“And Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 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 12:23-24)
Two things stand out to me in these two verses. First, Jesus revealed that he is fully aware of his impending death. This should be a helpful observation for those who think Jesus was caught by surprise or tricked. Jesus was fully aware, though the disciples were not.
Second, Jesus used an agricultural illustration to explain his own sacrifice, but also the sacrifices that his disciples would make.
The grain of wheat is not worthless when used in food. Of course, one grain alone will not make much difference, but its value isn’t zero. The real exponential value of a grain of wheat is realized when it is planted. That one grain can reproduce itself directly into 90-450+ grains. In the next generation, those grains can multiply themselves similarly. The numbers become staggering pretty quickly. The point, though, isn’t to guess exactly how many grains that one grain can become, but rather to understand that the death of that grain is where its greatest potential lies.
In an illustrative way, Jesus isn’t saying his life – the time spent walking with the disciples – has zero value. He is trying to help the disciples see that his death is where the infinite value is found. Of course, John already told us in verse 16 that the guys didn’t get it until after Jesus was glorified. Time, explanation, and creative illustrations didn’t fully prepare the disciples for what was about to happen.
Father, help me to read your word well, then to receive it well. Amen.
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