The Temple and the Tomb: The Resurrection and the Feast of Firstfruits - Matthew 27

0:56This is the moment of Christ's death. He gives up His Spirit with a loud voice. Verse 51, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. Then in verse 52, the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many. Many find these words as some of the most critical. Cryptic in the gospel narrative, but really they're not that cryptic. They're very plain. The meaning is very clear. There's no question about that. It just seems so strange. People coming out of the tombs and going into the city. What is that all about? Some critics point to this and will say that this is positive proof that the gospel is just far-fetched and absurd. And even some believers have a struggle getting their mind around what is taking place and how to process this.

2:07Well, I hope this morning to shed a little light on these verses. But first, I want to spend some time looking at several of the Jewish feasts. You remember last week we were in John 7, and I intend to take a little break and just for Resurrection Day, plan on getting back into John 7 next week. But if you remember, the context of John 7 was the Feast of Booths, that culminating feast in the Jewish holiday calendar. But I thought today I'd spend some time, even that would help our study in John, spending some time looking at the first three feasts of Leviticus 23.

2:48It's rare that the Jewish calendar so fits with our resurrection week. In other words, Friday was the 14th of Nisan, Passover. Saturday was the first of the 10th of the 19th. Was the 15th of Nisan, the first day of unleavened bread, and today is the 16th of Nisan, the feast of first fruits or the barley harvest. So I want to take a few moments and look at these, but these feasts or these holy days of Israel, that's where we get the word holidays, right? The holidays, the holy days of Israel, they tell a prophetic story. And what they tell us is how a holy God pardons, resurrects, and re-establishes a reunion or a union with fallen man. You remember the scene in Genesis 3:24 after man had fallen, taken that which he was not supposed to take, and died. Real death took place, a real spiritual separation took place that day. And in Genesis 3:24, we see this parting scene. So he drove the man out. God drove the man out of the garden. And at the east of the Garden of Eden, he stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword, which turned every direction to guard the way to the truth, to the tree of life. So there it was, separation.

4:24A dismal scene, a sad scene. But the feasts of Israel. Tell us of a prophetic story. They tell us the prophetic story of a God who seeks that which was lost, who finds that which was lost, who resurrects that which was lost, and lives happily ever after with his people. That's the picture. It's a true one, and it's not finished yet. But each feast adds another piece to this prophetic picture. We're going to only look at the first three today, but it will give you enough to give you a glimpse of the tremendous hope that we see in the feasts of Israel. So I want you to see this hopeful future of humanity revealed in the Passover, the unleavened bread, and feast of first fruits, so that today you will follow him more joyfully. And I'm going to try to break this down as simply as I can. Now, kids, if you're listening to me, stay with me, right? Don't check out on me.

5:37This is a story about a lamb. It's a story about a kind of bread. And a story about a sheaf of barley. And I'm going to ask you some questions. And I want you to be able to write down: if this lamb could speak, what would it say? If this bread could speak, what would it say? And if this barley could speak to us, what would it say? And I'm going to ask some of you, so you be listening. Don't check me out, okay? Well, you can check me out. I've got a nice tie on, but not, don't.

6:17Okay, I heard the hiss. Well, the first one, Passover. And Passover gives us a piece of this prophetic story that's all about a lamb. All about a lamb. Passover, about the lamb. You know, the first Passover was the occasion when God broke the Egyptian resolve to keep Israel enslaved. We're very familiar with that, right? But Passover wasn't just about God delivering one people group from another. Passover was about God instructing humanity how he makes a distinction between two people groups. And the distinction that was made during the first Passover was all about the blood of a lamb. You know, he sent his destroying angel upon the land of Egypt. And what God did is he made a clear distinction between Egypt and Israel. Like we read these words in Exodus 11. Beginning in verse 4, Moses said, Thus says the Lord, about midnight, I am going to go out into the midst of Egypt, and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die. Then in verse 7, but against any of the sons of Israel, a dog will not even bark, whether against man or beast. And why? And he tells us, that you may understand how, how the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. God makes a distinction. That he makes a decision you need to realize. God makes a distinction between really two classes of people: those who are devoted to destruction and those who are devoted to blessing, protection, and fellowship with God. The question we have here for you to answer this morning is: which do you want to be? What do you want to be? Devoted to destruction, devoted to blessing. If you want to be devoted to blessing, pay attention. You need to know the truth that is conveyed in Passover. You need to know how God made a distinction between these two peoples. And that's the lesson of the first Passover: how God makes a distinction.

9:00Chapter 12 of Exodus, beginning in verse 3. God says, This, Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, On the tenth of this month, they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their father's household, a lamb for each household. Then in verse 5, your lamb shall be an unblemished male, a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it until the 14th day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight. Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. Verse 11: It is the Lord's Passover. For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and against all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgments. I am the Lord.

10:05So God makes a clear distinction between these two nations, and it's on the basis of a sacrificed lamb. The distinction is not the DNA of a certain tribe, but on the applied blood of an innocent victim. That's the distinct. That's the distinction. That's how he made a distinction. And what God accomplished on that first Passover, well, he made good on his promises to Abraham for sure, but what was accomplished on that first Passover was salvation. Salvation from God's holy destroyer, the holy destroyer that went through. There was salvation from God, but there was also salvation from Pharaoh's tyranny.

10:57So it accomplished salvation, redemption, but it also accomplished a new beginning. Back in 12, verse 1, 12, 2 of Exodus, this month shall be the beginning of months for you. It shall be the first month of the year to you. Such a change. You can imagine being enslaved for 400 years, coming out. A new beginning. That's a whole new world, right? So it accomplished salvation, but it also was the cause of a new beginning. A favored class of people emerged. The basis of God's blessings that's been laid out in Genesis is developed further, and it has to do with the power of a lamb.

11:49A power of a lamb to be able to stay the hand of Almighty God. The power of a lamb that was able to. To turn back the holy destroyer. Now, that's a lamb. That's some lamb. There is power in that lamb that we need to understand, that God wants us to understand, that He is communicating through all that He's done. And this hasn't been done in a corner or in a secret place. This is out in the open, that God is revealing Himself and how He makes a distinction. And this little lamb restrained the Holy Destroyer. It cost Him his life, but He did it. Well, inside the walls, if I could take your mind to that on the 14th of Nisan, the day that Christ is, I believe, crucified, inside those walls. Let me tell you what was happening.

12:57There was temple worship going on. There's a lot of activity happening on that day. Three elements that were happening in mass, if you will, in great numbers within the walls that crucifixion day. There was sacrifice, there was a satyr, and there was song. Sacrifice, satyr, and song. I'm going to talk about the sacrifice that was going on. The Passover sacrifice was very unique in all the sacrifices of Israel at the time because it was that particular Passover or that Passover sacrifice that the ordinary Israelites actually participated in the preparation of the sacrifice. So it was one of the few occasions where the ordinary people entered into the courtyard of the priests. If you looked at an aerial of the Temple Mount today, you see these blue arrows, got the wailing wall down here, got an entrance here, and you've got the Temple Mount that's laid out, and then you've got a schematic of what the Temple would have looked like. You have the Court of the Gentiles, you have the Court of the Women, and then you have the courtyard of the priests. And right here, the middle of that is the big altar. It is this altar where all of this sacrifice takes place. And it's one of the few occasions where the average worshipper would come in and participate. So, what would happen is each group of pilgrims would send one or two of their representatives into the temple, and then a large group of these representatives would be admitted into the court. And then, Levites, there'd be a blast of the trumpets, and the entire assembly would sing these prayers, these holocaust. Prayers from Psalm 113 to 118, which we just read a little while ago.

15:08But those standing in the courtyard would see something incredible. It had to be a sight to see. There would be row upon row of priests who held these special little gold vessels that were used for gathering the blood of the lamb. And then they would convey that to the altar and pour out. And all this was going in, and you could imagine. In fact, Josephus records that the numbers were somewhere over 200,000 lambs would be sacrificed this time. Now, that's a machine, okay? And row upon row of priests would be involved. In fact, the Mishnah speaks about the speed and efficiency with which these offerings were carried out. Very mechanical. It had to be very precise and orderly. So there was sacrifice going on, but there was also a seder going on, a meal. After being offered in the temple, the Passover lamb then had to be roasted by each group. Now, think about that.

16:17I think logistically, how does that function? Well, what happened is that there were all these special ovens that were set up all over Jerusalem during this time. And they were specifically designed and specifically heated to cook. The whole lamb quickly, to roast it quickly. So after this meal is prepared, each group reclines at their own respective table, and they have a Passover seder. And they spoke of the miracles of the Exodus, they ate the bitter herbs, they partake, they fellowship together, and they spoke and reflected upon the redemption, the salvation, the independence that God gave them. So there was sacrifice, there was seder, but then there was song. And sometime around midnight, the entire group or the household would raise their cups and sing some of the halal prayers. As I said, Psalm 113 to 118. And you can imagine what this was like, singing from all over Jerusalem. All the quarters just erupted throughout Jerusalem in song. In fact, some describe this as one of the most deeply moving aspects of Passover.

17:41But I think it's especially significant how the halal songs end. We read a portion of it, Open to me the gates of righteousness, and I shall enter into them. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I give thanks to you. You are my God, I extol you. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his covenant faithfulness is everlasting.

18:23All over Jerusalem. But all this was the rehearsal. It was not the reality. All the rehearsal was going on inside the walls. The reality was going on outside the walls. Jesus on the cross. Jesus, the festival sacrifice, found, blood poured out, blood being applied to all who would believe. Inside the walls was the rehearsal, the shadow, the symbol, outside the Lamb who really could take away the wrath of God. There's no question that Jesus saw himself as the Passover Lamb. John the Baptist testifies to that. Jesus affirms John the Baptist's testimony. Paul, that rabbi among rabbis, said this, Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed.

19:27Question becomes: how does one get the blood of Jesus applied? To his or her life? Very important question. In John 6, Jesus answered it this way: you eat and drink my sacrifice. That is, just as we physically must eat and take something in for it to have effect in our body, so we must believe. It's a metaphor for believing. You must believe. That is, you must take in by faith and understand and let that reality come into your spirit. Food cannot touch your spirit, but truth can. And truth is what nourishes and feeds, revives. And that is how you get the blood. It's not just that Christ died for humanity, it's that he died for me. Do you believe that? Do you believe that Christ really loves you? Do you really believe that your Father in heaven loves you so much to take care of your sin and he doesn't desire to see you just banished and go out, but desires to see you come to him?

20:34Well, then believe he made a way for that to happen. I mean, this is some lamb. This is some lamb. He could turn back the eternal wrath of the holy one. It's one thing you don't want to bear, and that's the wrath and indignation of a holy all. Knowing God, but there is one who could take his wrath. Now it cost him his life, but he did it. Now, if this lamb could speak, the little lamb, that little lamb that I showed you a little while ago, if he could speak to us, what would he say? You know what I believe he would say? I believe he would say, you need me. You need me.

21:27You could never stand against God's holy destroyer on your own. You never will. You need the lamb. You need the distinction on your life made by the applied blood. Second feast I'd like to give our minds to, that is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, celebration of unleavened bread. It adds another piece to this prophetic story, and it's about a certain kind of bread, a certain kind of bread. Now, the timing of this feast is very clearly laid out for us in Leviticus 23, beginning in verse 5. It says, in the first month, on the 14th day of the month, at twilight is the Lord's Passover, Nisan 14. Then on the 15th day of the same month, there is the feast of unleavened bread to the Lord. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. That is, bread made without yeast. Same thing is said in Numbers 28, 16. More details about this celebration are in Exodus 12, 13, 23, 34, and more details in Deuteronomy 16. But the key exhortation of this feast is to get rid of the leaven in your lives. There's six exhortations to get rid of leaven. Get rid of leaven. And those who didn't, they were cut off from the nation. Now, that seemed like a pretty stiff penalty for taking a bite of sourdough bread, right?

23:14Is God that uptight about unleavened bread? Well, he is. He's wanting to teach us something. He's wanting to teach the world something through this chosen vassal of Israel. And he does. In fact, in Exodus 12, 15, he says this, Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. Pretty severe, right? So what is being communicated? What are the primary lessons that we can learn from This piece of bread, this kind of bread. I believe there are at least two that emerge from the biblical record as you carefully study it, and both are closely associated with the sacrifice, with the Passover sacrifice. Two key concepts. And the first is haste. Haste. And the biblical record is very clear on this. And Exodus 12:39 says this: They baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into cakes of unleavened bread, for it had not become leavened since they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay. Again, in Deuteronomy 16:3, you shall not eat leavened bread with it, that is the Passover sacrifice for seven days. You shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste.

25:00So eating the Passover with unleavened bread stressed the haste of the Exodus. There was no time to let bread rise. The destroying angel was on his way, had been announced. A lamb had to be selected quickly. The sacrifice had to be made appropriately. The blood had to be applied effectively, and the lamb had to be. Be consumed in haste. You see, God's salvation had drawn near. He had opened a window. He had prepared the Egyptians to allow the people of Israel to go. And there was a window of salvation. But they had to act quickly. They had to respond in faith. They had to respond in haste.

25:56Take hold of the Lamb quickly. Apply his blood quickly. No time for unbelief. You see, the great day of salvation for some will be the great day of judgment for others. But God had opened a window. That's why the psalmist says in Psalm 95, 6, Today, if you would hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. Mark 1:15, the fulfillment of Jesus says these words, the time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God has drawn near to you. Therefore, be repenting and be believing. Haste, the message of haste, a haste.

26:39Come out. God opens a door of salvation. Come out when he opens it. So unleavened bread remembered the haste of the Exodus, but it also is a reminder of the purity that God requires in the lives of his people. Purity. You can think of the Exodus. You can see the haste, certainly on the Passover night, but then they had to go without for seven days without allowing leaven in their house or having to eat unleavened bread. And the first of those days, they had to get all the leaven out of their house. So, leaven, what is leaven? What is leaven? Well, it's a fermenting agent. We can relate to it and think of yeast. Yeast is a fermenting agent that we're all familiar with. And what it does is that's what causes bread to rise. I think we all understand that. The concept here is a little bit of yeast put in a lump of dough will affect the whole loaf, right? And that's the idea, an influence that comes in that permeates and affects the whole. That's the idea of leaven. And so, what you have is the whole leaven. And the idea is to get rid of the leaven in your house. In fact, there's a practice that is honored in many of the Orthodox and some messianic circles, which goes through the house, making sure every little bread crumb is taken out. Of course, it's more of a symbolic because much of the work, at least in Orthodox circles, is done the month before. And it actually can turn into a rather big, a big project of boiling water, scalding things, cleaning out, making sure there isn't any. And then there is this one guy that grew up in these circles talked about how his mother would go and put bread in corners, and then they would go find it with a wooden spoon and sweep it up. But the picture is one of getting all these evil influences out.

29:04Of course, I think that squaring it with Scripture, the command to get rid of leaven in your lives is more of a response to the Passover rather than preparation for it. In fact, it's a response. That's why the expulsion of leaven happened after, on the basis of the Passover. And certainly, this is how the Apostle Paul understood it. In 1 Corinthians chapter 5, there's a problem going on. Verse 1, Paul says this: It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such kind that does not exist even among the Gentiles. There is a profound evil going on in your midst. You have become arrogant, verse 2. Have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this would be removed from your midst. So there is an evil influence, sinful influence in the church. He's saying that influence needs to be taken out. And he goes on in verse 6: he says, Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven, so that you may be a new lump, just as you are, in fact, unleavened. For Christ, our Passover, also has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the feast not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. So, purity, get the influence out from you, and you be pure. Why? Because, and you are unleavened already, because Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed for you. That is the basis of your purity. Now, because this is who you are, get all this trash, get all these evil influences, go into the crooks and the crannies and the corners of your life. See those influences that lead and cause and permeate sin. Get rid of those.

31:20So, the bread also speaks of the purity that is desired within the lives of believers, but it also speaks of the purity of Christ. Who causes our righteousness, who is righteous, and by union with him we become righteous in God's sake. In fact, Psalm 16:10 makes it very clear that God isn't going to allow his holy one to undergo decay, either spiritually or physically. And that's because Christ himself was free of the fermenting effects of sin and decay. And so when we trust him, we enter in union with him and we become unleavened with him. Therefore, because that is our state, remove these sinful influences in your life.

32:13You see, the feast of unleavened bread immediately followed Passover and occurred as a result of Passover. No Passover, no unleavened bread. That speaks of haste and purity. So, kids, if this piece of bread could speak to us, what would it say? What would it say? I believe it would say something like this: get out of Egypt and get Egypt out of you. Get out of Egypt and get Egypt out of you. Purity. Third, we come to the Feast of First Fruits. This is the piece of that prophetic story that involves a farmer with his sheaf of barley, barley, first the crops that would come.

33:14And at this time of the year, there's just a little bit of harvest out there. And you can go and get it. And that's what was expected. In fact, the timing of this feast is laid out very clearly for us again in Leviticus 23, beginning in verse 9. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, When you enter the land which I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, then notice that they have to enter the land first. This was something that they had to be in the land before they could celebrate it. Then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. A sheaf is a bundle of barley. Take in the first fruits of that harvest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath, the priest shall wave it. All this ties in that the feast of Passover was on the 14th of Nisan. The feast of unleavened bread began on the 15th and continued for seven days, but then on the 16th, Of Nisan was when the Feast of First Fruits or the Omar offering was made. These dates are also affirmed by Josephus, that it was how they celebrated the timing, and that only after that they had taken part of this celebration could they publicly or privately reap the harvest. So think about that. So what's going on in the temple? Let's go back into inside the walls, Jerusalem, on this feast of first fruits, on the day of, on the resurrection day. Today is the feast of first fruits celebrated right now, Nisan 16. So this is what was happening that resurrection morning in the temple. It's also what would be happening right now if the temple was still in operation.

35:34So there were really several offerings that were made. First of all, you've got the sheaf barley itself, the sheaf of barley itself. Then you have a burnt offering. In fact, you have a lamb offering again, Leviticus 23, 12. Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt. Burnt offering to the Lord. Then you also had a grain, oil, drink offering. Verse 23, 13, it is a grain offering, shall then be two-tenths of an ephet of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to the Lord, a smoothing aroma with its drink offering, a fourth of a hen of wine.

36:26So you have all of this again taking place, being lifted up there in the altar and in the courtyard of the priests. This is going on, that resurrection morning. There is a prohibition associated with this feast that I think is important to understand in Leviticus 23, 14. God says this, until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

37:05So in other words, you cannot take part of that harvest until you have brought in the firstfruits of it. They were not to eat of the harvest until they had properly honored God for the harvest. In fact, according to rabbinic records, this was a public event. On the 16th day of Nisan, the barley to be used in the Omer offering was harvested, and it was this big Public event, and so residents from the area and villages surrounding Jerusalem would come out and take part in the harvest. Obviously, I mean, there is certainly application to how we give of our tithes and offerings. I think it's a good principle for us to live by: to give the first portion back to God before we use any of it. Give him the first as a token of gratitude, as an expression of dependence, and out of a hope for a future blessing. Such was how this offering was carried out. But the main idea of first fruits was simply this: there's more to come. There is more to come. And so, when the priest waved the sheaves of barley harvest before the Lord as the first of the first fruits of the first harvest of the year, he was thanking God for the abundant harvest that was to come.

38:41And all this was going on that resurrection morning, that resurrection day. That's what was going on inside the walls. But all this was the rehearsal. The reality was happening outside the walls, the empty tomb. Jesus rose from the dead on the feast of first fruits as the very firstborn from the dead. In fact, Revelation 1:5 will say this: that Jesus, Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Yeah, he's ruler. No other king has said, oh, by the way, crucify me. I'll come out in three days. No one has ever tried that. No other religious leader. There's not even a contender, right?

39:34You know what happened? Some false teachers crept into the Corinthian church and were telling them that the bodily resurrection does not happen. So they may have been advancing the idea that, well, we are raised spiritually, but we're not raised physically. You ever heard that? It wasn't just the Corinthian church, right? It's something very much alive today. Well, yeah, in a sense, that, you know, yeah, Christ did rise spiritually, but it's not so much important of his physical resurrection. Baloney.

40:05Profound theological term, right? Bologna, right? Not true. In fact, Paul confronts this, and he says this in 1 Corinthians 15. It says, For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless. And you are still in. In your sins, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. And if we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

40:44But Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive, but each in his own order, Christ, the first fruits. After that, those who were Christ's at his coming, then comes the end when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power, for he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be abolished is death.

41:32He is going to put death down. Is there any other contender in human history that has put death down? You need to take the claims of Christ seriously, right? You see, the message of Christ was never in secret. The Father Himself has testified of Christ. Scriptures testify that everything is orchestrated and arranged in mass, screaming out the truth of God's eternal Son, our eternal need, and God's eternal provision. All of it is screaming out loudly. Practice daily and in mass.

42:26Mass numbers. So unbelief is unexcusable. He has not done this in a quiet corner, but publicly, loudly, and openly. So if this sheaf of barley could speak, what would it say? If this sheaf of barley, kids, you listening? If this sheaf of barley could speak, what would it say? You know what I think it would say? There's more to come. There's more to come. So Passover, the prophetic story we see in the first three feasts. Passover speaks of a lamb who has the ability to satisfy the wrath of God. Unleavened bread speaks of a bread that is completely pure. First fruits speaks of a farmer giving up the first fruits of his labor, the sheaf. Now let's go back and look at Matthew 2. 27, verse 52.

43:33The tombs were opened. Now, that'll get your attention. Kind of a freaky event. If we're sitting out here, then all of a sudden, all the dirt that covered up all this graveyard that's around us, if all of a sudden all the graves opened up, certainly there were tombs there, they were opened. Well, that's kind of a freaky event, but then it gets even more unsettling. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.

44:08Now, that's even more disturbing, right? People coming out. Verse 53, and coming out of the tombs encircled this after his resurrection. After, get the timing, after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now, what's going on in the holy city? Wave offering after wave offering, celebration of the first fruits. And here comes the first fruits from the dead. Not just Christ raised, but first fruits that go into the city. I know you. Oh, wait a second. I knew you.

44:53Jesus, the first fruits with the many, a kind of a wave offering. In fact, in John 6:39, Jesus says this, This is the will of him who sent me, that of all he has given me, I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. Not only does he have the power to raise himself, but the power to raise his people. That's the message of first fruits. So he is risen. And amen. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we acknowledge your goodness. We thank you for loving us. We thank you for even talking to us. Father, we were a people that wanted nothing to do with you. Father, even here today, there are those who want nothing to do with you, and yet you continue to love, you continue to speak, you continue to draw. Father, this is goodness. Father, we thank you for your ongoing love. We thank you for the testimony of the Lamb.

46:20We thank you for calling us out of darkness and to provide a way to get the darkness out of us habitually. We thank you, Father, that there is more to come, that there will be, that the earth will be harvested, that your sanctified ones will be gathered, they will be permanently delivered, permanently glorified in you with perfect fellowship, perfect union. Father, we thank you. We marvel that it's not based upon the DNA, but upon faith in the blood of your precious Son. All this we thank you for. In Christ's name, amen.