Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12: 24)
To the enemies of Jesus, His death meant the end of the road for Jesus and indeed Christianity. But for us believers His death means an open door. Here Jesus prepares the mind of His followers by using the analogy of a physical grain of wheat. We all know that a grain of wheat, though containing in itself the germs of life, would remain alone, and not really live unless it fell to the earth. The life germ would then burst forth and the simple grain in its own death will give life to blade and stalk; it’s death then was the true life, for it released the inner life-power which the husk before held captive.
In other words, Jesus is saying, “My death, however, is necessary to the successful and victorious development of my work, as the wheat-corn must fall into the earth and die in other to bring forth much fruit”.
Our Lord compares Himself to a corn of wheat for the excellency of the grain, for the purity and its cleanness. Jesus even in human nature was pure and sinless.
The death of Christ is compared with the falling of the corn of wheat into the ground and dying. This shows that Christ’s death was not accidental but designed; it was determined in the counsel and purposes of God and intended for His glory and the redemption of man even as wheat falls out of the hand of the sower, not casually but on purpose, that it may die and spring up again and produce an increase. Christ death was voluntary for a short while as corn of wheat that dies soon revives again and is quickly above the ground, so Christ though really died, did not long continue under the power of death, but rose again the third day and now lives forever.
If He had not died, He would have remained but without any of the now redeemed believers who fell and died in Adam.Had Christ not died, none of them would have lived: none of them could have been justified nor sins forgiven nor would any of them have been regenerated.
By His death and resurrection Jesus had overcome death, so that He might make us share in His righteousness. 1 Corinthians 15 makes it clear that if Christ had not died and was raised, our faith would have been futile.
By His death on the cross He bore our curse that we might be free from the curses that we deserve. By His death and resurrection we are reconciled to God and now He presents us holy before God. By His death and resurrection we too are now risen to new life. Just as by nature we were in Adam when he sinned so by faith we are in Christ when He suffered and died and rose again and so by faith we have also risen to new life.
It is only by faith in Him and obedience to His word that we shall reap the full benefits of His death and resurrection. We pray that He grants us the grace to be faithful till death so that we shall receive the crown of glory.
Have a victorious week as you die to sin and rise to a new life in Him.
Your brother, Vicar & Archdeacon
S.Igein Isemede