SIGNIFICANCE OF FIRST-FRUITS (Contd.)

Leslie M. John M.A.

Matthew 12:40 "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth". Apostle Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 - "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming". Christ suffered, was buried and was raised from the dead, he became the first fruits of them that slept. Jesus was not the first man to die and resurrect. Jesus himself raised Lazarus and widow's son. Earlier in the Old Testament Elijah did the miracle in 1 Kings 17:23 "And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.". The difference between the miracles Elijah and Jesus himself did were that Jesus had the power to lay down his own life and take it again. John 10:18 "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father". Moses prophesied about Jesus Christ as early as in Deuteronomy 18:15 "The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken" Isaiah prophesied about Jesus as early as in Isaiah 9:6-7 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this".

There are few significant happenings that took place after the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. When Mary did not find Jesus in the tomb she was worried, but Jesus appeared to her and Mary turned to him and tried to touch him, but Jesus asked her not to touch her,. John 20:17 "Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." There were two reasons why Jesus asked her not to touch him. . Firstly, it was because Jesus had not yet ascended to the Father in heaven, and secondly, because Mary had touched the dead body of Jesus when she was embalming his dead body. She was, therefore, unclean for seven days. On Sunday Evening Jesus appeared to all the disciples except Thomas, who was not present at the place where they gathered. John 20:19 "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you". Jesus came back only after eight days to the place where all the disciples were present including Thomas. John 20:26 "And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you" Jesus also appeared to several people as a proof of his resurrection. Acts 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: The final words in the book of John were very important inasmuch as Thomas his disciple doubted his resurrection. John 20:28-31 "And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name". Hebrews 9th Chapter gives us insight as to how Jesus became the high priest for us and became a perfect tabernacle, not made with hands as in Old Testament, but he by himself entered by his own blood in to the holy place. Christ performed the office of high priest in not only offering himself as the Lamb of God, but also taking his own blood and sprinkling that blood of atonement in the most holy place, the heaven. This complied with the Jewish priest entering the sanctuary to minister before God.


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