On The First Day:
Jesus arose on the first day of the week and the message for the women who came with spices for His body was, “Why seek ye the living among the dead?” He arose as conqueror over death, hell and the grave for His chosen people. His resurrection is confirmation that our salvation has been secured in Christ and no one can lay anything to the charge of God’s elect. (Rom. 8:33).
The Firstborn Among Many Brethren:
Jesus died, was buried and arose for the salvation of His brethren that were adopted into His family before the world began. He foreknew them in the eternal covenant of grace. He is the firstborn among all His brethren. “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Rom. 8:29). This firstborn is the head of the family and heir to the inheritance and we are joint=heirs with Him so that everything that belong to Christ belongs to His brethren. Paul writes, “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,” (Heb. 2:11). He will present all the brethren that are as innumerable as the sand of the sea before the father in the resurrection without the loss of one.
The Church Of The Firstborn:
We are to come to Christ for rest as we are labouring and heavy laden. We are not come to Mt. Sinai where they exceeding feared and quaked bit we are come to another place as the scriptures declare, “To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,” (Heb. 12:23). The church of the firstborn embraces those out of every nation, kindred, tongue and people according to Revelation 5:9. Paul tells us about this church of the firstborn and connects with the love of God. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” (Eph. 5:25).
The First Begotten From The Dead:
Jesus Christ has power over death and He is the only one that can give life to the dead as He is the first begotten (firstborn from the dead. Paul writes and declares, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,” (Rev. 1:5). No individual had ever come forth from the dead as did Jesus Christ on the first day of the week in His resurrected body. Because He lives, every child of God will also live with Him in glory.
The First Fruits of Them That Slept:
Under the Mosaic law, they offered the firstfruits of their crops to the Lord and as it was accepted so would the whole harvest be blessed. Jesus arose from the dead  which proves God had accepted His atoning sacrifice on the cross. What does this mean? Paul explains in I Cor. 15:19-20: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” God accepted the firstfruit of Jesus Christ and the whole family of God is accepted in Him. Jesus arose from the dead and everyone He represented will arise in the resurrection and be conformed to His image.
He is Alpha and Omega–The First and The Last:
Jesus Christ is describes by the apostle John as one that is eternal and compares it to the Greek alphabet. John writes, ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Rev. 1:8). “Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last:…” (Rev. 1:11). He is the first and the last and everything in between. Â How can He be both the first and the last? It is easy because with the Lord all things are possible.
First to be Sought:
People of God seeks many other things before seeking Christ and His kingdom but that is not the order the scriptures teach. Jesus said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Put Him and His kingdom first and all the necessities God will add because He knows that they are needed. He uses the illustration of the lilies of the field to teach this lesson. If He clothed the grass of the filed, will he not also clothe His people who sometimes are of little faith.–Elder Larry Wise–April 5, 2015–Easter Sunday
