Our personal guarantee from Christ’s resurrection
“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20)
In these days after Easter, are you aware of the personal guarantee which you have because of Jesus “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits” of the resurrection? That is what our Bible verse for this week is all about – our personal Easter guarantee.
To understand what that guarantee is all about, we need to understand what it means when God led Paul to write “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits.” A firstfruit is something which happens first and in a sense sets a future course for what comes after. The firstfruit or “first one” sets an example, a pattern, a goal or sometimes a guarantee for what comes after. Sometimes that first one is something that sets a target for those or what comes after. And sometimes that firstfruit gives people an assurance that something is real and possible.
That is what Jesus as our Easter firstfruit means for us and Christians who hold on to his resurrection as the cornerstone of our faith. Jesus’ resurrection is our personal guarantee of our own resurrection and gives us the confidence that we do not need to be afraid of death. Maybe you have experienced an older Christian who is coming to the end of their life and there is no fear or regret, but rather there is a calm understanding that their death is the passage to eternal life in heaven and they will be freed from all the pains and troubles of life here on earth. Or maybe you have sat at the bedside of someone who is dying of a terminal disease and they are not afraid or terrified, but rather confidently understand that when they close their eyes in death, they are guaranteed that when they open their eyes they will be freed of their disease and will be enjoying the perfect joys of heaven.
Take this guarantee with you as the days and joy of Easter fade into the past! You may have to face the death of someone near and dear to you before we celebrate Easter again. It may even happen that someone who reads this devotion will lean on that personal Easter guarantee as they face their own death. That guarantee is also our assurance that no matter what we face in life, we do not need to be overwhelmed by it. Easter is also our guarantee that God is in control of all things no matter how bleak the outlook is.
You can count on your personal Easter guarantee and all that it brings with it!