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November 26, 2024

 

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, 11 and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord. 13 And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin. 14 And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

Leviticus 23:9-14 (ESV)


 

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 (ESV)



And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 

Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

 



FIRST FRUITS

Yesterday, we reflected on the Passover festival. We saw how it commemorated God’s emancipation of His people from Egypt and pointed forward to Christ’s work on the cross. Today, we will focus on the festival of First Fruits.

First Fruits was celebrated shortly after Passover. This feast was a time of thanksgiving for the first harvest of the year—the barley harvest. Bringing an offering of the first fruits of their harvest was not only an expression of gratitude for what God had already done but also an acknowledgment of the future harvest God would provide as the growing season continued.

In Paul’s writings, he compares Jesus to the First Fruits. Jesus represents the beginning of a new harvest. Because of Him, we have much to look forward to as His work continues in and through us.

Take a few moments today to thank God for Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Then, thank Him in advance for the blessings and the life that will come because of what Jesus has done for us.

 


Chris Boggess is the Next Generation/Family Pastor at NorthStar Church. He grew up in St. Albans, West Virginia, and still cheers for the Mountaineers. He and his wife, Heather, have two grown children and one granddaughter.