From Resurrection to Empowerment: Living in the Power of the Firstfruits

"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." - 1 Corinthians 15:20 (KJV)

The glorious truth of the Feast of Firstfruits – the resurrection of Christ as the first of many to be raised – is not merely a historical event to be commemorated, but a living reality to be experienced and expressed in the life of every believer. Too often, we stand in awe at the foot of the empty cross or peer wonderingly into the vacant tomb, failing to grasp that the power which raised Christ from the dead now works within us, waiting to be fully manifested in our daily lives.

Consider the disciples in those first days after the resurrection. They had witnessed the cruel death of their Lord, experienced the crushing weight of despair, and then been astounded by His appearance among them, alive and victorious over death. Yet, even in the wake of these world-altering events, Jesus instructed them to wait – to tarry in Jerusalem until they were "endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49, KJV). This command reveals a profound truth: the resurrection is not the end of the story, but the beginning of a new chapter in God's program—empowerment for the life of the Believer.

The resurrection is not the end of the story, but the beginning of a new chapter of empowered living for those who believe.

The Apostle Paul, grasping this truth, prayed for the Ephesian believers that they might know "what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:19-20, KJV). The very power that shattered the chains of death and exalted Christ as the firstfruits "among many brethren," is now at work within our lives. This is the essence of the Firstfruits reality – not just a past event to be remembered, but a present power to be lived.

Yet, how often do we live beneath this reality? How frequently do we struggle in our own strength, forgetting the resurrection power that resides within us? The transition from knowing about the resurrection to living in its power requires a deliberate shift in our thinking and our actions. It demands that we move from mere observers of the empty tomb to active participants in the ongoing ministry of the risen Christ.

This shift begins with a renewed understanding of our identity in Christ. The Apostle Paul declares, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV). The resurrection is not just something that happened to Jesus; it is something that happens to us when we are united with Him by faith. We are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life, empowered by the very same Spirit that raised Him from the dead.

However, this empowerment is not automatic. Like the disciples who were instructed to wait for the promise of the Father, we too must learn to wait upon the Lord, to position ourselves to receive His power. This waiting is not passive, but an active posture of expectancy and preparation through fellowship and communion with Him. It involves setting aside our own agendas and self-reliance, and creating space in our lives for the Holy Spirit to move and work.

As we wait, we must also be willing to die to our old ways of thinking and living. Jesus taught, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit" (John 12:24, KJV). The path to resurrection power leads through the cross. We must be willing to lay down our lives, our ambitions, our self-sufficiency, that we might take up the empowered life Christ offers us as the firstfruits of the new creation. After all, there cannot be a resurrection, unless there is first a death.

There cannot be a resurrection, unless there is first a death.

This principle of death preceding life is at the heart of our calling as witnesses to the Firstfruits reality. Jesus told His disciples, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8, KJV). The Greek word for "witnesses" here is "martus," from which we get our word "martyr." This reveals a profound truth: we are called to be living martyrs, or as Paul puts it in Romans 12:1, "living sacrifices."

This witness is not merely in words, but in the very quality of our lives – lives marked by surrender, supernatural love, joy, peace, and power. It means our life is laid down so that His life can live through us. As Paul declares, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Galatians 2:20, KJV).

Living the Firstfruits reality means approaching each day with the awareness that we carry within us the very life that conquered death. It means facing challenges not in our own strength, but in the strength of the resurrected Savior. It means viewing every circumstance, every relationship, every task through the lens of His overcoming love.

Dear reader, let us not be content with merely celebrating the Feast of Firstfruits as a past event. Let us embrace and live out the full reality of Christ's resurrection power in our daily lives. For in doing so, we not only honor the risen Christ but also become channels through which His life-giving power can flow to a world in desperate need of hope and renewal.

Let us pray:

Almighty God, we stand in awe of the power displayed in the resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. We thank You that this same power is now at work within us who believe. Forgive us for the times we have lived beneath this glorious reality, relying on our own strength and ingenuity rather than on Your resurrection power.

Lord Jesus, we acknowledge You as the risen and exalted King, the firstfruits of the new creation. We invite You afresh to reign in every area of our lives. Empower us by Your Spirit to live as true witnesses to Your resurrection, not just in word but in deed and in the very quality of our lives.

Holy Spirit, we yield ourselves fully to You. Fill us anew with Your power. Transform our minds that we might see ourselves and our circumstances through the lens of the resurrection. Embolden us to live not as mere observers of the empty tomb, but as active participants in the ongoing ministry of our risen Lord.

Father, we pray for a fresh outpouring of Your power upon Your church. May we truly be a people who demonstrate the reality of the resurrection in our daily lives—marked by complete and total surrender to Your will. Use us as instruments of Your power to bring hope, healing, and transformation to the world around us.

We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ, our risen and exalted Lord, the firstfruits of the Resurrection, Amen.

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" - Philippians 3:10 (KJV)

This devotional is based off a message entitle "To Be a Vessel of the Anointing" by Wade E. Taylor.