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ND Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 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. 25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. 27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. 28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. (John 12:23-28)
One grain of wheat will provide very negligible nutrition and its value would swiftly pass; however, if a grain of wheat is planted, how plenteous will the stalk of wheat be at harvest – its head bowed with the weight of many grains!
Our Lord was speaking for the understanding of every soul in earshot – including you and me. In fact, Jesus directed this counsel directly to many Greeks, or Gentiles, who had come to see and hear Him. In spite of the profuse prophesies in the Old Testament, and even our Lord’s own counsel, the Jewish rulers, and others could hardly believe that the Messiah for whom they had waited these long centuries would be permitted to die the death of a malefactor. They supposed He would come, cast off the Roman yoke, and rule with great political and military power – not die on a cursed cross. They could only comprehend the mundane and carnal aspects of life – the spiritual completely escaped their notice. Whatever material advantage could be offered by a Messiah was all they cared for or could comprehend.
The seasonal planting and harvesting of seed crops perpetuate life into the unlimited future; however, to consume all that we have in one harvest, without putting aside seed for planting, will result in the extinction of future crops and famine. The grain MUST be planted in order to perpetuate its existent for the earthly span of time. Christ was our grain of life that must have been planted to perpetuate the life of the believer in the scope of eternity.
A simplified explanation: You may remember a tiny grain of wheat is mostly composed of a strong outer husk to protect the internal components of the seed. Then there is the endosperm which is intended to provide nutrients to the embryonic life of the seed. The embryo is that tiny part of the seed that possesses life which will be given to a new plant that emerges from the seed. That part of the seed that possesses life represents only a tiny part of the whole seed. The seed is planted in the earth by the sower. He nourished the seed with water and protects against weeds and other predatorial factors. But the sower has no influence on what is happening to the seed during the darkness of the earth in which the seed is germinated. The sower has faith that the seed will bear fruit because he has made all conditions ideal for the purpose.
The same is true of the Christian, called and chosen by God, in whose heart has been planted the tiny seed of life which is granted apart from any merit on the part of the beneficiary. This tiny spark of life is nurtured and fed by the Holy Ghost so a robust spiritual life will emerge in the time of harvest (God’s timing). The unblemished Word of God constitutes that life-giving seed. It may have been planted in the heart of a sinner many days, or even decades of years, earlier; but it will flourish according to the time and discretion of God. The growth of the seed of faith in the believer’s heart will eventually grow, through the process of sanctification, to occupy every chamber and sinew of the heart. In fact, it will overflow into the public square and be a testimony and example to many.
As the seed grows in the heart, the old sinful man begins to die. His old desires no longer occupy the inclinations of the person so blessed. He or she is a changed person both in disposition and behavior. In reality, the old self has died along with its ‘self-will’ which is often mistranslated to mean free will. Remember, there is no will that is free as long as it is in bondage to sin – and all are in bondage to sin before salvation. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If we truly love life, we will love the Giver of Life, and that is Christ. We shall not only love the Savior’s person, but His way and works.
If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be. This is not merely a figurative description of the destiny of the saint of God. If we follow Christ closely, bearing our crosses daily, we will not flinch at the temptations of the Adversary or his illusory promises. We will bear those crosses wherever the Lord leads us. Some to a loss of material wealth, others to social ostracism, and some to the martyr's death; but all are on that same Narrow path which the Lord has laid out for each life. Whether by a martyr’s death, or natural causes, the saint will arrive at the same resurrection as our Lord in the process of time – where I am, there shall also my servant be. For our benefit here, our Lord Jesus Christ speaks in the future tense. We all have a time and a room of dying, but for those who are secure in the Ark of Christ, there is a wonderful experience beyond our borrowed tombs – in the Paradise of the Lord our God!
Do you feel the darkness around you is smothering? Have you never known the Light of Life? 44 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. 45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. 46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.Light reveals those things that could not be seen in darkness. Before Christ, there were four centuries of darkness between the last utterance of the prophet and the coming of Messiah. But Christ came as a Light to reveal truths that were hidden in darkness ere His coming. 2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. (Isaiah 9:2)
That Light is well illustrated, even if by vulgar lips, in Hank Williams’ gospel recording, I Saw the Light! Below are some chosen lines from that song:
I saw the light, I saw the light
No more darkness, no more night
Now I? m so happy, no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light
I wandered so aimless, my heart filled with sin
I wouldn’t let my dear Savior in
Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night
Praise the Lord, I saw the light
I saw the light, I saw the light
No more darkness, no more night
Now I? m so happy, no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light
Just like a blind man I wandered alone
Worries and fears, I claimed for my own
Then like the blind man that God gave back his sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light
Friend, have you searched the horizons of the stormy seas of this world for a glimpse of that saving Light of the Great Lighthouse of God?
