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🧒 Kingdom Kids Devotional — Day 17
Tag: Holiday
Firstfruits — He Is Risen!
Scripture Focus: Leviticus 23:9–14; 1 Corinthians 15:20–23; Matthew 28; Romans 6:8–11
On April 20, 2025, the Feast of Firstfruits is celebrated on the day after the weekly Sabbath during Passover week. This appointed time marks the beginning of the barley harvest in Israel, when the first sheaf (omer) was brought before the LORD as an offering of thanksgiving and trust in God’s provision. Yet for those who belong to Christ, this feast takes on even deeper significance. It is the day that death was defeated. It is the day the tomb was found empty.
What Is Firstfruits?
In Leviticus 23, the LORD commanded:
“When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest… He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted” (vv. 10–11).
This sheaf represented the very first yield of the harvest. Offering it was a declaration of faith: if God accepted the first, He would bless the rest. It was an act of consecration and trust.
Jesus, the Firstfruits of the Resurrection
Paul connects this feast directly to Christ:
“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Just as the priest would wave the sheaf of barley as a representative of the harvest to come, so Jesus was raised as the first of a new creation—a living guarantee that those who belong to Him will also rise.
“For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming” (vv. 21–23).
His resurrection wasn’t an isolated miracle—it was the down payment of a coming harvest. The tomb is empty, and because of that, ours will be too.
Raised to New Life
Firstfruits is not just about the future resurrection. It also proclaims newness of life now:
“Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him… Consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:8, 11).
Resurrection is not only our hope—it is our identity. The same power that raised Jesus from the grave now works in those who believe (Ephesians 1:19–20).
Celebrating with Barley: A Symbol of Consecration
To mark this day, many believers choose to incorporate barley into their celebration as a physical reminder of the spiritual harvest. Barley was the first crop to ripen in Israel and was seen as a humble offering from the land—one that God Himself chose as the symbol of resurrection.
Ideas for a Simple Firstfruits Celebration:
- Barley Bread or Soup: Prepare a meal using barley and pray together, giving thanks for Christ, our Firstfruits.
- Wave Sheaf Symbol: Create a small bundle of barley or another grain and wave it before the Lord as a declaration that your life is His.
- Thanksgiving and Testimony: Reflect on how Christ has brought resurrection life into your home. Share testimonies of spiritual renewal.
- New Commitments: As the sheaf was a symbol of consecration, use this day to rededicate your heart, family, or home to God’s purposes.
Counting the Omer: From Resurrection to Empowerment
Leviticus 23:15–16 gives this command:
“You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord.”
This count begins on Firstfruits and continues for fifty days until Shavuot (Pentecost). It was a season of expectancy—a time of waiting for harvest, revelation, and empowerment.
In Acts 1–2, we see the ultimate fulfillment of this period. From the resurrection to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the disciples waited together in prayer and obedience. On the fiftieth day, the Spirit descended.
For us today, counting the omer is a way to remember that salvation is not the end—it is the beginning of sanctification and mission. Each day is a step of preparation to be used by the Lord.
Suggestions for Counting the Omer:
- Read one Psalm each day or walk through the Book of Acts.
- Journal how God is forming Christ in you during this season.
- Focus on “bearing fruit” in the Spirit: love, joy, peace…
We do not count up to Pentecost in obligation but in anticipation—we await the fullness of what God intends to do through His resurrected and Spirit-filled people.
Devotional Reflection: Living as the Harvest of God
Read Together: Leviticus 23:9–14; 1 Corinthians 15:20–23; Romans 6:8–11
Discuss:
- What did the offering of Firstfruits symbolize for Israel?
- How is Jesus the fulfillment of this feast?
- How does our future resurrection shape the way we live now?
- What does it mean to be “alive to God”?
Reflect: Thank God for the risen Christ. Let His resurrection become more than a doctrine—let it become your daily joy, strength, and expectation. We are not merely waiting for resurrection; we are already walking in it.
Pray: Father, thank You for raising Jesus from the dead as the firstfruits of the resurrection to come. Thank You that in Him we are made alive—now and forever. Help us to live each day in the power of His resurrection, bearing fruit that glorifies You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
He is risen—and so shall we be.
Note:
Orthodox Judaism follows the Pharisaic / Rabbinic Interpretation (Majority of Modern Judaism), not necessarily a literal reading of Leviticus 23.
- “Sabbath” = the first day of Unleavened Bread (which is a “High Sabbath,” not necessarily Saturday)
- Therefore, Firstfruits = Nisan 16, regardless of the weekday
- In 2025, Unleavened Bread begins at sundown April 13 (Nisan 15), so Firstfruits (Nisan 16) = April 14 evening to April 15 evening
Messianic Jews and many Christians who celebrate the feasts follow the Sadducean/Temple-era practice, which aligns with Jesus rising on Sunday and Paul calling Him the “Firstfruits” (1 Corinthians 15:20–23).
- “Sabbath” = the weekly Sabbath (Saturday)
- Firstfruits = the Sunday after that Sabbath, always a Sunday resurrection picture
- In 2025, the weekly Sabbath during Passover week is April 19, so Firstfruits = Sunday, April 20
4–7 minutes
Messiah, the First Fruits: A Messianic Exposition and Devotional Journey
I. Scriptural Foundation — What Are First Fruits?
“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, “When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.”’
— Leviticus 23:9–11 (NASB 1995)
The Feast of First Fruits (Bikkurim) is one of the appointed times in Leviticus 23. It was celebrated on the day after the Sabbath following Passover—the first day of the week. As the barley harvest began, Israel was commanded to bring the first and best of their crop to the priest as a wave offering, consecrating the rest of the harvest to the LORD.
II. Understanding First Fruits in Jewish Thought
- Timing and Meaning
“Bikkurim” (בִּכּוּרִים) means first of the ripe fruits—a Hebrew idiom meaning what is most precious, set apart, and belonging to God.
First Fruits marked the beginning of the harvest season and launched the Counting of the Omer, a 50-day journey of anticipation leading to Shavuot (Pentecost).
- Cultural Insights
Farmers would tie a reed around the ripening sheaf and declare, “This is for the LORD.”
The “first” of anything—fruit, children, livestock—was not optional. In Jewish culture, it acknowledged that God owns everything, and we are simply stewards.
Jewish Idiom: “The first belongs to the King.” It was a way of honoring the covenant relationship with YHWH.
III. Fulfillment in Messiah — Jesus, the First Fruits
1 Corinthians 15:20–23 (NASB 1995)
“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming.”
Yeshua rose on the Feast of First Fruits, fulfilling this appointed time not only in timing but in meaning.
Messianic Fulfillment:
Jesus is the “First Fruits” of the resurrection—the first of the final harvest to be raised in glory.
Just as the first sheaf made the whole harvest holy, Messiah’s resurrection sanctifies the resurrection of all who belong to Him.
This also fulfills Psalm 16:10 — “You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.”
Jewish Thought: “What begins in holiness continues in holiness.” The first fruits were a pledge of what’s to come.
IV. Key Themes and Jewish Idioms
V. Devotional Exercises — Living the First Fruits Life
Each of these is rooted in Scripture and can be practiced individually or with your family or small group.
- Gratitude Offering
Read: Deuteronomy 26:1–11
Do: Write down your “first fruits” in this season. What has God given you that you can give back—your time, talents, worship, resources?
Pray:
“Abba, everything I have comes from You. I offer You my first and best. Let my life be an offering, just as You gave me Your best in Yeshua.”
- Resurrection Reflection
Read: 1 Corinthians 15:12–28
Do: Journal what it means that Messiah is the first fruits of the resurrection. How does His resurrection shape your view of eternity?
Reflect:
“If He rose, so will I. My future is as secure as the empty tomb.”
- Counting the Omer — Spiritual Renewal
Read: Psalm 119:1–16
Do: Begin a 50-day Scripture journey from First Fruits to Pentecost. Each day, read a Psalm or passage, meditate, and record spiritual growth.
Blessing (adapted):
“Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, who sanctifies us in Messiah and teaches us by His Spirit.”
- Consecrate Your Harvest
Read: Romans 12:1–2
Do: Dedicate the areas of your life that need to be surrendered to the Lord—work, family, ministry, dreams. Offer them as a “wave offering.”
Pray:
“Yeshua, You are my First and Best. Teach me to live as a first fruits believer—holy, consecrated, and joyfully Yours.”
VI. Final Word — Messiah the First and the Guarantee
The first fruits were the pledge that more was coming. In Messiah’s resurrection, we have the guarantee that the full harvest of believers will one day rise. Until then, we live as consecrated ones—bearing fruit, growing in holiness, and anticipating the day of final redemption.
“But each in his own order: Messiah the First Fruits, then those who are Messiah’s at His coming.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:23
3–5 minutes
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Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot) — Buried with Christ, Made New
Scripture Focus: Exodus 12:15–20; Leviticus 23:6–8; 1 Corinthians 5:6–8; Romans 6:4–11; John 6:35
The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on April 13, 2025, immediately following Passover, and continues for seven days. During this appointed time, the people of Israel were commanded to remove all leaven from their homes and eat only unleavened bread. This feast did not merely commemorate haste in Egypt—it proclaimed the sanctification that follows deliverance.
What Leaven Represents
Leaven in Scripture often symbolizes sin, corruption, and false teaching. Paul wrote, “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened” (1 Corinthians 5:6–7). The call was not simply to remove yeast from bread, but to rid our lives of hypocrisy, wickedness, and doctrinal compromise.
Unleavened bread, in contrast, points to sincerity and truth (v. 8). It is the pure, unpolluted nourishment of the Word and of Christ Himself, who declared, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35).
The Burial of Christ and the Removal of Sin
The Feast of Unleavened Bread also prophetically coincides with the time Jesus’ body lay in the tomb. Having become sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), He was buried—and with Him, our old man was crucified (Romans 6:6). “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death… so we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).
Christ’s death and burial are not just facts to be affirmed; they are realities into which the believer is baptized. Just as Israel left Egypt in haste, leaving behind the leaven of bondage, so we are to leave behind the leaven of our former lives.
Living as Unleavened People
Paul did not tell the Corinthians to become unleavened—he told them they already were: “you are in fact unleavened.” This is a positional truth, grounded in Christ. Yet he also commanded, “Clean out the old leaven.” This is our response in obedience.
Our new identity in Christ demands a new walk: holy, distinct, and sincere. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a call to examine our hearts, to purge out the hidden things of darkness, and to walk as children of light.
Devotional Reflection: Sanctified by the Word and Spirit
Read Together: Exodus 12:15–20; 1 Corinthians 5:6–8; Romans 6:4–11
Discuss:
- Why did God command the removal of all leaven?
- How does leaven illustrate the dangers of sin or false teaching in our lives?
- What does it mean that we are already “unleavened” in Christ?
- How can we actively “clean out the old leaven” day by day?
Reflect: Spend time identifying areas where sin or compromise may have crept in unnoticed. Invite the Holy Spirit to search and purify. Remember that our sanctification is both a gift and a responsibility.
Pray: Father, You have delivered us not only from judgment but into a new and holy life. Cleanse us from hidden faults, and teach us to walk in sincerity and truth. Thank You for burying our old selves with Christ. Help us now to live as a new lump, pleasing in Your sight. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Let us walk as unleavened, for He who died was buried—and we with Him—so that we might truly live.
2–3 minutes
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Passover (Pesach) — The Lamb, the Table, and the Bridegroom
Scripture Focus: Exodus 12; Leviticus 23:4–5; Matthew 26:17–30; John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Revelation 19:7–9
As Passover begins at sundown on Saturday, April 12, 2025, we pause to remember a story of deliverance that God wrote into the very foundations of His covenant with Israel. Yet this deliverance was not just a shadow of things to come—it was a prophetic foreshadowing of a greater Lamb, a greater exodus, and a greater feast prepared for a Bride who has made herself ready.
The First Passover: A Sign of Substitutionary Deliverance
When the LORD instituted Passover in Exodus 12, He commanded each household to take a lamb, without blemish, and keep it until the fourteenth day of the first month. The lamb was not merely a ritual object—it was a substitute. It would die in place of the firstborn. Its blood was to be spread on the doorposts and lintel as a sign. The destroyer would pass over any home marked by the blood.
Here we see a vital gospel truth: Israel was not spared because of their own righteousness, but because of God’s mercy and provision. The blood of the lamb was the only difference between the spared and the struck.
Christ, Our Passover
The New Testament declares this plainly: “For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7b). John the Baptist recognized this when he cried, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). The Passover lamb was not just a memorial of Egypt—it was a prophetic picture of the Lamb who would come to bear the judgment of God for sin.
Every detail of the Passover lamb was fulfilled in Jesus:
- Without blemish (Exodus 12:5) — Christ was sinless (Hebrews 4:15).
- None of its bones broken (Exodus 12:46) — fulfilled in John 19:36.
- Slain at twilight — Jesus died at the ninth hour, the time of the evening sacrifice (Mark 15:34).
The Last Supper: A Betrothal Meal
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus sat at table with His disciples to celebrate Passover. But this meal, the Last Supper, was unlike any before it. The Lamb Himself was hosting. He took the bread and the cup, symbols of affliction and redemption, and redefined them in His own body and blood: “This is My body, which is given for you… This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood” (Luke 22:19–20).
In Jewish wedding custom, a man would offer a cup of wine to the woman he desired to marry. If she accepted and drank, she agreed to become his bride. Jesus offered the cup that night to all who would enter covenant with Him. It was not only a remembrance of redemption but a proposal. In doing so, He wove wedding language into the Passover.
The Bridegroom’s Promise and the Wedding Feast
Jesus then said, “I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29). This is the language of betrothal. Just as the Jewish bridegroom would go to prepare a place for his bride and return for her, Jesus promised, “I go to prepare a place for you… I will come again and receive you to Myself” (John 14:2–3).
Thus, the Passover is not only a remembrance of Egypt but a rehearsal for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7–9). We, the Church, purified by the blood of the Lamb, are the Bride who waits, watches, and prepares herself in righteousness (Revelation 19:8).
Ramifications for the Disciple of Christ Today
- Do we recognize the cost of our redemption? Passover demands that we never treat Christ’s body and blood as common or profane (Hebrews 10:29). To take communion without reverence is to forget the cross.
- Are we living as a betrothed Bride? A woman betrothed in Jewish culture would remain faithful, pure, and expectant. Our lives should reflect the holiness and anticipation of the Bride awaiting her Bridegroom.
- Are we ready for the feast? The parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1–13) reminds us that only those who were prepared entered with the Bridegroom. We are called to spiritual readiness, clothed in righteousness, with lamps burning.
Devotional Thought for Families or Small Groups
Read Exodus 12:1–30 and Matthew 26:17–30 together. Discuss the significance of the lamb’s blood, the cup, and Christ’s promise to return. Consider asking:
- Why did God command Israel to remember the Passover year after year?
- How is Jesus both our Passover Lamb and Bridegroom?
- What does it mean to be ready for His return?
Reflect: Take a quiet moment as a family or group to think on the Lamb who was slain. Consider the weight of sin, the wonder of substitution, and the joyful hope of the coming wedding feast.
Pray: Father, thank You for the blood of the Lamb that covers and cleanses us. Thank You for redeeming us from slavery to sin and death. Help us to live as Your beloved Bride—faithful, watchful, and filled with Your Spirit. May we long for the day when the Bridegroom returns and the marriage supper begins. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus.
4–5 minutes
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