John 12: 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. 

The foundation of our Christian faith is based on the fact that our Lord Jesus died and resurrected. This is the principal foundation of the church, life comes forth from death. Before Jesus’s death and resurrection, salvation was not available for the world. One seed had to die, for millions to emerge around the world. Jesus already knew that His death, gruesome as it was, was going to bear much fruit.

He was telling His disciples that in order for him to bear much fruit, he must die like a kernel of wheat and then resurrect, for us to have eternal life. In order for God the Father to forgive us our sins, Jesus needed to die and reconcile us to the Father. The above verse shows us a lot about what our Lord Jesus was about to go through:

The words “very truly I tell you” is Jesus’s way of emphasising what He was about to say next; He was notifying his disciples that He was about to make some poignant declaration.

The words ” unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.” So we have Jesus identifying as a ‘kernel of wheat” that must “fall to the ground and die”. He knew that it was only His death that could reconcile man to God. Jesus is calling us up higher, into a life where we have been conversed, away from the cares and worries of the world.

God’s master plan from the onset was for us His children to conform to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Romans 12: ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Apostle Paul was also saying the same thing, by telling us to not conform, but to be transformed. In doing so, we assume a new life with Christ; a life that enables us to bear much fruit too.

We can only bear fruit by living our lives for Him and by giving our lives to Christ and being born again. By so doing, we live a life that brings glory to God. Galatians 2:  ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Christ had to die, be buried and come back to life, in order to produce fruits. The words “much fruit” refer to the nations of the earth. Eph 2: ¹¹ Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— ¹² remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

The words “but if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Over the centuries, Christ has produced millions of seeds as a result of His death and He is still producing many seeds to date. This act of him dying has brought about followers of God through Christ to a place of repentance.

We too as followers of Christ, should see ourselves as seeds that must die in order to become what we are destined to become in life. In fact Jesus explains it to Martha in John 11: ²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Jesus looked upon His death as an opportunity to glorify God. He saw Himself as a seed that must die in order to produce fruit. And as a Conqueror who was to defeat Satan. The Cross would pave the way to salvation for both Jews and Gentiles. We as his followers on earth, should also see our dying to this world, as an opportunity to glorify God too.

The primary reason why God created mankind was to be fruitful and to produce (Gen 1:22). And when Christ was leaving his disciples, He told them in Mar 16:¹⁵ He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Without death, there can be no life and as we are about to celebrate Easter, can I encourage you to lay down every burden and watch the power of God move in that situation for you?. We have the seed of Christ in us, and the power to overcome and bear much fruit comes from laying our lives down before Him. Our “corn of wheat” has to fall into the ground and die” before it can “bring about much fruit.” Our Lord Jesus resurrected and that is our confidence in Christ, that there is life after death, here on earth.

PRAYER POINTS:

Father God, help me to be die to self in Jesus name.

Father God, I want my life to bear fruits for your glory in the name of Jesus.

Father God, just as you triumphed over death, help me to triumph over (name the situation) I am going through in Jesus name.

The paperback version of my books, are available for purchase from Amazon and the e-books are available on www.toladehinde.com :

• Prayer Personified
• Godly Declarations