Tonight we'll be in the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 15 again and we'll continue our study through the book of 1 Corinthians. Of course, 1 Corinthians 15 is one of the greatest chapters in the Word of God. It's known as the resurrection chapter. And where we're at tonight is going to be in 1 Corinthians 15. We're going to be focusing in on verses 20 through verse 23. Let me go ahead and read those for you. We'll have a brief word of prayer and get into our study for tonight. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits 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 firstfruits. Afterward, they that are Christ at his coming." Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we pray your blessings tonight on our study. We pray that perhaps one will be touched by this message. We pray that perhaps someone would be strengthened by it, that someone would come to know you as their Savior. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Now, we're going to title this message this evening, Christ the Firstfruits. Christ the Firstfruits. And what he's speaking of is these the firstfruits of them that slept. He's the first to resurrect from the dead, never to die again. Now let's look back at verse 20. It says, Now is Christ risen from the dead. Now remember, part of the reason why we have the Resurrect chapter is because there were some that were saying there was no resurrection. And he established in verses 1 through verse 19 the different evidence for the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. So now he just says, now is Christ risen from the dead. And he says he's become the firstfruits of them that slept. The word slept, or sleep, is a reference to physical death. Jesus is said to be the firstfruits of them that slept, so that means that is a reference to the death of the Lord Jesus. When it says Jesus slept, it means that Jesus died. Of course, we realize that He died on Calvary. Now, when it says He slept, it doesn't refer to His spirit. It refers to his body. And the reason why it uses the term sleep is it's just when you look at a dead body it appears to be sleeping. So Jesus died on Calvary and he slept. That means he experienced physical death. But his spirit didn't sleep. His body was placed in a tomb. And then he commended his spirit to the Heavenly Father. Do you remember one of the statements Jesus made from the cross was, Father, unto thy hands I commend my spirit. Whenever you think about sleeping, you need to remember Jesus, because His spirit didn't sleep. His soul didn't sleep. It moved. It went off to be with the Lord. That's what He told us. He told the thief on the cross, today you'll be with me in paradise. He also commended His spirit to the Father. So His spirit left His body, which is the definition of death. The book of James says the body without the spirit is dead so Jesus slept that means that he died where'd his spirit go it went to to be with the Lord so here it says that Jesus has risen from the dead and he became the first fruits of them that slept well what's that referring to well Jesus is the first to resurrect uh never to die again now we realize there was other people in the Bible that resurrected you can go back in the Old Testament and there's examples of people being resurrected Elijah resurrected someone and then in the New Testament we see different ones that were Lazarus was resurrected the widow of Nain had a son that was resurrected so Jairus' daughter was resurrected but they all died again So, Jesus was the first to resurrect from the dead in a glorified body. That is a body that will never age, a body that will never get sick, a body that will never die. He was the first to resurrect in a body that would last forever. We call it, as I said, a glorified body. So, He was the first to resurrect, never, never to die again. He was the first. Christ was the first fruits. Now, it goes on to say, Christ is the firstfruits. Then it goes on to say, those that are Christ will resurrect at His coming. And that's down in the verse 23. It says, Christ the firstfruits there again, reminding you that Jesus is the first to resurrect, never to die again. And then at His coming, those that are Christ, those that have trusted in Christ, they will be resurrected then. So let's go ahead and go back to verse 20 and work our way down. Just wanted to give you a little bit of information concerning this term sleep because many times it's misunderstood and it's just a reference to a dead body because it appears to be sleeping. The spirit leaves the body at death and if the person was saved their spirit goes to be with the Lord. That's the reason why 2 Corinthians 5 says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Paul said in Philippians 1, to depart was to be with Christ, and that state for the Christian is far better than being here. So, because Jesus resurrected, one day those that belong to Jesus will also resurrect. When they die, their spirit goes to be with the Lord immediately, but they don't have their body yet. They will get their body on the day that Jesus comes again at the first resurrection. And we'll talk more about that as we go on in the broadcast. Now, this term, firstfruits, is used twice in the section that we're looking at. Verse 20, it used the word firstfruits. Also read verse 23, where it uses the term firstfruits. And the week of Passover was the week that Jesus died. They would offer the Passover on the 14th. And then the 15th, this is the 15th of the Jewish month of Nisan. And on the 15th, they would begin the Feast of Unleavened Bread and that would last for seven days. But then on the 16th, they would observe the Feast of First Fruits or the offering of the first fruit sheaf of the barley harvest. So let me give you those dates again, the 14th of Passover, the 15th they begin to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and then on the 16th, that was the third day, they observe Firstfruits. Now, Firstfruits was a picture of the resurrection of Jesus. Passover was a picture of the death, of the sacrificial substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus. But first fruits was a picture of his resurrection. Let's go ahead and think just a little bit about the Passover. Because Passover and first fruits together is a picture of his death and his resurrection. And we have that in the Old Testament scriptures. That's part of the Jewish feast times that they observed and they were foreshadows or pictures. And the Passover and the first fruits together is a picture of the gospel. Now the Passover was of course the last plague whenever the children of Israel was in Egypt. The last plague that he brought, he brought a total of ten, but the last one that he brought was the death of the firstborn. But the Lord provided a means of saving the firstborn of Israel. At midnight a destroyer would go throughout the land of Egypt And every firstborn son would die of man and of even beast. Well, the Lord provided the means of saving the firstborn of Israel and they were to take and they were to shed the blood of a lamb and they were to take that blood and put it over top of their door and down both sides. And whenever destroyer would pass through the land that night at midnight, when he saw the blood, when he saw the blood, he would pass over that house and no death would come to that house. Rather than the first, it's a picture of substitution, rather than the firstborn of Israel dying, you see the Lamb, the Lamb died instead. As a matter of fact, and I've mentioned this to you also, not to get off the subject of Passover, but every morning and evening in Israel in the Old Covenant, they offered a lamb every morning. and every evening, and they did that continually. So there was a constant picture of this sacrifice of a lamb. And of course, Jesus was called the Lamb of God. John the Baptist, when he saw him, said, Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, not just of the Jew, but also of the Gentile. 1 Corinthians 5, 7, we mentioned this when we was there. But it says, "...purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump." Now notice what this says, "...for even Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us." So there, that links Jesus with the Passover of the Old Testament. The Passover pictured the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus. He died for us. He died for His sheep. He died for His people. Matthew 1 says, I shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sin. In the Gospel of John chapter 10, He said He would lay down His life for His sheep. So He's the Passover. He's the Passover. They observed that on the 14th. That's our late March. early April, the 14th of the Hebrew month Nisan. So, the Passover was a picture of Jesus. Well, on the 16th, of that particular month, they then observed the firstfruits. And that's where Jesus comes into play with this statement, firstfruits. Not only was the Passover a picture of Jesus, but the firstfruits was also a picture of Jesus. You can't just talk about Jesus' death without talking about His resurrection, because without the resurrection, His death wouldn't mean anything. You have to have the combination of both of those. You can't leave one out. And that's why with Passover, which was a picture of his death, you had firstfruits, which was a picture of his resurrection. So, twice here in the resurrection chapter, it says here that Jesus was the firstfruits. He's the firstfruits. He's become the firstfruits of them that slept. and then in verse 23 Christ the first fruit so twice it uses that and that links them back to the book of Leviticus chapter 23 which talks about all the different feast days and there's different places you can get information about that in the Old Testament scriptures but the first fruits occurred on the 16th 14th Passover, 15th again, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, 16th, that's the third day, the first fruits. Now what they would do, since it was in the springtime, when that particular month took place, what they would do is bring a sheaf, a bundle, or they may have put it in some type of basket. We don't know exactly for sure how they did it, but they would bring a sheaf, a first fruit, that which was first ripe from the harvest, and they would bring that to the temple, and they would wave that before the Lord. And what that was, it was a thanksgiving offering. It was recognizing that that harvest came from the Lord, and they were being thankful for what God had provided. But that first fruit was also a picture of the resurrection. You say, well, how in the world would barley be a picture of Jesus' resurrection? Well, that barley harvest that had come up had to first be planted. And that was a seed that had been placed in the ground and buried. And then it come up. Do you see the picture? They had another, and the Feast of First Roots was also linked with another Jewish feast day, which was the Feast of Pentecost. They would begin to count from the 16th, and they'd count 50 days, and they'd come to the Feast of Pentecost, to the wheat harvest. And they would also offer firstfruits of that particular harvest. So that's another message all together. We're talking about Christ and we're talking about the feast of firstfruits that occurred the week of the Passover. Passover pictured His death. The firstfruits pictured His resurrection. How is that? Because the barley harvest, that sheaf from the barley harvest, how did it begin? It was a seed that was buried in the ground and then it come up. Well, you see the picture of the resurrection in that. Well, so not only is Christ our Passover, but here in 1 Corinthians 15 and 20 through 23, Christ is also our firstfruits. What does firstfruits picture? It pictured Jesus' resurrection from the dead. And that's the reason why the Lord designed it as such. You have the picture of it, picture of His substitutionary death in Passover, picture of His resurrection in first fruit. So Jesus was the first to resurrect, never to die again. He conquered by his resurrection sin and death and hell. And when you trust Him as your Savior, When you trust Him as your Savior, you trust that Gospel message. Now, again, I say this all the time on the radio broadcasts, it's more than believing that there's a God. There's many people who think they're okay because they believe in a Supreme Being, or they believe in God, or they believe in the Creator. But it's more than that. You have to trust Jesus. You have to trust the Gospel message. The power of God unto salvation is the gospel. You've got to trust that He died on Calvary for you and that He rose again on the third day. You have to trust that message. If I ask somebody, are they saved? And they say, yes. And then I ask them, why do they say that? What I want to hear is the gospel. Of course, that's the power of God to salvation to everyone that believes it. Alright, I hope you've seen the picture in that and you can see why Jesus is called the firstfruits of them that slept. He was the first to resurrect, never to die again. Let's move on now in our text. Verse 21 says, For since by man came death, and by man came also the resurrection, of the dead. By man came death. Now, of course, that refers us back to Adam in the book of Genesis chapter 3. Adam sinned. He was man's representative there. And when Adam sinned, it damned the whole race. He was our representative. Everybody since Adam was born with a sinful nature. Romans chapter 3 says we've all sinned and come short of the glory of God. So it says, as in Adam, Through his sin came physical death, but also spiritual death, which is the second death. That's what you need to be very concerned about. Death has a sting in it, and we're going to see that on over here in the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 15, where it says, 1 Corinthians 15, 55 and 56, it says, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting, as mentioned twice, the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So there you see that death has a sting in it. And not only did physical death come into being because of the sin of Adam, but also spiritual death. The Lord said the day that you eat of this tree, you will surely die. And of course, he died spiritually that day and began to hide from the Lord, if you'll remember. If you go back and look at it, man hides from Him ever since. And the Lord in salvation has to seek you out. Scripture says in John, Jesus said that He came to seek and save. In the book of Luke 19, He came to seek and save that which is lost. John 6.44 says, No man can come to me except the Father which has sent me to do what? He doth draw him. The Lord is the one who has to do the work. Ever since sin entered, man has been hiding from the Lord ever since. And the result of that sin is physical death. That's why we have physical death. Physical death happens and aging and all sickness happens because of sin. God has provided something better in Christ for His people. One of these days that we're going to get a new body, it's never going to sin, it's never going to age, it's never going to get sick, and it's never going to die. And Jesus was the first fruits. He was the first one to have this. Well, of course, Jesus was perfect in His physical body. He's the only one that ever did. But when He resurrected from the dead, He conquered sin, death, and hell by His resurrection. When Jesus comes again, we will get a body like His. Scripture says, when we see Him, we will be like Him. The Philippians says that He will change our vile body. This is a vile body that we live in, that it might be fashioned like unto His glorious body. So, since by man came death, we understand what that means. It came through Adam. And of course, every man born other than the Master, if he was virgin born, was born with a sin nature, and sin by nature, born in sin. And the thing that you need to be concerned, you don't want to die in your sin. You don't want to die that way. And in order not to die that way, you have to have victory over your sin, victory over death, and victory over hell, which comes by trusting the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want you to know something, folks. If you haven't got that, you don't have anything. Not anything that's going to last other than your soul. Other than your soul. So, since by man came death, by man came the resurrection of the dead. And the man that that resurrection came through, the resurrection of the just, it's also called the first resurrection in Revelation chapter 20. In John 5, it's called the resurrection of life. That's what it's referred to as there. So, if it hadn't been for Jesus resurrecting, there would only be one resurrection, and that would be the resurrection of the damned. Well, because Jesus resurrected, there's a resurrection of the just, which will happen the day that Jesus comes, and then there will be a resurrection of the unjust. Now, which resurrection do you want to go in? You want to go in the first one. You want to go in the first one. In the book of Revelation chapter 20 it talks about that resurrection and it describes a blessedness here. Let me read it to you. It says, Blessed and holy, this is Revelation 26, Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. Why does it put a number there? Because there's two. Resurrection of the saved which takes place on the day that Jesus comes. And there will be a resurrection of the lost and that will be after this old world has been destroyed. They'll get a new body. They'll get a body. They'll stand before the Lord. They'll be judged for their sin. And they'll be cast into hell, which is the second death. And you need to have victory over that. Now listen to this now. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. If you've trusted Jesus, you'll have a part in it. Because on such, the second death doesn't have any power. And what the second death is, is hell. Being cast into the lake of fire, is the second death. Revelation chapter 20 and verse 14, and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. So you want to go in the first resurrection. Those that go in the first resurrection, the second death doesn't have any power. Why is that? Because Jesus took the sting out of death for those who trust Jesus. Death has no sting in it for me now. I may die before this broadcast airs, or I may die after this broadcast. Sometime eventually, if the Lord doesn't come in my life, I'm going to die, but my death won't have no sting in it. There's nothing in there to harm me. You think about a bee. If it doesn't have a stinger, it can't do anything to harm you. Well, death doesn't have a sting for those who have trusted Jesus. When you trust Him as your Savior, He pays your sin debt. He gives you everlasting life. He in charges to your account His righteousness. He makes you His child. And my friend, he takes all, there's no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. So he takes all this thing and I'm dead. All death is for the child of God is the portal that transfers you from this old earth to ushering you right into heaven itself. Jesus told the people on the cross that day, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. Today, today. So that's a glorious thing. And have the sting of death taken away. Because death is sure if the Lord doesn't come. And you want to have a stingless death. One where the sting. In order to give us that, Jesus had to take the sting for us. And that's what he did. By dying for us and rising again. Let's get back to our text. We're looking at Christ's first fruits in this radio broadcast. And he says, by man, when this is told by Jesus, came the resurrection from the dead. It says, for in an atom all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Now, all that are in Christ will be made alive. You've got to be in Him. Book of 2 Corinthians 5 says, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things pass away. old things become new. Romans chapter 8 verse 1 says, There is therefore now no condemnation to those that are in Christ. How in the world do you get in Christ? Romans 5, 1 and 2 says that access into Christ is by faith. That's how you get in. That's how you get in. Access is by faith. We're being justified by faith. We have peace with God. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus is our access. To get in Him, you have to trust and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. Okay? So does Adam all die? Even so, in Christ, those that are in Christ will all be made alive. They will receive a new body, a new glorified body. Verse 23, But every man in his own order, every man in his own order, Christ was the first fruits. Then he says, afterward, they that are Christ at his coming. Now that tells you the time when Jesus is going to have this resurrection. He was the first. It happened 2,000 years ago. Afterwards, we're still in that time of afterwards right now. Afterwards, they that are Christ will resurrect at His coming. That's a glorious thing. Now, I'll tell you what. One of the saddest times in this old world is when you go to a graveside and you put the body of someone you love down in the ground. That's a sad time. But when that person was saved, you know that that which gave that body life has departed, it has left, and it's with the Lord. And you rejoice in that. But you also know that ground or that entombment, however, I mean, whether they're buried or put in a tomb, you know from the place where that body was put at, one of these days, out of there, is going to come a new body, one like Christ. And one that will never get sick, age, or die, as we talked about earlier in the broadcast. Jesus was the first, afterwards, they that are Christ at His coming. 1 Thessalonians 4 says this, and we'll close with this tonight. But I would not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others who have no hope. See, if you die without Jesus, there is no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, see that? That's Passover and firstfruits. That's the Gospel message. Even so, them which sleep in Jesus, God's going to bring them with Him. When the trumpet of God sounds, He's going to bring our loved ones with Him. It says, For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that they which are alive and remain shall not precede them which are asleep. The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout in the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. And we which are alive and remain shall be caught up. That's the rapture. It comes from the Latin word. It means to be caught up with them. That's the happy reunion day. We'll be with them. You'll see them again, either by death or by rapture. We'll be gathering in the clouds of heaven together. That's why we sing the song, Victory in Jesus. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Well, our broadcast this evening, Our First Corinthians 15, was Christ, Our Firstfruits, And it pictured his resurrection. And it's a victory over death is what it means. And that's what we have in Christ. This has been Pastor Jeff Arthur, Sr. of the Elizabeth Baptist Church. Thank you so much for tuning in. Tune in again next week for our next study out of 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Thanks for listening.