That is the first issue. The second interesting issue is what Paul says in verses 21 and 22. I want to read these again.
The issue here is that because Christ rose from the dead, the way is open for others to rise from the dead. Notice verse 45.
In other words, if He had not risen from the dead, no others would have been able to be resurrected to eternal life. So Christ's resurrection, which we see, we know about historically, was the essential key to eternal life for all the rest of us who aspire to it. Look at it the way Paul did. As Adam's sin opened the floodgates for sin and death, Jesus' righteousness and rising to eternal life cleared the way for others to join Him in God's Kingdom. Just just as one brought bad things, the other one brought all good things. Revelation 1:5 calls Him the firstborn from the dead and Romans 8:29 calls Him the firstborn among many brethren. So He was the one, if you will, who opened the womb. He was the firstborn to pass through the matrix as it were into the Kingdom of God.
If He had not done it, none of us would have been able to do it either. I think that it is easier to see it from a negative point of view rather than a positive one. It helps us to understand the positive consequence more easily. So if Jesus had failed in His mission by sinning, by in any way crossing one of God's lines that He should not have crossed, had He done that His death—which no longer would be an unblemished sacrifice, it would have been blemished by sin—would have paid only for His own sin. And that would have been very tragic because the Father would not have resurrected Him to eternal life. He would not have deserved it. Justice would call for death and that would be it. He could pay only for His own sin. Justice would not call for life at all. Remember:
In Jesus Christ. It took Him giving an unblemished sacrifice and God responding then by giving Him His deserved eternal life through resurrection from the dead that allows the rest of us to follow in that path because we only make it because of Jesus Christ, because we are in Christ. We have to be given grace because we do not deserve it. We are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. If so, had He sinned in any way, we would have no Savior, no forgiveness of sin, no salvation, and no hope of eternal life through the resurrection of the dead.
But forget about all that because He did do what He was supposed to do, He succeeded in His mission. He lived sinlessly. He died sacrificially. And the Father gave Him the gift of eternal life, raised Him from the dead. And so it can be given to us in Christ. We can have grace.
Brethren, these verses point to a very specific time and a very specific group of individuals who have been called in an order only God Himself has already determined.
It is important that we take time in this sermon, the second day of God's holy Feast of Tabernacles, to remind ourselves why we are here. As Richard has been clearly teaching over the last couple of years, I think the main focus of the holy days is Jesus Christ.
Within that we need to fully appreciate the very special relationship that we have been called to have with Him now in order that we can fully appreciate the very special training that God is providing to a very carefully selected handful compared to all who will ever live.
That was the day when, once they were in the land, the nation waited until God was acknowledged with an offering of firstfruits before they started harvesting the barley. Deference to God came first. In the New Testament, Jesus is identified as “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Once He was raised and accepted by the Father, then the spiritual work could begin. But He had to go first. And here we find a parallel with God going first. He went before Israel so they could make this journey of seven weeks.
Jesus is twice called the firstfruits, and specifically the firstfruits of those who have died and will be resurrected (see Acts 26:23). He is the first and best part of that harvest.
