This year, we are studying what it means to bear fruit as we remain, or abide, in Jesus Christ. This month, as we commemorate His resurrection, it is fitting to pause and reflect on a powerful truth: Jesus Himself is the Firstfruit.

The Importance of Firstfruits

The concept of firstfruits is deeply rooted in the Old Testament. God instructed His people to bring the first and best portions of their harvest as an offering (Leviticus 23:9–14; Exodus 23:16,19). This act was more than ritual; it was a declaration of trust and acknowledgment that everything belonged to God. Offering the firstfruits of a harvest to God effectively blessed and consecrated the whole crop.

Jesus was the first human to be resurrected with an immortal and glorified body. His life, death, and resurrection mark the first and foremost harvest of God.

From Adam to Christ

Through Adam’s intentional sin, all humanity fell under the power of sin, and separation from God became our default condition. But through Jesus’ perfect obedience and sinless life, a new path became possible. Now, every person has the opportunity to choose Him, to be reconciled to God, and to be welcomed into God’s eternal family (1 Corinthians 15:21–22).

Jesus, as God’s first and only Son, became the Firstfruit of the eternal harvest of souls who would one day be resurrected and reconciled to God. First Corinthians 15:20-23 (CSB) reminds us, “But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruit; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Christ.”

So, if we are in Christ – if we believe in Him and follow Him as Savior and Lord – then we too will follow Him in the resurrection of our physical bodies to live eternally apart from sin, sickness, and sadness. Again, Romans 6:5 says, “If we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection.”

Just as sin and death entered the world through Adam, resurrection and life come through Jesus. He is not only the first to rise in a glorified, eternal body, He is the guarantee that all who belong to Him will follow. Jesus, the Firstfruit, ensures that resurrection is not just possible—it is promised to those who belong to Him.

A Holy Offering

The Greek word used for “firstfruit” in 1 Corinthians 15 is aparchē, meaning the first and most sacred portion of the harvest set apart as holy to the Lord. It was also used to describe the special first portion of dough used to prepare the Bread of the Presence in the temple. This connection is not accidental.

Throughout Scripture, leaven – or yeast – is often used as a metaphor for sin. The Apostle Paul urges “Don’t you know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6b–8 CSB)

And Jesus’ own words affirms this. He said, “my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world…I am the bread of life…I am the bread that came down from heaven.” (John 6:32b-33, 35, 41 CSB)

Jesus is not only the Firstfruit – He is also the unleavened Bread that sustains us.

What Are You Feeding On?

This brings us to a sobering and simple truth: we all will eat, and we all will produce fruit. Scripture tells us there are two paths. In Proverbs 1:29–31, those who reject God, despise wisdom, and refuse correction, will “eat the fruit of their way.” Their lives will reflect what they have chosen to consume.

But for those who follow Christ, there is a different outcome. The righteous – those who love and follow Jesus, base their life on God’s ways, and revere and respect the Lord and His sovereign power – will eat the fruit of righteousness. They will feed on Jesus, the Firstfruit and Bread of Life, and their lives will begin to reflect Him.

We are reminded of this reality each time we participate in communion. Through communion we partake of Him, The True Bread that came down from heaven, and remember His sacrifice. We proclaim His victory over sin and death. And we align ourselves again with the life He offers.

Friends, what you consume will shape what you produce. So, the question becomes deeply personal: What are you feeding on? If we abide in Christ and seek Him for our sustenance, we will bear His fruit – resurrection fruit that leads to life, righteousness, and eternal joy.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for sending Jesus, the Firstfruit of all creation, who has conquered sin and death and made a way for us to follow Him in resurrection life. Thank You that through Him, we are no longer bound to the fruit of our own brokenness, but invited into the fullness of life in You.

Lord, search our hearts and reveal anything we are feeding on that is not from You. Help us to release the old leaven and to walk in sincerity and truth. Teach us to abide in Christ daily: to hunger for Him, to trust Him, and to follow Him fully.

As we remember His sacrifice and celebrate His resurrection, anchor our hope in the promise that we, too, will be made alive in Him. Let our lives bear good fruit – fruit that reflects Your goodness, Your truth, and Your love…Kingdom fruit that remains.

We surrender ourselves again to You,
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection Questions/Next Steps:

• In what areas of your life are you “feeding” on things other than Christ, and how is that affecting the fruit you are producing?

• What does it practically look like for you to abide in Jesus as your daily source of life and nourishment?

• How does understanding Jesus as the Firstfruit strengthen your hope in the promise of resurrection and eternal life?