Light of Christ Journey

A Pledge of Hope

Paula K. Graves

March 13, 2026

The First Fruit offering given at the Temple was a pledge of hope that the full harvest would follow. The people were not allowed to eat any of the new crop until the offering was made.

By the time of Jesus, the Temple had specific fields that were “harvested” a few sprigs of barley at a time. Several fields and different parts of these fields had grain gathered to form a representative sheaf to take to the Temple. The priest waved this sheaf, and gave the corresponding offerings. At that point, the people could resume the full harvest. There was a specific order to the way things were done.

Paul Explains the Pledge of the First Fruits

1 Corinthians 15:²⁰But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. ²¹So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. ²²Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. ²³But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.[1]

The Pledge of Hope Comes in Surprising Timing

The Jews had looked for the Messiah to come and free them from the Roman political machine. But Jesus came in an unexpected way. They had anticipated that everyone would be raised at the end of history. Instead, here is one person, Jesus Christ, who was raised in the middle of history. When Paul speaks of the “order of resurrection,” I believe he is referring to two distinct things.

First, is the chronological order of events. Jesus has become the first to rise from the dead. Others had risen from the dead in both the Old and New Testaments. Examples of each would be Elijah raising the widow’s son (1 Kings 17:17-24) and Lazarus (John 11). Each of these came back to earthly life, but eventually died again. However, Jesus rose never to die again.

Secondly, eventually, in Jesus’ second coming, everything that sin had corrupted would be made right again. We have hope that in this second coming, we will be raised in our new bodies to live eternally with Jesus.

The Festival of First Fruits foreshadows Jesus acting as a pledge for the final harvest. We have a pledge of hope of eternity with our Maker through what Jesus did on the cross. To hear more, listen here:

https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-festival-of-first-fruits

Your Faith Has Not Been in Vain

Paula K. Graves

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March 12, 2026

The Apostle Paul encouraged the believers in Corinth that “your faith has not been in vain.” A group of heretics had slipped into the congregation. They claimed that only the spiritual was good and anything physical was bad. Therefore, Christ had not really risen in a physical body. While this sounded pious, it is not Biblical.

Faith is in the True Resurrection

This heresy tripped Paul’s theological trigger finger, and he fired away at his critics. 1 Corinthians 15:¹²But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? ¹³For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either.

¹⁴And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. ¹⁵And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. ¹⁶And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised.

¹⁷And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. ¹⁸In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! ¹⁹And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.[1]

A Bodily Resurrection was Required For Christ to be the First Fruit

We have seen how the Jewish Festivals foreshadow Christ’s work on the cross. Jesus became the Passover Lamb and died on Passover. He removed our sins, just as the Feast of Unleavened Bread pictured the “leaven” of sin that must be removed. The timing is amazing. The priests offered the sheaf of new grain at the temple. Concurrently, Jesus rose from the dead on the Festival of First Fruits.

As Paul explained above, if Jesus had not risen bodily, we would have no hope of being raised. That would mean our faith is useless and we are a pitiful lot. There is much riding on a true physical resurrection of Jesus.

The Festival of First Fruits again foreshadows that Christ rose from the dead to act as a pledge of our future resurrection. To hear how your faith has not been in vain, listen here:

https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-festival-of-first-fruits

True Resurrection

Paula K. Graves

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March 11, 2026

For the Festival of First Fruits to foreshadow the cross of Jesus Christ, Jesus had to have died and had a true resurrection. If Jesus had not really risen from the dead, then he couldn’t be the first fruits of the dead.

Swoon Theory Against the Resurrection

The swoon theory states that Jesus did not die on the cross. He but simply passed out, and the cool of the tomb revived Him. Jesus was declared dead by professional Roman executioners. It was their job to make sure that their “clients” died, or it would be their lives on the line.

The Jews didn’t want dead bodies displayed over the Sabbath and so had ordered those on the cross to have their legs broken to hasten death. John 19: ³⁴One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. ³⁵(This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also may continue to believe.[1] Jesus was already dead, and so there was no reason to break His legs.

John’s testimony here counters those who thought Jesus was only in a coma. The piercing itself would have killed Jesus, it showed He was already dead as the separation of blood and water revealed. Jesus did indeed die a human death.

Jesus’ Body was Stolen and Not Resurrected

The Pharisees did not want news of a missing body to add drama to an event that they tried to forget. Matthew 28:¹¹As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened. ¹²A meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe. ¹³They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’ ¹⁴If the governor hears about it, we’ll stand up for you so you won’t get in trouble.” ¹⁵So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today.[2]

Evidence for Resurrection from the Tomb

If someone had attempted to steal the body of Jesus, they would have had first to open the tomb, then remove the heavy grave clothes, and try to sneak the body away. Yet, when Peter and John enter the grave, John gives this information.

John 20:⁶Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. ⁸Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed— ⁹for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. ¹⁰Then they went home.[3]

When God raised Jesus from the dead, the grave clothes were folded just as if Jesus vanished out of them. They were not torn nor in disarray. Later that day, Jesus would simply walk through locked doors (Luke 24:36). He had no need to open the tomb, as He could appear and disappear. God supernaturally opened the tomb to reveal that Jesus was no longer there.

Jesus Christ died a very human death and experienced a true resurrection of His body. To find out more, listen here:

https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-festival-of-first-fruits

A Puzzling Expression

Paula K. Graves

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March 10, 2026

Jesus makes a puzzling expression to Mary Magdalene on the first Resurrection morning. Mary had gone out to properly embalm Jesus’s body because there hadn’t been time due to Sabbath restrictions.

When Mary arrived at the tomb, it was empty. She was understandably upset and sent for Peter and John. They both entered the tomb and inspected it. It seems that they finally understood that Jesus would rise from the dead. John 20:⁹for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. ¹⁰Then they went home.[1]

Mary is Puzzled by Jesus

Mary has assumed that the body of Jesus has been stolen and doesn’t understand that He has risen from the dead. Even when she looks in the tomb and sees the angels, they ask why she is crying. Then, as she is leaving the Tomb area, she sees a person she assumes is the gardener. Again, she asked if the body had been stolen, as she is willing to bring it back.

Jesus brought Mary back to reality by simply call her name. John 20:¹⁶“Mary!” Jesus said.. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). Mary recognizes her risen Lord. At this point it seems that she reaches out to cling to the one she loves.

John 20:¹⁷“Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

¹⁸Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.[2]

I can understand that Jesus didn’t want Mary to cling to Him. But what does it mean when Jesus says, for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father…‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God?’”[3]

Scholars are Puzzled

The statement Jesus makes to Mary is even more puzzling in light of later statements that same day when Jesus invited the disciples to touch Him. (Luke 24:39). When Jesus was speaking to Mary, it sounded like He needed to ascend to the Father, but why?

While scholars have puzzled over this statement, understanding the Jewish context of First Fruits and its fulfillment in Jesus helps clarify it. Just as the earthly High Priest offered the sheaf of barley in the Temple, Jesus, as our High Priest, was going to offer His atonement to His Father in the heavenly Temple. He needed to bring the First Fruits offering to the throne of grace on our behalf. Once Jesus accomplished this, He invited the disciples to examine His body.

1 Corinthians 15:⁴He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said…²⁰But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.[4]

To hear more about a puzzling expression, listen here:

https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-festival-of-first-fruits

First Fruits is Always Connected with Passover

Paula K. Graves

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March 9, 2026

The Festival of First Fruits is always connected with Passover. God connected this third festival time with Passover from the beginning. Leviticus 23:¹¹On the day after the Sabbath, (following the Passover) the priest will lift it up before the Lord so it may be accepted on your behalf.[1] It was God’s timing that directed the celebration of this festival.

First-Fruits of the Barley Harvest

The timing of this festival would coincide with the barley harvest. The High Priest would present the wave offering so that the rest of the harvest would be accepted. It was the blood of the lamb that allowed the Israelites to be safe during the plague of the firstborn. Then the people had to be ready to leave the land of their slavery at a minute’s notice. Thus, they didn’t wait for their bread to rise, but simply baked unleavened bread. Now that they had entered the promised land, there was a new life freed from the slavery and oppression of Egypt.

The Festival of the First Fruits could not have happened without the original Passover.

The Resurrection of Christ Must be Connected to His Death

On the day after the Sabbath after the Passover, Jesus was raised bodily from the dead. Jesus died as the Passover lamb, which took away the sins of the world. He removed the “leaven” of sin on the First Day of Unleavened Bread. This festival was also a Sabbath, the year Jesus died on the cross. Just as the priests were waving the sheaf of the First Fruits in the Temple, Jesus was raised and made alive.

Years later, the Apostle Paul explained this to the Corinthian church. 1 Corinthians 15: ³I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. ⁴He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said…²⁰But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.[2]

A Wilderness Journey

Just as the Israelites struggled through the wilderness to enter the promised land to celebrate the Feast of First Fruits, we experience a wilderness journey in this earthly life. It is only then that we will be able to experience the resurrection life without sin. The Passover Lamb had to be killed before it could be revived. The resurrection of Jesus must always relate to His death and suffering on the Cross.

Romans 8:²³And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children including the new bodies he has promised us. [3]

To hear how first fruits is always connected with Passover, listen here:

https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-festival-of-first-fruits

The First-Fruits Principle

Paula K. Graves

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March 8, 2026

What is the first fruits principle? Many times, we look at a law commanded in the Old Testament and assume it is outdated today. But I have found that the way God guided His people in the Old Testament gives insight into how God works and guides us today.

The First Mention of First Fruits

The first mention of a topic is significant, and we see Cain and Abel bringing their first fruits. Genesis 4:^2bWhen they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. ³When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. ⁴Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, ⁵but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.[1]

We know this didn’t end well as jealous Cain murdered Abel.

First Fruits in the Promised Land

God gave Moses instructions to celebrate the Festival of First Fruits when they entered the promised land. Obviously, the people were not harvesting a crop in the wilderness. God, however, was providing for them and would continue to provide in the promised land.

When they grew crops in the promised land, they were to take small cuttings from several fields and combine them into a sheaf, which would be a wave offering. In addition, a lamb was to be sacrificed, and the new grain mixed with olive oil would be burned on the altar.

The people were not to eat any of the new crop until it had been dedicated to the Lord. For it was the Lord who provided both in the wilderness and when He gave them fertile fields in the promised land.

First-Fruits Today

We, in the 21^st century, may be more removed from the agrarian calendar of Ancient Israel, but we are still dependent on God for our provision. Even in the Lord’s Prayer we request our daily needs from God. Luther makes this comment, “God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. And what is our daily bread? This includes everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body.”[2]

I believe God still desires our first fruits, even if we donate by check or credit card. By stewarding our first ten percent, or tithe, we acknowledge God’s provision and our thankfulness.

To hear more about the first-fruits principle, listen here:

https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-festival-of-first-fruits

[2] Martin Luther, Luther’s Small Catechism, Concordia Publishing House, 1986, St. Louis, MO. Page18.

Do this to Remember

Paula K. Graves

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March 7, 2026

Do you have trouble remembering things? There is a book called 21 Memory Techniques that says, “Do this to remember.” Researchers say we forget most newly learned information within a few hours or, at most, a couple of days. While these techniques can help memorize facts and grocery lists, God put a memory technique in place centuries ago.

Remember God Brought You Out of Egypt

God had to force Pharaoh’s hand to free His people from the slavery of Egypt. He knew the plague of the death of the firstborn would finally force Pharaoh to let His people go. But God wanted to keep His people safe and so gave instructions to paint the blood of an innocent lamb on the doorposts. This would be a sign for the death angel to pass over the people inside. The Jewish nation had to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice, so they did not even have time to let the bread rise. Each year God’s people would re-enact this time to remember what God had done.

Exodus 12:¹⁴“This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the Lord. This is a law for all time…¹⁷“Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread, for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day. [1]

Remember the New Covenant

As Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples, He put a new spin on an old celebration. The unleavened bread now would represent His body, and the wine would represent His blood. God had made a covenant with Abraham, and now Jesus was building on that in a new way to receive forgiveness of sins. Jesus would be the lamb that would take away the sins of the world.

1 Corinthians 11:²³For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread ²⁴and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” ²⁶For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.[2]

Here again, we re-enact what happened on Maundy Thursday when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. Each time we re-enact this, we remember what Christ did for us on the cross. Why do we have to do this to remember? Because we so easily forget.

To learn more, listen here:

https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-festival-of-unleavened-bread

Defining Membership

Paula K. Graves

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March 6, 2026

We like to shop at a large warehouse retailer, but we must have a membership to do so. Their defining membership is a card that you must show to enter the store. If you don’t have a membership, you can’t purchase anything from their store. Many clubs and even churches have ways to define their membership.

The Festival of Unleavened Bread Defined the Jewish People

Exodus 12: ¹⁹During those seven days, there must be no trace of yeast in your homes. Anyone who eats anything made with yeast during this week will be cut off from the community of Israel.[1] If you refused to take part in the Festival of Unleavened Bread, you were no longer a member of the Jewish community. The Jewish people defined themselves as the ones whom God freed from slavery in Egypt. This festival set a boundary of who was Jewish and who was not.

This may sound cruel to our 21^st-century ears. We are used to rugged individualism and like to do things our way, not necessarily how the group thinks.

Defining Membership as a Christian

We would say that a Christian isone who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ. This not only holds true for our life here on earth but has eternal consequences. John 3: ¹⁵so that everyone who believes in him (Jesus) will have eternal life.¹⁶“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.[2]

There would be those who say this is too exclusive, that we should be able to trust in any god if we are sincere. That sounds like a nice line, but it isn’t Biblical. God established the Feast of Unleavened Bread as a boundary to define membership in the Jewish community. God also defines who will spend eternity with Him by faith in Jesus.

Just as the Jewish people could not free themselves from the slavery of Egypt, we could not free ourselves from the slavery to sin. God provided a way out of both types of slavery. God was willing to step into time in the form of Jesus to pay a price for our sins that we could not pay. He offers this as a free gift if we will only believe.

To hear more about defining membership, listen here:

https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-festival-of-unleavened-bread

From Generation to Generation

Paula K. Graves

no comments

March 5, 2026

Many people today have taken advantage of DNA testing to gain information from generation to generation. DNA databases tell you, statistically, which countries your ancestors came from. Some people are surprised by how some information has been lost over the past generations.

Unleavened Bread to be Kept from Generation to Generation

Exodus 12: ^14b Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the Lord. This is a law for all time. ¹⁵For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast…¹⁷“Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread, for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day. This festival will be a permanent law for you; celebrate this day from generation to generation.[1]

Here God gives Moses instructions for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Whenever God repeats Himself, it underscores the importance of the message. Within three verses, God commands His people to keep this celebration from generation to generation. This means the Festival of Unleavened Bread must be passed down from grandparent to grandchildren and so on.

We Still Celebrate Unleavened Bread 1400 Years Later

Matthew 26:¹⁷On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”[2] Here we can see how Passover, a one-day celebration, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a seven-day celebration, had merged into a single eight-day celebration. People call this festival either Passover or the Festival of Unleavened Bread.

We can see that it is important to Jesus that He celebrate this with His disciples. Luke 22:¹⁴When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. ¹⁵Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. ¹⁶For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”[3]

A New Celebration to Pass Onto the Generations

The disciples had celebrated the festival of Passover/Unleavened Bread their entire lives. But this time, Jesus put a new twist on the celebration. Matthew 26:²⁶As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”

²⁷And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, ²⁸for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. ²⁹Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”[4]

Here, Jesus intends to fulfill the meaning of this celebration with what He will do on the cross. The forgiveness of sins that His sacrifice on the cross will bring will renew the covenant between God and His people. To hear more about celebrating the Festival of Unleavened Bread from generation to generation, listen here:

https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-festival-of-unleavened-bread

Sour to Sweet

Paula K. Graves

no comments

March 4, 2026

There are many kinds of bread, ranging from sour to sweet. Sourdough is considered old-fashioned today. But in the time of the Exodus, that was the only type of yeasted bread known. The baker would set aside a lump of dough for the next batch of bread. I have made a sourdough starter, and it definitely smells sour.

Hebrew Terms Reflect Sour and Sweet

The Hebrew term for leavening is chametz, which conveys the idea of sourness.[1] On the other hand, the Hebrew word for unleavened bread, matzah, means “sweet.” There would be no sourdough taste in unleavened bread.

Jesus Changes Our Life from Sour to Sweet

2 Corinthians 5:¹⁷This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! ¹⁸And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. ¹⁹For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. ²⁰So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” ²¹For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.[2]

The Spirit Helps Us Live the New Life

When we begin our new life in Christ, our lives move from being sour to being sweet. Just as the Feast of Unleavened Bread demonstrates the removal of sin by removing leaven from the house, our lives change as Jesus addresses our sin problem.

Romans 8:⁵Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. ⁶So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. ⁷For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. ⁸That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.[3]

Let the Holy Spirit guide and enable you to live the new life. To hear how our lives can move from sour to sweet, listen here:

https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-festival-of-unleavened-bread

[1] Keven Howard & Marvin Rosenthal, The Feasts of the Lord, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN., 1997, p. 66.

Paul Explains the Pledge of the First Fruits

The Pledge of Hope Comes in Surprising Timing

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Faith is in the True Resurrection

A Bodily Resurrection was Required For Christ to be the First Fruit

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Swoon Theory Against the Resurrection

Jesus’ Body was Stolen and Not Resurrected

Evidence for Resurrection from the Tomb

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Mary is Puzzled by Jesus

Scholars are Puzzled

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First-Fruits of the Barley Harvest

The Resurrection of Christ Must be Connected to His Death

A Wilderness Journey

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The First Mention of First Fruits

First Fruits in the Promised Land

First-Fruits Today

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Remember God Brought You Out of Egypt

Remember the New Covenant

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The Festival of Unleavened Bread Defined the Jewish People

Defining Membership as a Christian

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Unleavened Bread to be Kept from Generation to Generation

We Still Celebrate Unleavened Bread 1400 Years Later

A New Celebration to Pass Onto the Generations

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Hebrew Terms Reflect Sour and Sweet

Jesus Changes Our Life from Sour to Sweet

The Spirit Helps Us Live the New Life

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