1 Corinthians 15:20-23
Jesus Christ, the first of the firstfruits, willingly gave His life so others may receive forgiveness of sin. He was a holy, sinless sacrifice, and three days later, He was the first person resurrected to eternal life! In this, He fulfilled the symbolism of the wavesheaf offering.
Earl L. Henn
Holy Days: Pentecost
Related Topics: Christ's Sacrifice
| First of the Firstfruits
| Firstborn from the Dead
| Forgiveness
| Jesus Christ's Sacrifice
| Wavesheaf
| Wavesheaf Offering
Paul gives the type and anti-type: the firstfruits of the harvest is the type, and Christ's resurrection, the first and epitome of God's spiritual harvest, is the anti-type. "Each one in his own order... Christ the firstfruits." Jesus is the first of the firstfruits, like the wave sheaf, while the brethren are also firstfruits, with the rest of that harvest following some 2,000 years later; the symbol must match the spiritual reality. Christ willingly gave His life as a holy, sinless sacrifice so others may receive forgiveness, and three days later He became the first person resurrected to eternal life. The Wavesheaf also signifies the promise of resurrection: those belonging to Him will be raised to eternal, not mortal, life.