Yes — death, burial, and resurrection are central because everything in God's salvation plan and creation revolves around Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.
Jesus used a kernel of wheat to show that unless it dies and is buried, it cannot produce new life. Les Feldick teaches that springtime and all of nature constantly picture this same truth, and believers are personally identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.
John 12:24 — Jesus directly compared Himself to a kernel of wheat that must fall into the ground and die before it brings forth much fruit, which is the foundational picture of death, burial, and resurrection.
The Bible uses the picture of a seed dying in the ground to explain Christ's death and resurrection. Jesus said, "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" (John 12:24). Paul likewise writes, "Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die" (1 Corinthians 15:36). Scripture also connects death and resurrection to the believer's identification with Christ: "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). And the same chapter says, "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection" (Romans 6:5). The Bible also links Adam's death with Christ's resurrection: "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:22). And before Christ's death and resurrection, Gentiles are described as "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" (Ephesians 2:12).
Les Feldick teaches that the entire outworking of salvation is wrapped up in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. He explains that when Jesus used the illustration of a kernel of wheat dying, Jesus was referring to His own death, burial, and resurrection — unless He died and spent those days in the grave and was resurrected, there was no salvation for the Greeks. Up until that time, almost no Gentiles had access to salvation, with only exceptions like Nineveh, Ruth, and Rahab. Les also sees this pattern written all over nature. He says the whole sphere of springtime is a picture of death, burial, and resurrection. A seed planted in the fall dies, then when everything is right it springs up into new life and reproduces again. He tells his classes that everything in nature is constantly screaming the fact of resurrection — every spring shoot and every planted crop is a reminder of the resurrection because Jesus Himself used that analogy. Personally, Les teaches that the old Adamic nature is crucified with Christ. The believer has been planted together in the likeness of Christ's death and therefore will also be identified in His resurrection. God saw every true believer in Christ on the cross, in the grave, and raised in resurrection power. Although the old Adamic nature still causes struggles in experience, God has declared it dead, and it has been placed under the subjection of the new nature.
Les explains that before Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, Gentiles had practically no access to salvation. Paul makes this plain in Ephesians 2, showing that Gentiles were without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. There were exceptions like Nineveh, Ruth, and Rahab, but for the most part, the gospel was not going to the Gentiles. Jesus told the Greeks that unless a seed dies and is buried, it cannot produce new life; He could not be the true object of faith for a Gentile until His own death, burial, and resurrection had taken place.
Les uses a kernel of wheat as the main illustration. When a seed is planted, the first thing it does is die — it germinates — and out of that death comes new life. One kernel, buried and dead, produces a stem and hundreds of kernels. He says the whole sphere of springtime is a picture of death, burial, and resurrection: everything that produces seed in the fall causes that seed to fall, die, and then spring up into new life when conditions are right. Les tells his classes that all of nature is constantly screaming the fact of resurrection, because Jesus Himself used that analogy.
Les teaches that the old Adam, or old man, must be crucified with Christ. If we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be identified in His resurrection. He explains that God saw every true believer in Christ when He hung on the cross, when He was buried in the grave, and when He rose in resurrection power — and so believers are resurrected in newness of life. Even though the old Adamic nature is still present and influences us in daily experience, God has reckoned it as crucified and dead, defeated and placed under the subjection of the new nature.
Gentiles Needed Christ's Death, Burial, Resurrection
Les explains that before Jesus died, was buried, and rose again, the gospel could not go to the Greeks, and Gentiles had practically no access to salvation.
Springtime Pictures Death, Burial, Resurrection
Les shows that a kernel of wheat must die and germinate before it springs into new life, and that the whole sphere of springtime pictures death, burial, and resurrection.
Buried Seed Must Die to Produce Life
Les uses the image of one buried kernel producing a hundredfold to show that Jesus had to be buried and rise before He could be the object of faith for a Gentile.
Identified With Christ in Death and Burial
Les explains that just as a seed must be buried in soil to bring new life, Christ's death, burial, and resurrection become our salvation because we are identified with Him.
Planted in the Likeness of His Death
Les stresses that if our old Adam has died and been planted with Christ, we will also be identified in the likeness of His resurrection.
Old Adamic Nature Counted Crucified
Les teaches that God saw every believer in Christ in the grave and in resurrection, and although the old Adamic nature still influences us, it is defeated and under the new nature.
All Nature Screams Resurrection
Les says everything in creation constantly reminds us of resurrection; every spring shoot and planted crop is a reminder because Jesus Himself used that analogy.
Death in Adam, Life in Christ
Les ties Adam's death to Christ's resurrection, quoting that as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
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.
This is the passage Jesus used to show that His death, burial, and resurrection were necessary to produce much fruit.
Romans 6:4: Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
This verse connects the believer's burial with Christ to His resurrection and newness of life.
Romans 6:5: For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Paul uses the same planting language as the seed illustration to describe the believer's identification with Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:36: Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
Paul reinforces the principle that a seed must die before it can be raised to new life.
1 Corinthians 15:22: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
This contrasts death through Adam with resurrection through Christ, tying the two together.
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:
This describes the hopeless position of Gentiles before the gospel went to them through Christ's work.
Jesus said that unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies it abides alone, but if it dies it brings forth much fruit. Les explains that Jesus was referring to His own death, burial, and resurrection — without His death and time in the grave, there would be no salvation for the Gentiles, and through His resurrection He would bring forth much fruit.
Yes. Les teaches that a seed dies in the ground and then springs up into new life, and the whole sphere of springtime is a picture of death, burial, and resurrection. Every spring shoot and planted crop is a reminder of the resurrection because Jesus used that analogy.
Les teaches that the old Adamic nature is crucified with Christ and that believers are planted in the likeness of His death. God has declared that old nature dead, but in experience believers still wrestle with it. It is defeated, however, and has been placed under the subjection of the new nature.
Watch the Teaching: Romans 6 & The Old Man Crucified With Christ — Finally Explained