The Corn Of Wheat Dying To Bring Forth Fruit

Introduction The hour had come. Jesus spoke of a mystery that transforms death into life. Like a grain of wheat buried in the soil, His sacrifice would bring forth abundant fruit, drawing all humanity into His redeeming love. Observe the paradox: life through death, glory through humility, salvation through the cross.

“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. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.’” John 12:23-25 (ESV) Certain Greeks wanted to see Jesus. These were Gentiles, and it was remarkable that they sought an audience with our Lord at this time. When they said, “We want to see Jesus,” they did not mean merely to look at Him, as one might observe someone in the street. They wanted to “see” Him in the sense of meeting and conversing with Him, to receive instruction from Him. These Greeks represented the first of the great multitude of people from every nation, language, and people group who would one day come to Christ. The Saviour naturally felt a measure of joy at seeing them, though He did not speak much about it because His mind was focused on His approaching sacrifice and its significance. Yet He noticed these Gentiles enough that it influenced the way His servant John recorded His words.

Here, the Saviour shows His broad humanity and identifies Himself as the “Son of Man.” He had done so before, but now with special intent. He says, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” He does not speak as the “Son of David” here, but as the “Son of Man.”

In this moment, Jesus emphasises His connection to all humanity. He is not highlighting His Jewish heritage or mission alone. Though He had been sent to the lost sheep of Israel, as the dying Saviour, He presents Himself as fully human, fully brother to every person—Jew or Gentile alike. The Lord Jesus embodies universal humanity; in Him, all people are joined as one family. Black and white, rich and poor, wise and simple, all share the same human nature. As the Son of Man, Jesus is closely related to every human being who lives.

With the arrival of these Greeks, our Lord begins to speak about His glory. “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” He does not yet mention His crucifixion, though it is coming, but the sight of these first Gentile believers makes Him reflect on the glory that will result from His sacrifice. Remember, Christ is glorified in the souls He saves. Just as a doctor gains honour by healing, so the Physician of souls gains glory through those He redeems. When the Greeks said, “Sirs, we want to see Jesus,” it was a simple desire, like the sprouting of a green blade, yet Jesus rejoiced in it as the first sign of the harvest and saw in it the early promise of the glory of His cross.

The presence of these Greeks also explains the metaphor of the buried grain of wheat. Wheat had associations with Greek culture, but that is not the main point. More importantly, the Saviour was beginning the process that would break through the Jewish “husk” surrounding His human life.

Previously, Jesus had stated that His mission was limited to Israel, and He had reminded the Syrophenician woman of this restriction. When He sent out the seventy disciples, He told them not to enter Samaritan towns but to focus on Israel.

Now, however, the grain of wheat—the Son of Man—is breaking through. Even before being “planted” in death, He demonstrates His life-giving power. The Christ of God, though the Son of David, is on the Father’s side neither exclusively Jew nor Gentile, but fully human, with sympathy for all people. He regards all whom He has chosen as His brethren, regardless of sex, nation, or the era in which they live. At the sight of these Greeks, the true Christ manifests Himself openly in a way He had not before. This explains the metaphor of the grain of wheat.

In this passage, we see two main lessons: doctrinal teaching and practical moral principle. Doctrinal Teaching Jesus presents a number of profound paradoxes to His disciples.

First, although He was already glorious, He was still to be glorified. “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” Jesus was always glorious. His human life was united with the Godhead. His moral perfection on earth also reflected His glory. But the purpose for which He came—to be the Saviour of humanity—added further honour. His life of obedience, resisting temptation, and serving God faithfully was itself glorious.

The apostle John writes: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, ESV). This refers not only to the transfiguration but also to His ordinary life among men. Spiritual minds recognised the glory of His grace and truth in the everyday life of Jesus.

Even so, Jesus had yet to be glorified fully. Further honour would come through His death, resurrection, and ascension. Though already glorious, the Son of Man’s ultimate glory was tied to His obedience and sacrifice.

A second paradox is that His glory would come through shame. He says, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified,” yet He speaks of His death. The supreme expression of His glory is His self-emptying, His obedience to death—even death on the cross. His highest honour comes from His humility and suffering. His cheeks were spat upon, His eyes dimmed by agony, His hands pierced by nails. As Son of God, His glory was inherent; as Son of Man, His glory comes through the cross and the suffering He endured for our sins.

We must never separate the crucified Saviour from the coming King. The atonement is central to His honour. When people say, “Let Him come down from the cross, and we will believe,” they misunderstand that it is through the cross that Jesus ascends to the throne. The Son of Man is glorified today because He died and redeemed us through His blood.

Another paradox is that Jesus must be alone—or He will remain alone. “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone.” The Son of Man had to die and experience the isolation of the grave, or He would be alone. Unless He entered the loneliness of Gethsemane, the suffering of the cross, and cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, ESV), He could not save us.

Though He was never without the Father or the Spirit, there was no human companionship in His suffering. The Son of Man could not rely on another human.

A head without its body is incomplete, and without His people, Jesus would have been a shepherd without sheep. The church is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all things.

He would have been a husband without his spouse, but He loves His bride so deeply that for this purpose He left His Father and became one flesh with her whom He had chosen. He clung to her and died for her; had He not done so, He would have been a bridegroom without a bride. This could never be. His heart is not capable of enjoying a selfish happiness shared by no one.

If you have read the Song of Solomon, where the heart of the Bridegroom is revealed, you will have seen that He desires the company of His love, His dove, His undefiled. His delights are with the sons of men. Simon Stylites on top of a pillar is not Jesus Christ; a hermit in a cave may mean well, but finds no example for his solitude in the one whose cross he claims to honour. Jesus was the friend of humanity, not avoiding people but seeking the lost. As it is written: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2, ESV).

He draws all people to Himself, and for this reason, He was lifted up from the earth. Yet this great, attractive man must have been alone in heaven if He had not been alone in Gethsemane, alone before Pilate, alone when mocked by soldiers, and alone upon the cross. If this precious grain of wheat had not descended into the loneliness of death, it would have remained alone. But since He died, He “bears much fruit.”

This leads us to the fourth paradox: Christ must die to give life. “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24, ESV). Jesus must die to give life to others. Many people misunderstand death, confusing it with non-existence, and life with mere existence. “The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4, ESV): it does not cease to exist, but it dies by being separated from God, its true life. Many live and yet have no true life, and they shall not see it, for “the wrath of God remains on them” (John 3:36, ESV).

The grain of wheat, when planted in the earth, dies—does it cease to exist? Not at all. Death is the dissolution of what possesses life into its basic elements. For us, it is the separation of body and soul; for a grain, it is the breaking down of the parts that make up the seed. When our divine Lord was put into the earth, His body did not see decay, but His soul was separated from His body for a time; thus He truly died. Unless He had actually died, He could not have given life to any of us.

Beloved, this reveals the heart of Christianity: Christ’s death is the source of all life in His teaching.

If His preaching or His example alone were enough, He could have produced disciples by teaching and living among men. Yet He declares that unless He dies, He will not bear fruit. One might argue that His death completes His example and seals His teaching; true, but even if He had lived on, performing miracles and teaching as He did, it would not have produced spiritual life in humanity.

No one can access spiritual life except through the atonement. There is no way to know God apart from the precious blood of Jesus Christ, through which we have access to the Father. If the ethical teachings of Christianity were more important than its doctrines, why did Jesus die at all? A long life of holiness could have taught ethics, yet it would not have saved a single soul. Only through death could He produce spiritual life. Not by living, not by teaching, not by miracles—but only through dying and rising from the dead could He bring life to others.

All spiritual life in the world comes from Christ’s death. The Old Testament provides shadows of this truth. Life first entered the world at creation but was lost in the fall. Later, through Noah, life came again by a symbolic death, burial, and resurrection: Noah entered the ark, shut himself in, and emerged into a new world when the waters subsided. Similarly today, we are dead with Christ, buried with Christ, and risen with Him. There is no true spiritual life except that which comes through death, burial, and resurrection with Christ.

Do you know this experientially? If not, you know the theory, but not the power of God within your spirit. Whenever the doctrine of the atonement is attacked, we must defend it. We value Christ’s life, but it is not His example alone that saves—it is His death for us. If Christ had lived another nineteen hundred years, teaching and living as He did, it would not have produced one spark of spiritual life among humanity. Without dying, He bears no fruit. If you want life, you must believe that Jesus died for you. You must understand that His blood cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7, ESV). Only when you understand that the grain of wheat is cast into the ground to die can you bear fruit in your soul and see fruit in the lives of others.

Another lesson: since Jesus truly fell into the ground and died, we may expect great results. “If it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24, ESV). Some imagine that only a few receive Christ’s saving benefits, thinking only a small, select group will glorify God.

But we cannot yet know the full fruit of our Lord Jesus. There may come a day when millions worship God with one voice, when the knowledge of His glory covers the earth as the waters cover the sea.

Yes, missions may progress slowly, but the seed is planted, and the corn of wheat that fell into the ground and died will bring forth much fruit. When we consider Christ’s sacrifice, the infinite love He displayed, we must believe that His travail will not produce a scant result. The outcome will match the greatness of the sacrifice. The Lord will reign for ever and ever! Hallelujah! Just as the groans of the cross amazed the angels, so will the results of the cross astonish the hosts of heaven.

Great things are still to come from Jesus. Take courage, you who are weary. Be steadfast, work with hope, suffer with joy, for the kingdom belongs to the Lord, and He rules among the nations.

Finally, a few practical lessons: what is true of Christ is, in measure, true of every child of God.

“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24, ESV). This applies to us, as the next verse indicates: “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25, ESV).

First, we must die if we are to live. There is no spiritual life except through dying into it. Your own self-righteousness must die. Any trust in yourself must die. The Spirit of God must slay the old nature before He can quicken you. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8, ESV). You must experience the pruning and cutting of the Spirit before you can enjoy the life He gives.

Next, we must surrender everything to keep it. “Whoever loves his life loses it.” You cannot have spiritual life, hope, joy, peace, or heaven except by giving up everything to God. You will gain all in Christ only when you are willing to have nothing of your own. Pride, rebellion, and self-will must be laid down. If you do not surrender everything, you have already lost it. Full surrender is the only way to keep it. Many of God’s people have learned this through painful experience.

Next, we must lose self to find self. “Whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” Give up living for yourself, and you will truly live. A person who lives for themselves loses the essence, pleasure, and crown of life. But if you live for God and others, you find true life.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV). There is no greater joy than losing yourself in service to others.

Finally, if you wish to bring life to others, you must die to yourself in some measure. Perhaps not literally, but you must be prepared. History shows this: the gospel spread most widely through men and women who suffered and died for it—Lollards, Anabaptists, martyrs of all ranks. They gave their lives, and their deaths produced life for countless others. Self-sacrifice is the law of divine increase. Death precedes growth. The Saviour of others cannot save Himself. And you, dear friend, must not say, “I cannot continue teaching, I am too tired.” You know what it means to be weary, but consider your Lord. He knew exhaustion, yet He never tired of doing good. Will you remain like the grain of wheat, unfruitful and forgotten, or will you bear fruit? Will you let God place you where you may grow—Sunday school, tract distribution, street ministry? Even if it costs everything, remember: “If it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24, ESV).

Let us rise to a higher level of consecration, hidden, dying to self, yet bearing abundant fruit for the glory of our Lord. I have merely glanced at the text; another time, we may dive even deeper.