The Seed That Dies

By Natalie Wilhelm

John 12:20-36

Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

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. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up[a] from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

Devotional:

A few weeks ago, I traveled to the Outer Banks to spend my spring break at the beach. One afternoon, I looked out the window and noticed a plume of smoke rising from the nearby wildlife refuge, which I later discovered was part of a controlled burn. While a little unnerving at first, I realized that though fire has the power to create immense death and destruction, it is also lifegiving and sustaining. Controlled burns destroy the encroaching undergrowth and pave the way for new life, born again from the ashes.

In this passage, Jesus foretells of His own death through the image of a kernel of wheat, dying to produce many seeds. Jesus recognizes the delicate balance between life and death, between sacrifice and growth. It is only in dying that He is glorified and we are drawn into life that only God can bring, yet it took so much sacrifice to get there. 

This passage has also allowed me to reflect on my own Lenten journey this year. Lent is so often about the ways we die to ourselves to become more Christlike, picking up our own crosses to follow Jesus as He nears the cross. As Lent comes to a close, I encourage you to look back on how you’ve experienced the presence of God in this season. Encountering God changes each one of us. Even though we may soon shed our Lenten practices, we’re called each day to die to ourselves just as Christ foretells.

Death is hard, but so too is life. The Holy Spirit dwells within each of us as we walk this journey, guiding our steps so that we, too, may become children of the light. As you journey with Jesus towards the cross this week, sit with these feelings of death and hope, trusting that God is still at work.

In Christ,

Natalie Wilhelm