We come in this message to Christ’s work in His resurrection.
In His resurrection Christ accomplished the work of rising from the dead to be the firstfruit of resurrection offered to God for His satisfaction. Acts 10:41 says, “He rose from among the dead,” and Romans 14:9 says, “Christ died and lived again.” Regarding the Lord Jesus as a man, the New Testament tells us that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 8:11). Regarding Him as God, it tells us that He Himself rose from the dead. This indicates His dual status, human and divine. The Lord Jesus is God and also resurrection (John 1:1; 11:25), possessing the indestructible life (Heb. 7:16). Because He is the ever-living One, death was not able to hold Him. He delivered Himself to death, but death could not detain Him. Rather, death was defeated by Him, and He rose up from it.
In John 20:17 the Lord Jesus said to Mary, “Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.” In this verse the Lord refers to His ascending to the Father. On the day of His resurrection the Lord Jesus ascended to the Father. This was a secret ascension forty days prior to His public ascension before the eyes of His disciples (Acts 1:9-11). On the day of resurrection, early in the morning, He ascended to satisfy the Father. The freshness of His resurrection was first for the Father’s enjoyment, as the firstfruit of the harvest was, in type, brought first to God.
We see the type in Leviticus 23:10 and 11 and Exodus 23:19a. Leviticus 23:10 and 11 say, “Ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.” This sheaf of the firstfruits is a type of Christ in resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20, 23). Christ resurrected exactly on the day after the Sabbath, that is, on the first day of the week. The Sabbath is the seventh day, and the morrow after the Sabbath is the first day of the week. The firstfruits of the harvest were offered to God on the day after the Sabbath, on the first day of the following week. On the first day of the week Christ, the firstfruit of resurrection, resurrected from the dead to offer Himself to God. This is not only a type but also a prophecy which was fulfilled in John 20.
Exodus 23:19a says, “The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God.” According to this verse, the first of the firstfruits was to be brought into the house of God. This typifies Christ as the firstfruit of resurrection brought to God’s dwelling place for His satisfaction. Therefore, one aspect of Christ’s work in His resurrection was to rise up to be the firstfruit presented to the Father for His satisfaction.
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