01-09-12 "Sacrifice; God's Pathway to Fruitfulness" John 12:20-26

The passage I read was John 12:20-26

You can find that passage here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+12%3A20-26&version=NIV

The verse that most stood out to me:

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. 

As I reflect:

I love the analogy of a seed.  It is perfect in every way as we parallel the analogy to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and also as we parallel the analogy to our own worldly life, self denial, and being given a new heart.  Jesus’ parable of the sower also applies here. 

The Greeks that came wanting to meet Jesus would have to wait to receive Him after His resurrection.  The Greeks longing to see Him was a sign to Jesus that the time has come for His glorification and our redemption.  Jesus had many opportunities during His ministry where He could have been led to the cross but He waited until such time as His name was known throughout the land.  Then the time for Our Advocate was approaching. 

Jesus explained well how He would bring new life.  Just as a seed descends from the tree to earth and must die and be received by good soil, so must the Son of God descend to earth and die for those who would receive Him.  Once a seed is received by good soil, it must be watered and warmed and protected from weeds and thorns and all sorts of thieving rodents and birds that would steal the seed.  Then it can come forth from the ground bringing with it new life.  It was the same and is forever the same with Jesus who was laid in a tomb and arose again bringing new life for those who would follow.  In verse 26 we are told to do just that.  We must follow Him.  We too must die to our old selves, receive the Word, be protected from the enemy’s attempts to steal that word from us, be guided and fed so that we can grow and have new life.   Part of this process is the continuing mindset that we, like our Savior, are not of this world.  We must set our hearts; Our treasures on Heaven and realize daily that we are foreigners,  aliens in this land.  With this knowledge we look forward to being where our Redeemer is;  In the presence of our Father. 

My response to the Lord:

My Father, firstly I thank you for your Son and my Savior.  I thank you that He denied Himself to be laid down for my sins, and I thank you for His resurrecting power manifested in my life as well.  I ask that your Holy Spirit continue daily guiding me as I continuously die to my own flesh and find life in You and You alone.  I ask you to help me grow, surrounding me by stronger believers than myself that I might receive guidance.  May your Holy Spirit guide me daily into the good book that is life giving food to my soul.  Lord, may I daily be warmed and given life in the photosynthesis that occurs when I keep my eyes on your Son.  In Jesus’ name.