He Has Become The First Fruits

The people were to bring an offering of first fruits.

In the rhythm of Israel’s calendar, every feast carried both cultural significance and spiritual meaning.

Among these was the Feast of First Fruits (Yom HaBikkurim), a holy day that marked the beginning of the harvest season. For the ancient Hebrew people, it was not simply about agriculture—it was about worship, thanksgiving, and trust in God’s provision.

And as the New Testament shows us, this feast foreshadowed something far greater.

A Feast Day: First Fruits

In Leviticus 23:9–14, God instructed Israel to celebrate the Feast of First Fruits after Passover and the (weekly) Sabbath. The people were to bring the very first sheaf of the barley harvest to the priest, who would wave it before the Lord as an offering. No one could eat from the new harvest until this act of dedication was made.

This practice taught Israel a simple but profound truth: everything comes from God, and the first and best belong to Him. By giving the earliest part of the harvest, the people expressed gratitude and faith that the rest of the harvest would follow.

In the culture of the ancient Hebrews, this offering wasn’t just a ritual—it was an act of dependence. The land’s bounty was never guaranteed, and placing the “first fruits” in God’s hands was a declaration that He, not the soil or human effort, was the true source of life and blessing.

First Fruits and the Resurrection of Jesus

The New Testament writers saw deep significance in this feast when they reflected on the resurrection of Jesus. Paul explicitly calls Jesus the “first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20).

Just as the first sheaf of barley was presented as a pledge that more would follow, the resurrection of Jesus is the guarantee that all who belong to Him will also be raised. His resurrection was not an isolated miracle—it was the beginning of the great harvest of resurrection life. (1 Thessalonians 4:14)

It’s striking that Jesus rose from the dead on the very day the Feast of First Fruits was celebrated. The timing was not accidental. In God’s design, the empty tomb became the ultimate declaration of what the feast had always pointed to: new life bursting forth, a promise that the full harvest of the redeemed is yet to come. (Colossians 1:18)

Living as God’s First Fruits

For believers today, the imagery of first fruits still carries meaning. James 1:18 calls followers of Christ “a kind of first fruits of His creatures.” In other words, our lives are meant to reflect the new creation that has begun in Jesus.

This means:

• Gratitude: Like ancient Israel, we recognize that everything we have comes from God, and we offer back our first and best to Him.

• Hope: The resurrection assures us that death does not have the final word. Just as the first fruits guaranteed the rest of the harvest, Christ’s victory guarantees ours.

• Witness: We live as a testimony of the coming fullness of God’s kingdom, a preview of His restoration.

The Feast of First Fruits began as a simple agricultural celebration, but in God’s unfolding story, it became a prophetic picture of the resurrection. When the Israelites waved that first sheaf of barley before the Lord, they were unknowingly pointing forward to the day when Christ would rise as the “first fruits” of resurrection life.

And because He lives, we know the full harvest is coming.