First Fruits and the Resurrection of the Dead*

      There are many movies and books about NDE - Near Death Experiences. These include personal testimonies of those who have been clinically dead and then have returned to life. These accounts involve experiences of Hell and of Heaven and Jesus Christ, and some are written by medical professionals and former atheists. One of the newest movies is "After Death" from Angel Studios. About one half of the world believes in an afterlife, with that number divided into many various beliefs. Even with all of the personal testimonies, many people still disregard the truth of the Gospel, which is rooted in the death on Passover and, three days later, the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the Feast of First Fruits. The Feasts of the LORD, which are not called the Feasts of Israel in scripture, have been with Christ's first coming, and will be with Christ's second coming or return, fulfilled by Jesus. We know, according to the Gospel accounts, that Jesus was raised on the Sunday following Passover, which was also the Feast of First Fruits as commanded by the Law of Moses.

     Jesus told the account of a rich man, who is unnamed, and a poor man named Lazarus, who both died. The rich man found himself in a place of torment, but as he looked across a great gulf, he saw the poor man, Lazarus, in Abraham's bosom. The rich man wanted Lazarus to bring him a drop of water, but Abraham told the rich man that the great separation between the two men could not be crossed. The rich man then asked Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn his five brothers of the fate that awaited them after death: "lest they come into this place of torment." (Lk. 16:19-28). Abraham said to the rich man about his still-living brothers: "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them." The rich man said: "Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent." Abraham answered: "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." (v. 29-31). This is a powerful statement by Jesus. Despite the evidence of one raised from the dead, some people will still prefer not to believe. We see this also with the Shroud of Turin. People prefer to believe the false representations concerning the Shroud, although they have been proven to be false, then to believe its evidence supporting the Gospel accounts of Christ's resurrection from the dead.

     As Jesus threw the money changers and merchants out of the temple in Jerusalem, the religious leaders demanded that Jesus show them a sign that He had authority to do this. Jesus said: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Jesus was speaking of the temple of His body. After He had risen, His disciples remembered that He had made this promise. (Jn. 2:13-22). Jesus began to reveal to His disciples how He would suffer, be killed, and rise on the third day. Six days later, Jesus took only three of His closest disciples up on a mountain, apart from the others. At that time, He was transfigured before them: "...and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light." (Mt. 17:1-2). Moses and Elias (Elijah) appeared with Him and were talking to Jesus. Peter suggested that they make three tabernacles for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. However, a cloud appeared from heaven and a voice was then heard from the cloud, saying: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." (v. 3-5). The disciples were very afraid and fell down onto their faces. Jesus told them: "Arise (egeiro - cause to rise, arouse, arouse from sleep of death, to recall the dead to life, lift up, raise up), and be not afraid...Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead." (v. 6-9). Scripture tells us in another place that after being in God's presence, Moses would have to put a veil over his face because the light that lingered upon him was too overwhelming for the Israelites. 

     The Gospel account of Jesus' burial tells us that Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Jesus after it had been removed from the cross, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth (sindon - fine, costly linen cloth in which bodies of the dead were covered), and placed Jesus' body in a new tomb hewn out of rock which Joseph had prepared for himself. Joseph rolled a great stone over the entrance of the tomb to close it. Mary and Mary Magdalene witnessed it nearby. (Mt. 27:59-60). The day after the death of Jesus on Passover, the chief priests and Pharisees came to Pilate to request a guard to be placed on the tomb because Jesus had said that He would rise from the dead on the third day. They also suggested that His disciples might try to steal Jesus' body, making it appear that Jesus had been raised. Pilate told the religious leaders to use their own guards and make the tomb as secure as possible. (v. 62-65). These religious leaders were aware that the Messiah was to be raised from the dead. They wanted to make sure that it didn't happen. We see here that Jesus was not wrapped in strips of cloth like a mummy but was buried according to the Jewish custom of being wrapped in a single sheet of linen. We see more of these burial linens used in John 20. On the first day of the week (the Feast of First Fruits), Mary Magdalene had gone to the tomb early in the morning and found that the stone had been rolled away from the front of the tomb. She ran to get the disciples, assuming that someone had taken Jesus' body out of the tomb. Peter and John ran to the tomb, and Peter went inside and saw the linen clothes lying there. There was a second cloth, called a soudarion, which was used to keep the mouth of the corpse closed during rigor mortis. This smaller cloth was found separate from the larger linen burial cloth and folded together in a place by itself. Then John went into the tomb: "...and he saw and believed." (Jn. 20:1-8). The fishermen disciples, who unlike the learned religious experts were untrained in the scriptures and did not know that the scriptures prophesied that the Messiah/Christ must rise from the dead.

     The linen burial cloth of Jesus was evidence of the resurrection to John, who believed when he saw it. The Shroud of Turin, bearing the image of a crucified man whom I believe to be Jesus Christ, has many characteristics that would have made it impossible to be counterfeited by man. The Shroud is a photographic negative (formed at least 600 years, and really many more years, before cameras were invented), that when photographed and developed, then produces the positive image. The image contains imbedded 3-D information that is not found in any two-dimensional image. The Shroud image is found only on the uppermost curve of the threads of the linen. There are no directional or brush strokes in the formation of the image. The image is chemical, water, and fire stable.

     Later, Paul also defended himself before Festus and King Agrippa recounting his own personal history of persecuting the early believers until he had an encounter with Jesus who spoke to him from heaven within a light brighter than the sun. From that miraculous encounter, Paul's life was changed as the Lord gave Paul the ministry of the Gospel to the Jews and the Gentiles. After hearing Paul's testimony and the incidents that occurred after Paul's conversion, Festus remarked that Paul must be mad. Paul answered, "I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. For the king knoweth of these things...for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest." Then Agrippa said to Paul: "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." (Acts 26:1-28). Isaiah the prophet had written that the Messiah would sprinkle (of the blood) many nations, and kings would be able to see and understand what they had not witnessed firsthand. The Shroud makes it possible for us to see, like King Agrippa, who could have certainly seen the treasured burial Shroud for himself, and we are able to understand something that happened 2,000 years ago. It is not enough, however, to "almost" believe as Agrippa told Paul. "Almost" is not enough to get you into the Kingdom of Heaven.

     As Paul wrote to the church of the Corinthians, he reminded them of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which he had preached to them, and which they had believed and received as their salvation. Paul reminded them that he told them that Christ died for our sins as the scriptures had prophesied, was buried, "...and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures."  Paul reminded them that Christ had been seen alive after His death by five hundred brethren, and then also by himself, one who had persecuted the believers in Christ. (1 Cor. 15:1-11). However, even after receiving this preaching from Paul, there were those in the church who said that there was no resurrection of the dead. If this is the case, Paul said that his preaching had been in vain, and their faith was in vain. (v. 12-14). Paul told them: "For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished...But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become firstfruits of them that slept....every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." (v. 16-26). It is imperative to know that Christ rose on the Feast of First Fruits and was Himself the First Fruits of the resurrection. Because Christ is "First Fruits" then we who believe Him are able to, and must, follow after Him into resurrection life after death. The Feasts of the LORD, as well as Israel and Jerusalem, are prophetic timetables for the coming kingdom of God, and the end of all other powers. God wants all to repent and be passed from death to life.

     Paul had an opportunity to preach the Gospel in Athens. It was a place of many philosophies and a pantheon of gods whom the Athenians reverenced and to whom they erected monuments. Their monument "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD" gave Paul the open door he needed to bring the Greek citizens to the knowledge of the only God, "For in him we live, and move, and have our being...For we are also his offspring." (Acts 17:28). Paul told them that God would no longer ignore the mythologies and ignorance in which men had chosen to walk, because the truth was now revealed, and the Lord now commands all men everywhere to repent. : "Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." (v. 29-31). Some of the Greeks mocked the resurrection of the dead, but some believed and wanted to hear more. Some cleaved onto Paul and wouldn't leave him because of their belief in the Gospel which he preached. (v. 32-34).

     There is an appointed day of judgment that was guaranteed on the day of Christ's resurrection. Now all men everywhere are commanded to repent and believe. We don't know the day or the hour, but we have the signs which we are seeing more and more as that day draws nearer. I believe that Christ will come back according to the feasts of the LORD. Only those who are ready will go in with Him, however. To the others, Jesus will say, "Depart, I don't know you."

          *Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 5/5/24 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on Dr. Stevenson's Facebook page. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. To find out more about the Shroud of Turin, and to receive a free e-book now available in several languages, go to http://www.theshroudofturin.org/freebook.