Firstborn of the Dead

Q. In Rev 1:5 what does it mean Jesus is the firstborn of the dead?

A. The phrase “firstborn of the dead” translates the Greek prototokos ton nekros. A similar expression prototokos ek nekros appears in Col 1:18, translated firstborn from the dead in the NAS:
• Col 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
• Rev 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—

Prototokos comes from protos “first” and tikto “to begat”. It speaks of His priority to, & preeminence over, creation, having first place in everything. Nekros means dead. So both verses refer to His resurrection.

Since there are people raised from the dead in the OT e.g. the Shunammite’s son (2 Kings 4:32-37), & Jesus Himself raised a number from the dead e.g.
• Jairus’ daughter (Mk 4:35-42),
• the widow’s son at Nain (Lk 7:14-15),
• Lazarus (Jn 11:43-44),
in what sense is Jesus the firstborn from or of the dead?

All the others were resuscitated temporarily to live for a time, only to die again later. However, Jesus was the first to be raised to eternal life, the guarantee of a better covenant. He was not prevented by death from continuing His priesthood, which He holds permanently (Heb 7:22-24).
• 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Thus “Firstborn of the dead” speaks of both who He is, the preeminent One, and what He did, saving, offering sacrifice as priest, & interceding. It tells us His Person & His work. It is a very rich title.

Jesus’ Sacrifice Trivial? (1 of 2)

Q. Can’t it be argued that Jesus didn’t really sacrifice Himself? Yes He endured the physical pain, but not the mental anguish that comes from not knowing what would happen to Him after He died. Since He knew He would rise again and get His life back in 3 days, doesn’t that nullify His life as a “sacrifice” and render it a temporary loss instead?
If you knew for example that you had to have your hand chopped off as a punishment, but that it would grow back in 3 days, it would be much easier to accept knowing it would be a temporary pain and to just “get it over with”

A. Before we listen to the words of men, let’s see what God had to say about Jesus’ sacrifice:

• 1 Co 5:7 … For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
• Eph 5:2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
• Heb 7:27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
• Heb 9:26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
• Heb 10:8-12 After saying above, “SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them” (which are offered according to the Law), then He said, “BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD,
• Heb 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

Notice the following:
• Christ is the Passover lamb. The lamb was sacrificed so that when the LORD saw its blood on the doorposts and the lintel, He passed over that house to spare the firstborn of the Israelites (Ex 12:7, 12-13). In the same way, He was sacrificed so that those who trust in Him are spared.
• Christ gave Himself up for us i.e. voluntarily, out of love. No one compelled Him. Jn 10:17-18 because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative.
• Unlike OT sacrifices which had to be repeated daily because they can never take away sins, He did it once for all, for all time, because that was sufficient.
• The effect was to put away sin and perfect forever those who are sanctified (set apart).
• After the sacrifice Jesus sat down at the right hand of God, meaning that God accepted and was satisfied with His offering, seating Him at the place of honor.

The emphasis was on the sufficiency and efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice, not on its duration. Why? Because of who Christ is, the Son of God, and no mere man. The significance was not on the “three days”, even though that had been prophesied repeatedly.

(To be continued)