How Can Jesus Be The “Firstfruits” If Saints Raised Up Before Him?

1st Corinthians 15:19-23, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 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.”

Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He was buried in a tomb. Three days later He bodily resurrected miraculously from the dead! CHRIST IS FOREVER RISEN!!! The Bible calls Jesus' resurrection the “firstfruits” of all who will be resurrected, because He was the very first to be resurrected. 1st Corinthians 23 teaches that “AFTERWARD they that are Christ's” will be bodily resurrected AT HIS COMING (i.e., at the Rapture). You can read the details about this terrific future event in 1st Corinthians 15:52-58.

Now the following is my speculation, but I think it is reasonable. We read in the Bible that when Christ died on the cross, the graves were opened and some of the bodies of dead saints ressurected and walked into the city of Jerusalem, freaking out the people...

Matthew 27:50-53, “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”

Now this appears to be a contradiction doesn't it? How can Christ be the “firstfruits” of all who will be resurrected if these dead saints raised up BEFORE He did? I will tell you what I think, but keep in mind that I cannot prove this Scripturally. Do you remember when Jesus raised up Lazarus from the dead? How then could Jesus be the “firstfruits” of all who will be resurrected if Lazarus was raised up first? The answer is very simple dear friend, Lazarus was brought back to life but he did not receive his glorified resurrected body fashioned like unto the Lord's resurrected body (Philippians 3:21).

Likewise, I believe these dead saints in Matthew whose bodies were raised up from the dead still had their earthly bodies, which eventually had to die again. I think this is the only plausible answer. Several dead people were resurrected throughout the Bible. Elijah raised up a mother's dead son (2nd Kings 4:16-37). The apostle Paul raised a boy from the dead who fell asleep and fell from a second story window (Acts 20:9-12). These people all had to die again. None of them received their glorified bodies. So Christ in fact is the first and only One in history so far Who has raised up in a glorified immortal body. What a great truth!