1 Corinthians 15:20-26 - But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a Man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at His coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
I absolutely love cherry tomatoes. Because of the deer, we have five pots this year on the deck—even though I'm the only one who eats them! And every summer, as the seedlings shoot up, I wait with anticipation for the first of the year—the one my husband will hand me after he comes in from early-morning watering. What could be better?
That tomato is the firstfruits—the very first to be ripe and red, the one that guarantees the rest of the harvest. When I taste it, I know that within weeks, I'm going to be drowning in tomatoes. My husband won't bring me my daily tomatoes in his hand at that point; he'll use a bowl. If I'm lucky, he'll give up and tell me to pick my own ridiculous tomatoes. There are just too many of them!
This is how God feels about Jesus, the firstfruits from the dead. He is the first of the whole human race to rise to the new, everlasting resurrection life God intends for us—a life in which there is no more dying, no more tears, no more sadness, no more sin. Jesus is the first, but He will not be the last. He is the promise that guarantees the rest of the harvest—all believers who die knowing that God has promised to raise us, body and soul, through Jesus our Savior.
You, too, are a part of that harvest. All of us who die in Christ are going to come up like cherry tomatoes in July—"a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb" (Revelation 7:9b). I'll be there, and so will you, all of us celebrating the Lord who loved us and gave Himself for us—He who died like a single seed falling into the earth, and now "bears much fruit" (John 12:24b).
WE PRAY: Dear Father, make me part of Your Son's harvest, and use me to bring others to Him, too. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. Did you ever plant seeds? How did it go?
2. What kind of harvest is God expecting? Use as many different words or phrases as you can think of.
3. What feelings do you think Jesus had as He thought about His own death and the harvest to come from it?
Today's Bible Readings: Ezekiel 18-19 2 Timothy 3
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