“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24
How can something that’s dead bear fruit? That makes no sense. Can a dead tree bear fruit? I think we all know that “dead trees can’t bear fruit,” it’s a pretty simplistic sentence. If that’s the case, what does John 13:24 mean?
John 12:24 is the perfect picture of Jesus Christ being that grain of wheat, which can only become fruitful under certain circumstances—”for unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” A grain of wheat has within itself a germ of life, which has the capacity to become abundantly fruitful. However, that seed cannot increase and multiply while it is sitting comfortably inside a sack of corn. If the grain of wheat doesn’t first fall into the ground and die, it is incapable of bringing forth any fruit. Jesus Christ, having died and been buried, rose again and brought many sons to glory and produced a rich harvest of a multitude of believers. Jesus had to go and die so that you and I could be saved.
The seed which is planted seems to “die.” It sacrifices everything and is lost, so far as it appears. In truth, the seed must be planted in order to become what it was always meant to be. Just as the seed must “lose its life” to fulfil its ultimate purpose, so too does each person need to “lose” their worldly life in order to gain eternity (John 12:25). That doesn’t literally mean physical death, but rather the willingness to sacrifice everything in order to follow Christ (Mark 8:35–36). As Christians, this is what we are called to do—to lose our worldly life in order to gain eternity. Losing our life is the only way to bear fruit that will truly matter. It is the only way to bear fruit that moths can’t eat and thieves can’t destroy.
My prayer is that you would be willing to die to the things of your flesh and this world, and get to the place where you are able to put your old sinful nature in the place of death, so that you may be raised up as a fruitful branch that honours your God and Saviour. I know that it is hard. It is hard to die. It is hard to hate your life in this world. It is hard to follow Jesus on the road that leads to the cross. It is hard to take the role of a servant in a world of power. But God gives grace. We are called to die daily. Again, I know that it is hard, but it is also glorious. And the glory compensates for the hardness of it all.
Angelisa is a Jesus enthusiast, Worship leader & Christian youth leader. She considers herself to be the old-fashioned type of girl who loves spicy food and belly bottom laughter. Among her passions are singing, working with children, and encouraging others.