Tuesday 31 March 2015
- Bible Book:
- John
“Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (vv. 24-25)
Psalm: Psalm 71
Background
John 12 records the triumphal entry ofJesus into Jerusalem (
In the aftermath of shouts of Hosanna,the waving of palm branches and the riding of a colt into Jerusalemwe hear of some Greeks who had also come to the Festival whoquietly desired to see Jesus. Interestingly, we are never toldwhether their request was granted.
Jesus' response to the request of theseGreeks is to proclaim that the hour of his glory had come. It doesnot seem unreasonable to read in Jesus' response and the propheticutterance of the Pharisees that the whole world would go afterJesus, some sense that this has borne some first fruits in theseGreeks.
However, it is Jesus explanation of hisglory that really indicates the paradoxical nature of divine glory.His glory is his death.
How is death glorious? Despite variousmonuments to the glorious dead, at war memorials across this greatland, the ugly truth is that death is hardly ever glorious. Unless,that is, such a death leads to life.
Jesus' use of the imagery of grain ofwheat, which cannot bear fruit unless it dies and is buried, isboth profound and simple. Those who love their life (ie try to holdon to it) will lose it. Those who hate their life in this world (ieprepared to give up their life) will keep it for eternal life.
The path to eternal life is via the wayof death. This is a distinctive Christian doctrine, to celebratedeath precisely because we believe in resurrection to eternal life.Death therefore has lost its sting and become a mere tool for theglory of God.
To Ponder
- These words of Jesus are often used at funerals, entirelyappropriately. To what extent have they become for you ameaningless liturgy? How might you live as one prepared to give uptheir life?
- 'Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die' is awidely quoted truism. How far would you say that this isincompatible with genuine Christian faith?
- Are we meant to seek to apply