20But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Firtsfruits was a reference to the first of three annual Jewish feasts.
It is found in Leviticus 29:9-14
It was a time in the fall when a farmer would take the first of his crop, whatever it was, and bring it to the priest at the Temple.
The priest would wave the sheaf before the Lord, and then an offering would be made.
They would offer a one-year-old male lamb, a grain offering, and a drink offering.
This would be a way of recognizing God’s provision of the crop, and offering the crop to the Lord.
It was a way for the farmer to say that the entire crop belonged to the Lord.
The one sheaf that was waved would represent the entire crop in the field.
As it was the first of the crop to come to fruition, it represented the rest of the crop that was sure to follow.
The Apostle Paul uses this analogy to describe the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Just as surely as the first sheaf represented a harvest that would follow, so too Jesus represents many that will follow Him in resurrection.
Regarding the resurrection from the dead, Jesus is the first of many that will follow.
When we speak of resurrection, we do not simply speaking of coming back to life from the dead.
There were others that came back to life from the dead.
It happened in the O.T., when Elisha raised a young boy from the dead.
Jesus raised a little girl back to life. (Mark 5: 41)
Jesus also raised a man named Lazarus, who had been dead for four days.
(John 11)
But this is not resurrection from the dead; it is resuscitation from the dead.
These people were raised back to life, but they eventually died.
Biblically speaking, resurrection from the dead is to be raised to life again, never to die.
What happens to a Christian when He /she dies?
The body goes into the grave, and the spirit / soul goes to be with the Lord.
Phillipians 1:21-23 21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
Turn to 2 Corinthians 5:1-9
Notice that we can be pleasing to the Lord, whether absent or present from the body.
That is b/c the soul/spirit immediately goes to be in the presence of the Lord.
There are those within Christendom that call this state of being “soul-sleep”.
They say that when a Christian dies, his body and soul lie in the grave, and are dormant until the resurrection of the dead.
They even use the language of Paul to try to support the idea of sleep.
The use of the word “sleep” is used descriptively of the Christian’s body which goes to the grave, but then is raised again.
The body is dormant, but the soul of the Christian is very active.
The soul does not sleep.
The verses we just looked at speak otherwise.
When is the soul of the Christian reunited with the resurrection body?
At the resurrection of the dead.
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.
Paul speaks of two men in this passage: Adam, and Jesus.
He speaks of the results that follow from being in relationship to each of them.
He speaks about what happens when a person is “in” Adam.
Death comes from being in Adam.
He says that resurrection from the dead comes from being “in” Jesus.
Turn to Romans 5:12-21
Adam was the federal head of the human race.
Everyone who is born, is born “in” Adam.
B/c of Adam’s sin, death came to all humans.
Jesus is called the 2nd Adam.
Not everyone is born “in” Jesus.
That birth is a birth of choice.
We had no choice but to be found in Adam.
We have a choice about being found in Christ.
The 1st Adam disobeyed God, and brought sin and death.
The 2nd Adam obeyed the Father, and brings life.
The 1st Adam was made from the dust of the earth.
The 2nd Adam came from heaven. (1 Cor. 15:47)
23But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.
Order- military rank.
There are actually 2 resurrections from the dead.
One is unto eternal life.
The other is unto eternal death.
There is no single, general resurrection of all people at the same time.
WHEN IS THE RESURRECTION OF THE CHRISTIANS?
1 Corinthians 15:50-52
Turn to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
WE READ ABOUT THESE 2 RESURRECTIONS IN THE N.T.
John 5:19-29
Revelation 20:11-15
Nobody in the 1st resurrection will be lost.
Nobody in the 2nd resurrection will be saved.