First Fruits
Yom HaBikkurim
Observed the Sunday after Passover – March or April
What is First Fruits?
First Fruits was the time when the farmers in Israel brought the first yield of the harvest as an offering to the Jerusalem Temple. The purpose of this ceremony was to “rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given you and your household” (Deuteronomy 26:11).
What is the background of First Fruits?
First Fruits is the third annual feast listed in Leviticus 23. It was first observed after the Israelites reclaimed the land after their exile in the wilderness. It occurred on the first Sunday after Passover.
For First Fruits, Jewish families would take the first produce of the land and carry it in a basket to the Temple in Jerusalem, where they would give it to the priest. This practice was effectively a tithe. The Levites received the fruits as part of their allotment as God’s priests.
After offering the first fruits, the Jewish men would recite a passage recounting their origins as sons of Abraham who were enslaved by the Egyptians, delivered by God, and brought “to this place…a land flowing with milk and honey. And now behold, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which You, Lord have given me” (Deuteronomy 26:9–10).
What kind of produce was offered?
In rabbinic tradition, the first fruits consisted only of seven species: dates, grapes, figs, pomegranates, barley, wheat, and olive oil. However, the Old Testament does not make this distinction.
How is First Fruits celebrated today?
Since the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, there has been no way for Jewish people to observe First Fruits in the manner mandated by Scripture.
Instead, a portion of Deuteronomy 26 (which contains God’s instructions for celebrating First Fruits) has been incorporated into the Haggadah, the text that is read during the Passover Seder. In this manner, First Fruits has merged into Passover, though the two feasts were originally distinct.
What is First Fruits’ significance for believers?
First Fruits occurs on the Sunday after Passover. This means that Jesus, who was crucified on Passover, rose from the dead on the day of First Fruits!
Paul mentioned this connection to reassure the Corinthian church of a future resurrection for all believers:
But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man death came, 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.
(1 Corinthians 15:20–23)
Believers are also referred to as “first fruits” in the New Testament. James 1:18 says that God, “In the exercise of His will…gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.” Romans 8:23 describes believers as “having the first fruits of the Spirit.”
How should this influence the way we live? The term “first fruits” implies there will be more fruits to come! Each First Fruits is not only an opportunity to celebrate the Messiah’s resurrection, but also to renew our commitment to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20).