The First Thanksgiving Feast Pt 2.

Celebrating the First fruits Pt 2
Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-58
“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.’

As we look back upon the feast of the first fruits, we discover that it not only was a celebration of God’s past deliverance of Israel and his present provision for them, but it also pointed forward to a future harvest. But the future harvest was spiritual rather than physical. When they brought the first fruits to the temple, it was also a reminder that the rest of the harvest was to come. It served as a pledge, a first installment that pointed forward to the whole harvest that God would bring. This provided the perfect metaphor for Paul to highlight the significance of Christ’s resurrection.  

First, it points to the fact that our resurrection is linked to the resurrection of Christ. Just as the subsequent harvest was a continuation of the first fruits of the crop, so we are connected to Christ in his resurrection. His resurrection and the resurrection of the saints are linked together as one event. Just as the first fruits served as a promise and guarantee of the harvest yet to come, Christ became our guarantee for the resurrection God would give to his saints. This point Paul goes on to make in the following verses.   Just as sin and death came into the world through the act of one man-Adam, so eternal life comes through one man- the person of Christ.   Adam, in his sin, was representative of all humanity. When Adam sinned, as our representative, we also participated in that sin when we sin. But Christ, in his resurrection, is also representative of us. When we accept Christ, we become identified with his resurrection and are delivered from death to life.

Second, the first fruits anticipated an abundance in the harvest. It was not just a celebration of  God’s provision but a celebration in anticipation of a bountiful harvest that would yield much fruit. Christ, in his resurrection, not only anticipates the beginning of a larger harvest but also how the harvest will be achieved. The fact that Christ is already made alive guarantees our future resurrection, which was being questioned by some in Corinth. As the first fruit, Christ becomes our hope for victory over death. However, this resurrection to eternal life is not guaranteed to everyone, but for those who “are Christ’s. That is, it is only guaranteed to those who have embraced the salvation that Christ offers.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, it serves as a reminder of the Old Testament's First fruits, in which the people celebrated God's provision and care. We are reminded this week that God has blessed us, and his providence provides for all our physical needs. The fact that each of us has food to eat is a cause for celebration.

However, even as we read of the first fruits in the Old Testament, it turns our eyes to the coming of Christ. So also, as we clean the dishes after the meal and enjoy the leftovers of hot turkey sandwiches, we are immediately reminded that Christmas is just around the corner. We haven’t even eaten all the leftovers before the Thanksgiving decorations are put away and the Christmas decorations are put up. Yet this is precisely how it should be. For in the feast of the first fruits, we are reminded that Christ is our spiritual first fruit who came to earth to save us from sin so that we might have eternal life. Without Christmas, there is no thanksgiving. So enjoy the leftovers but give thanks that Christmas is coming just around the corner, and that is how it should be.