A seed becomes fruitful only by giving itself up.
“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 (KJV)
What does “Seed” mean in John 12:24?
Jesus says this as He speaks about His approaching death. A corn of wheat means a single grain of wheat, small and hard and alone until it is planted.
Going deeper
Some Greeks had come to see Jesus, and He responded by describing what was about to happen. A grain of wheat, unless it falls into the ground and dies, stays alone. If it dies, it brings forth much fruit. It is a picture of His own death and of the life that would come from it. What looked like an ending was a planting. The cross was not a defeat. It was the seed of a harvest.
He then applies the principle to His followers. Those who hold onto their lives lose them, and those who give themselves away find them. That is an unsettling and hopeful idea. If you feel that something in your life has been buried, whether a dream, a season, or a relationship, take heart. In God's hands, burial is not always an end. Ask Him what He wants to grow. And ask what you could give away this week, in love, that might bear fruit.
Reflect
What in your life feels buried, and what might God want to grow from it?
Pray
Lord Jesus, thank You for falling into the ground so that many might live. Teach me to give myself away in love, and grow fruit from what feels buried. In Jesus' name, amen.
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