Yes — Jesus is the first to be resurrected because resurrection means rising from the dead to eternal life, never to die again, and that had never happened before Christ.
Les Feldick teaches that people such as Lazarus and the widow's son were merely brought back to life and later died again. Christ, however, arose from the dead never to die again, and therefore He began true resurrection and holds that first place.
1 Corinthians 15:20 — Paul explicitly calls Christ the firstfruits of them that slept, showing He is the first in resurrection.
Matthew 27:52-53 — The saints came out of the graves after Christ's resurrection, demonstrating that His resurrection opened the way for others.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:20, "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." He continues in verses 21-23: "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." In Matthew 27:52-53, the Bible records, "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." Scripture thus places Christ's resurrection first and shows that other resurrections follow after Him.
Les Feldick teaches that the word 'resurrection' in Scripture must be distinguished from being raised back to mortal life. People such as Lazarus and the widow's son were brought back to life, but they died again. Christ, however, arose never to die again, and that is when true resurrection began. Because Christ had to be the first, no one could be resurrected before Him. Les also teaches that the Jewish saints in Matthew 27:52-53 came out of their graves after Christ's resurrection, not before, and that together with Christ they make up the 'firstfruits' sheaf. Although Scripture is silent about their final destination, Les assumes they ascended to heaven as Christ did.
According to Les Feldick, resurrection is a scriptural term that began with Christ alone. Being 'raised from the dead' by the prophets, or even when Jesus called Lazarus forth, was merely a restoration to life; those people died again. True resurrection means rising into eternal life and never dying again. Since Christ is the first to do this, He is the first to be resurrected.
Les Feldick emphasizes that Christ had to be the first to be resurrected; this had never happened before. The saints in Matthew 27 did not come out of the graves while He was on the cross, but only after He had been resurrected Himself. This sequence shows that no one could be resurrected before Him.
Les Feldick explains that the Old Testament firstfruits feast took a bundle or sheaf of many stems of grain, not just one. Christ alone would have been the single 'firstfruit,' but to complete the analogy, after His resurrection some Jewish believers were resurrected from the cemeteries around Jerusalem and appeared in the city. Altogether they become the firstfruits of them that slept.
Les Feldick notes that Scripture is silent on what happened to these people. He assumes that since Christ ascended in His resurrected body, these resurrected saints also ascended into heaven.
Why the Temple Veil Tore — Matthew 27 Explained
that tabernacle in which the priests ministered daily from the Holy of Holies, wherein was the Ark of the Covenant, the presence of God, and the Shekinah Glory and all that. And it was only behind the veil that Aaron the High Priest would go once a year on the Day of Atonement, which we're going to look at in one of these lessons now associated with all this.
Christ Had to Be First
Les teaches that resurrection had never happened before Christ; earlier raisings from the dead, including Lazarus, ended in death again. The Matthew 27 saints were a sample of firstfruits beside Christ.
Saints Came Out After Jesus' Resurrection
Les shows that the graves opened only after Jesus' own resurrection because He had to be first, and he assumes these resurrected saints ascended to heaven like Christ.
Resurrection vs. Being Called Back
Les defines resurrection as rising never to die again; people like the widow's son and Lazarus were only restored to life and therefore were not resurrected.
Resurrection Began With Christ
Les repeats that resurrection began with Jesus Himself; He died and arose for eternity, never to die again.
Firstfruits Sheaf Completed
Les explains that the resurrected saints from Matthew 27 completed the Leviticus firstfruits sheath with Christ, making them together the firstfruits of resurrection.
True Meaning of Resurrection
Les clarifies that being raised from the dead miraculously is not resurrection; true resurrection began with Christ and means rising into the eternal.
Christ the Firstfruits in Scripture
Les reads 1 Corinthians 15, where Christ is called the firstfruits of them that slept, showing His priority in resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:20: But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
Paul names Christ as the firstfruits of those who have died, establishing His priority in resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:21: For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
Shows that resurrection comes through the man Christ, just as death came through Adam.
1 Corinthians 15:22: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Promises that in Christ all will be made alive, contrasting Adam's death with Christ's life.
1 Corinthians 15:23: But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
Defines the order of resurrection, with Christ as the firstfruits.
Matthew 27:52: And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Describes the graves being opened and many saints arising after Christ's resurrection.
Matthew 27:53: And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Specifies that the saints came out after Jesus' resurrection, not before.
No. Les Feldick teaches that Lazarus was brought back to life, but he died again later. True resurrection began with Christ, who rose never to die again.
Yes, such as the widow's son under Elijah and others raised by the prophets, but these were restorations to mortal life. They were not resurrected in the biblical sense because they died again. Jesus is the first to be resurrected.
Because Christ had to be the first. After His resurrection, these Jewish believers were raised to complete the firstfruits analogy with Christ as the firstfruit.
Scripture is silent on their final destination. Les Feldick assumes they ascended to heaven, just as Christ did in His resurrected body, because they were resurrected rather than merely restored to life.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Temple Veil Tore — Matthew 27 Explained