Oct 27 – First Fruits – 1 Cor 15:20

 Oct 27 – First Fruits – 1 Cor 15:20

 

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

 

     Paul then flips it around and then goes back to the witnesses he listed at the beginning of the chapter.  Jesus was raised up on the third day.  The empty tomb, his resurrection appearances and the witnesses are indisputable proof that Jesus was raised from the dead by the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit.  The is the first fruits of the dead.  Jesus was just the first of those who will be risen from the dead.  Where the dead are is just a transition stage and the future will be one of completeness.  Paul would get more in that later in the chapter.  Paul uses a familiar analogy of the harvest.  As God received the first fruits of the harvest in return Jesus became the first individual to be raise from the dead but He would not be the least and this is part of the blessed hope we have in Christ.