Jewels From JohnCampione

 When Death Brings Life 

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 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.” John 12: 23, 24 (NKJV)

In the above mentioned verse, it seems, at first glance, that Jesus is talking about two contradictory subjects. He is speaking about the Son of Man being glorified, and, in the same breath, also talking about His death. Strange as it may sound, it is a reality that only when a seed is buried into the ground and dies, can it actually produce a good crop.

Have we ever pondered on all that Jesus had to give up when He came down to earth? Philippians 2:6-9 spells out a few of the things that Jesus gave up: His equality with God, His divine privileges, His exalted position, His divine form, as well as all the power and authority that were duly His. 

In his own words in Mark 10:45, Jesus explained it this way, “Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (NLT) Jesus willingly chose death, so we could experience abundant, and eternal life.

It is, therefore, mandatory for anyone who wishes to follow Jesus to live as the Master did. If we were to examine our lives closely we will identify things we need to die to: our ego, our selfishness, our pride, our worldly desires, our prejudices and every sinful habit. It’s only in dying to these things that we can truly live a life that is fruitful, and a blessing to others.

As Paul puts it very aptly in Galatians 2:20, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (NLT)