There are plants in my yard that I thought were dead, but after ignoring them I found they had started to grow again. Maybe they were close to dead, or maybe they were just dormant. Seeds can look lifeless. But plant a seed, even after a thousand years, and it may still sprout.
This is Easter week, when we remember Christ’s death and celebrate His resurrection. Jesus was buried on the minor Jewish holiday of Unleavened Bread. The tradition on that day would be to put some seed in the ground and cover it with dirt. That was followed by First Fruits when the first growth from the ground was celebrated. First Fruits coincides with the day that Jesus emerged from the tomb.
This picture that God created of bringing forth life was beautifully fulfilled in Jesus. He is the first fruit, the first resurrected, conqueror of death for us. We celebrate the life He has freely given us at His own great cost.
First Fruit is a sign of hope, life from the ground, life from death. God has given us assurance of eternal life through His Son and He continues to paint the picture of what will come. Our God takes pleasure in restoring what looks lifeless – a dying relationship, a lost purpose, a broken body.
Christ’s death and burial yielded new life available to all as He rose from the grave. I cling to the hope of the resurrection, the promise of eternal life, and celebrate His restoring work even now.
And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Revelation 21:4
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