❖ Video
❖ Audio (Message)
A Kernel of Wheat Dies and Produces Many Seeds
(John 12:20-26)
Mari Ikeda
Today we return to our series on the Gospel of John, 12:20-26. This passage contains one of the most famous sayings of Jesus. That is what I have titled today’s message, “A kernel of wheat dies and produces many seeds.” It appears in the second half of the verse, but let’s read the first half first: verses 20-23.
A. Jesus’ love spreading around the world (20-23)
20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. 23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
There is much that is unclear in this passage, but what we should read into it is clear. That is, rumors of Jesus had spread not only among the Jews but also among the Greeks, and expectations for Jesus had risen beyond ethnic barriers. Through this, Jesus realized that the time had come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
This is the first time in the Gospel of John that Greeks with a favorable interest in Jesus appear in this passage. These were “those who came up to Jerusalem to worship” among the Jews. They were probably Gentiles who sympathized with Judaism and Jewish culture and lived according to Jewish customs. The Jews called them “God-fearers” and accepted them. This passage shows that even among these people, there were people who had high expectations for Jesus.
Unfortunately, the conversation between these Greeks and Jesus is not recorded. As soon as Jesus hears of their visit, he says, “The time has come,” and these Greeks do not appear again after this. I believe this is because it is more important for us to understand what their visit means.
The desire for something eternal and unchanging, for absolute justice and love, is something that all people have, regardless of time and culture, and I think the Greeks who were interested in Jesus were the same way. Even though they, too, did not know what Jesus was like, I think they felt that there might be something different about him and wanted to know more.
And Jesus was indeed the answer. Jesus died on the cross to make known the meaning of life and hope to all people, beyond time and culture. These Greeks may have represented the people of the whole world who were waiting for Jesus’ salvation. At this time, God heard the cry of the whole world and was willing to pay a great price so that all could receive His love. That was the cross of Jesus, and His time was approaching.
Let’s move on to the second half, verses 24-26.
B. The new way of life that Jesus’ death brought to us (24-26)
24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
1. Jesus’ death brings life to many
The parable, “A kernel of wheat dies and produces many seeds,” is a parable about our way of life, but first and foremost it is a parable about Jesus’ own life. Jesus died as a kernel of wheat, thereby giving, and continues to give, abundant life to many people.
If Jesus had not died on the cross and had lived out his life peacefully as one of the many respected Jewish teachers or prophets, Christianity would never have begun and Jesus would never have continued to influence people around the world throughout the ages. And as long as a person believes that Jesus’ death on the cross has nothing to do with them, then Jesus to that person is just another historical figure, and they will not be influenced by Jesus to the point of radically changing their lives.
What makes Jesus’ death so significant is that it proves God’s immeasurably greater love and compassion for us.
First of all, Jesus was not only a real person, but also God Himself, the creator of this world. It was unprecedented for God to come to this world, but there was no other way for God to save us. Because we human beings have forgotten God, live selfishly, and cause each other suffering, and we do not even realize it. That is why God Himself came to this world to tell us in a way that we humans can understand the great cost of our sin and weakness and His desire for us. That is the cross of Jesus.
Through His death on the cross as Jesus, God both judged and forgave our sins. The One who judges us Himself was judged in place of us who were to be judged. Since God is a righteous and just judge, He cannot ignore the sins we torment one another with. But God wanted to save us, not destroy us. So what He chose to do was to take the punishment Himself and offer his life in our place.
Jesus’ suffering is the suffering we have inflicted on others and the suffering we have received from others. Jesus’ death was a miserable and lonely death, abandoned by both people and God, which was the fate we were supposed to meet. We escaped that fate because Jesus took our place. And Jesus’ resurrection shows us that His death was in God’s plan and that God has delivered us from the power of sin and death.
2. That we become “a kernel of wheat”
25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
In our society, we believe that our happiness is to live as freely as possible, to do as we please, and to get as much as we want. At first glance, that and this teaching of Jesus seem incompatible. To “hate one’s life in this world” sounds like saying that one should give up the things one loves, get as far away from worldly things as possible, and become a recluse. But it is not.
To “hate one’s life in this world” means to trust God more than we trust ourselves. It is based on the conviction that there is always error in what we think and wish for, and that God is the only one in whom we can place absolute trust. No matter how right, just, and sincere our wishes may be, we trust God and leave the outcome to Him, even if our wishes cannot be fulfilled. Because the cross of Jesus will never be undone, and nothing will change the love that God has poured out on us. So we can trust and expect God’s good will to work in the midst of realities that are different from what we want, rather than having things go the way we want them to.
Then there is another aspect of “hating one’s life” or “not loving one’s life. It means that we prioritize the passing on of God’s love through us to others over us being loved by others. God’s love does not prioritize one’s own convenience. I believe that no one can perfectly achieve in our lifetime to treat everyone with the certainty that everyone is a precious child loved by God. But I think it is a challenge worth a lifetime. There are times when we know that God is indeed alive and at work when we act without our own prejudices and preoccupations, when we do not seek to be liked and when we act in the hope that God’s love will work. I think it is safe to say that this is the small fruit we produce by dying to ourselves.
The seed of God’s love that Jesus brought to this world has continued to produce fruit through those who have received it. These are people who have trusted God and offered their lives, each seeking to please Him more than their own pleasure. It is paradoxical but true that dying to oneself brings a fruitful life. Let us follow Jesus, seeking where He is and what He wants from us in the environment in which each of us is placed. That is how we too become a kernel of wheat.
(Prayer) Lord Jesus, please help us to find our purpose in life in You. May we receive for ourselves the love you taught us on the cross and strengthen our conviction daily. And may we be able to share that love with others. In the process, let us know that You certainly know us and are with us. We are small, but please use us. May the work of your love extend beyond our imagination, that we may serve you faithfully in each place. We pray in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Summary
Jesus died as a kernel of wheat and gave and continues to give abundant life to many. Jesus’ death proves both that our sins are so serious and that God’s compassion for us is so great. To accept this is to know how deeply God loves us, and to know that to live in love with Him is the highest happiness in our lives. It means at the same time that we trust God more than ourselves and rejoice in the fulfillment of God’s plan rather than in the fulfillment of our own desires. In this way, we too become a kernel of wheat, taking on the role of bringing Jesus’ love to this world.
For Discussion
- What is the new (way of) life that Jesus’ death brought to us?
- What does it mean for us to hate our lives and serve Jesus?