Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies

....  it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life (John 12:24, 25).  Jesus was very aware that the time had come when He would soon be delivered up to death. It was in the middle of holy week, the triumphal entry was behind Him (verses 12-15);  Mary had  anointed the feet of Jesus with costly oil “for my burial,” and wiped His feet with her hair (verses 3, 7);  and Jesus had turned away some Greeks who had come to see Him (verses 23).  The quote is the answer He gave to the request. As He often does, He is using natural things to teach. The picture in the first part is comparing grain planted to it being burred in the ground. Only after it is “buried” in this way,  will it spout and produce a full ear of corn. The ear of has course is the  “fruit,” that is much more grain from the single grain that died.

Part, but only part,  of this saying,  is Jesus telling that it was necessary for Him to die in order that His followers might receive eternal life (verse 25). It is easy to pass over the difficulty that Jesus had in submitting to the death He knew was coming. “Now is my soul troubled” (verse 27, but see also Matthew 26:36-46). It is remarkable that the private ministry of the Son of God that follows given under such pressure (Chapters 13-16),  contains some of the most profound teaching of the whole three years. And since He had laid aside His Godhead (Philippians 2:5-8),  all this was done in His capacity as a Spirit filled man, not as God. And so it was as human being that He “hated His life” in order that we might live.

Coming to the second part of this morning quote, in the hyperbole (exaggerated rhetoric) of verse 25,  the Lord is essentially saying “I did this for you, will you do it for me?” Elsewhere He tells us “Unless you take up your cross daily and follow me you cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). Paul tells us “He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:15). The invitation of the gospel is to come to die, for unless a seed die, it abides alone, but if we die,  we too will produce much fruit.

Father, I remember this morning how courageously my mother in law clung to life in her dying days. We do not die easily Lord either physically or to the self life. Your Word tells us that “ those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24). It seems to be a process Lord. Paul further tells us if by the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the flesh we will live (Romans 8:13). It is we who do it, but it is by the Sprit. In other words we need to surrender and cooperate with Him. So we come again this morning Lord bringing our bodies as living sacrifices.  It is the only reasonable response to Your tender mercies. We love You Lord Jesus in Your precious Name Amen