Christ the First Fruits.
By H. A. St. John
THE Scriptures clearly teach that Christ is the first fruits of them that slept. “How can this be,” says one, “if Moses was raised from the dead”? The difficulty in the mind of the questioner, is in supposing that in order for Christ to be the first fruits, he must be the first raised from the dead. To my mind, this is not necessary. Lazarus, the widow’s son, and others, were raised from the dead before Christ was; and I cannot see that it would relieve the difficulty if Moses was not raised, even though it were true that the other cases mentioned were not raised to immortality. I suppose it will be admitted that no one ever has been, or ever could be, raised from the dead, either to mortality or immortality, but by virtue of the resurrection of Christ. Enoch and Elijah were translated, experienced a change equivalent to a resurrection from the dead, they put on immortality and that too before Christ rose. Most certainly it was by the death and resurrection of Christ, that they could thus have mortality swallowed up of life. Christ was the first fruits to them. The resurrection of Christ on the sixteenth day of the first month, was the antitype of the offering of the first fruits on the sixteenth day of the first month, the second day of the feast of the passover. Upon this day the priest waved before the Lord a sheaf of barley, in behalf of all the congregation of Israel. This sheaf representing Christ, was a sample, and the first fruits, of the harvest. But I would not infer from this that it was the first sheaf reaped or if this were the case, it would not necessarily follow that it was the only one reaped, when it was waved before the Lord. Christ is the first fruits, in that he is the resurrection, and the life, John. 11:25; and a sample of those that come up in the first resurrection. 1 Cor. 15:23. But further, Christ is the life-giver; his blood alone can atone for sin; and by his death and resurrection only, can any receive eternal life. Notwithstanding this is the truth, two, at least, of the fallen sons of Adam, received immortality, and were glorified in Heaven, long before Christ died, and before his atoning blood was spilled: would this be? Evidently, because they had living faith in a Saviour to come, and because Christ was as a “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Rev. 13:8. Yes, from the very beginning, as soon as the plan of salvation was devised, in the purpose of God, Jesus was as a Lamb slain. From the very same time, and in the very same sense, he was as the first fruits, resurrected from the foundation of the world. It is a cheering thought that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so they also which sleep in Jesus shall rise at his coming, and be like him, for they shall see him as he is. Reader, do you desire to awake with the likeness of Christ in the morning of the first resurrection, or to be changed to immortality? If so, you must now become like him in spirit, and in character, and then you will receive the finishing touch of immortality, and go to dwell in the society of the redeemed in the realms of glory.