The Rest of the Harvest

Saturday, July 27, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But 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.”

1 Corinthians 15:20–24

Anyone who has ever planted a vegetable garden knows that it takes a long time for the produce to ripen and be ready to eat. You pick out a good spot and prepare the ground. You plant your seeds and water the soil. Eventually, a small plant emerges from the soil. You weed and water and fertilize and then weed some more. Day after day it seems like no measureable growth is happening. But finally, you get to eat the first tomato or cucumber or ear of corn. That’s an exciting day, but it is just a small taste of what you are about to enjoy as the whole harvest comes in.

The wonderful things that we enjoy now as children of God are just “a foretaste of glory divine” as songwriter Fanny Crosby put it. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was not the end of God’s plan; it was merely the first step of the final phase which will end with us experiencing eternal life and the world placed under His authority and rule. His resurrection was just the beginning of the harvest, for it awaits us as well. “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51–52).

Today's Growth Principle: 

Victory is already won, and we are simply waiting for the rest of the harvest to come in.