter on!

This feast portrays the resurrection, where Jesus came out of the ground, the first fruits of all that will come out of the ground. Jesus was the first to be resurrected, and receive this resurrection body. Just like the first crops that come out of the ground are followed by many more, the resurrection of Jesus will be followed by many more – us included!

What happened to Israel on this day?

1. Noah’s ark came to rest on Mount Ararat.

Can you imagine the celebration? They’re finally back on dry land!

Genesis 8:4

4 In the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat.

God changed Israel’s first month to Nisan, which was the 7^th month.

Exodus 12:1-2

1 Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,

2 "This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.

So you see, God’s year starts in April. I don’t know enough about history to know how we ended up with January as the first month, but doesn’t God’s way make more sense?! April should be the first month!

2. Israel crossed over the Red Sea.

They were in a hopeless situation.

Exodus 14:10-12

10 As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD.

11 Then they said to Moses, "Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt?

12 "Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, "Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness."

They had the chariots of the nation of Egypt behind them, mountains on both sides, and the Red Sea in front of them. But (yes you all know the story) God delivered them, and they became the first fruits of a nation delivered from bondage.

3. Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 12:24

24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

You have to remember what Jesus accomplished in His death! His spiritual death on the Cross delivers us from sin, and gives us all the ability to have a relationship with a perfect God for all of eternity! As we’ve seen before, it was also in death that He triumphed over Satan. In His death, He accomplished much.

1 Corinthians 15:20

20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

Remember, they would take the first fruits from the ground, and wave them before God to worship Him.

So Jesus worshipped God by waving the first fruits before God:

Matthew 27:52-53

52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;

53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

Here’s a great passage from Paul about the resurrection and Jesus Christ as the first fruits.

1 Corinthians 15:12-23

12 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? (Did you see the recent poll? A majority of CHRISTIANS polled said they did not believe in a real resurrection.)

13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;

14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.

15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.

16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;

17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.

18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming,

As we get ready for Easter, our celebration of the resurrection, make sure you concentrate not on what you are wearing, or how crowded it’s going to be, or where you’re eating after church, but make it a true celebration that Jesus Christ was actually resurrected, because His resurrection guarantees OUR resurrection!