Yes—Jesus had to die, be buried, and rise again before He could become the object of faith for Gentiles.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus was almost exclusively focused on the nation of Israel and could not deal with Gentiles as He would after the cross. Using the kernel of wheat, He showed that only through death, burial, and resurrection could much fruit be produced. Only after that finished work could the gospel go to the whole human race and Gentiles be made nigh by His blood.
John 12:23-24 — Jesus used the kernel of wheat to explain that His hour of glorification—His death, burial, and resurrection—was necessary before He could bring forth much fruit.
Ephesians 2:12-13 — This passage describes the Gentile condition before the cross and the change accomplished by the blood of Christ.
When Greeks who had come up to worship at the feast asked Philip to see Jesus, Jesus did not instruct His disciples to bring them. Instead, He answered, "The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified." He then explained, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." The Scripture also records that before the cross, Gentiles were not part of Israel's covenants: "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." Yet after the cross, Paul writes, "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."
Les Feldick points out that when the Greeks asked to see Jesus, Jesus did not say, "Take Me to them" or "Bring them to Me." Rather, He used the moment to explain that His hour of glorification had come through His coming death, burial, and resurrection. Until that work was accomplished, He could not be an object of faith for Gentiles during His earthly ministry, which was almost exclusively to the nation of Israel. Using the kernel of wheat, Les shows that just as a seed must be buried in the ground before it can reproduce, Jesus had to be buried before He could bring forth much fruit. When the seed is placed in the ground and dies, new life comes; in the same way, believers are identified with Christ's death and burial. Les also explains that before the cross, Gentiles were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope. But after the cross, God deals with Gentiles on the basis of the finished work of the cross, and those who were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Jesus' earthly ministry was almost exclusively to the nation of Israel. When the Greeks came, Philip remembered he could not simply bring a group of Gentiles into Christ's presence, so he went to Andrew; together they told Jesus. Jesus did not say "take Me to them" or "bring them to Me"; He explained why He could not yet deal with them. Paul later describes the Gentile position: they were without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. That was the lot of those Greeks, but it was about to change through death, burial, and resurrection.
Jesus said, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." Les explains that a seed left in a bag or in the grainery will never reproduce; it must be put into the ground. When it is buried, new life comes. Jesus was referring to His coming death, burial, and resurrection. Farmers who plant seeds are, in effect, rehearsing the plan of salvation. Just as a buried seed produces much grain, Jesus' death would produce much fruit.
Because Jesus died, was buried, and rose again, He is now the object of faith for the whole human race. Paul can tell Gentiles that they who were once far off have been made nigh by the blood of Christ. Les emphasizes that God now deals with us Gentiles on the basis of the finished work of the cross, and without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.
The Greeks Ask to See Jesus
Les observes that Jesus did not say 'take Me to them' or 'bring them to Me,' but instead used the Greeks' request to explain why He could not yet deal with Gentiles.
The Cross Makes Christ the Object of Faith
Les directly answers the question: Christ was not an object of faith for Gentiles until He experienced death, burial, and resurrection; only then could the gospel go to the whole human race.
Seed Buried Brings New Life
Les applies the buried seed to our identification with Christ: as He died and was buried, believers are identified with Him, making His death the basis of salvation.
Gentiles Without Hope Before the Cross
Les explains from Ephesians that before the cross Gentiles were aliens from Israel's commonwealth and without hope, but the coming death, burial, and resurrection changed that.
The Hour of Glorification
Jesus' hour of glorification was His death, burial, and resurrection; the seed picture rehearses the plan of salvation.
Made Nigh by the Blood
Gentiles who were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ, which refers to the crucifixion.
The Seed Must Die
Until a kernel of wheat is placed in the ground, nothing happens; Jesus used this to show death had to come before fruit.
The Finished Work of the Cross
On the basis of the finished work of the cross, God is now dealing with us Gentiles, and those far off are made nigh by the blood.
John 12:23: And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
Jesus' reply when the Greeks asked to see Him, pointing to His coming death and glorification.
John 12:24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
The kernel of wheat analogy explaining that death is necessary before fruit can be produced.
Ephesians 2:12: That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Describes the Gentile condition before the cross.
Ephesians 2:13: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Shows what changed for Gentiles through the blood of Christ.
Rather than taking the disciples to them or bringing them to Him, Jesus responded with the kernel of wheat illustration. He was pointing to His coming death, burial, and resurrection, which had to happen before He could become the object of faith for Gentiles.
He was referring to His own death, burial, and resurrection. Just as a seed must be buried before it can sprout and bring forth much fruit, Jesus had to die before salvation could be offered to the whole human race.
Paul said they were without Christ, aliens from Israel, strangers from the covenants, and without God in the world. But this was soon to change because the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ brought them near through His blood.
Watch the Teaching: Why Jesus Told His Disciples: Don't Go to Gentiles