A kernel of wheat

"I tell you the truth, 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." (John 12:24)

These are words spoken by Jesus, as He was looking ahead to His crucifixion. The day before these words, Jesus was at the house of Lazarus, where Mary poured a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume, on His feet, thereby preparing Him for His burial (John 12:1-11). The next day, Jesus made a triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey's colt to the shouts of Hosanna by the multitudes (John 12:12-19). Yet Jesus knew that these crowds would shout a different tune and ask for His crucifixion in a matter of a few days. He knew of His death and told His disciples about it. He was not so powerless that He had to accept death. Rather He chose to lay down His life for His sheep (John 10:11).

He became the Seed, the Kernel of Wheat, that died so that many others would have life. He was the Seed, to whom God's promise referred (Galatians 3:16,19) -- the promise of blessing and inheritance (Genesis 12). If Jesus did not die, then He would have remained as a single seed. But because He died, salvation came to many (Romans 5:15-19) and His death produced many seeds.

The cycle of farming does not end with one planting and one harvest. The seeds produced from the death of the One Seed are meant to be planted once again, to produce even more seeds. Right after Jesus spoke the above words about a kernel of wheat, He said, "The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his 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." (John 12:25-26). He calls on us to follow in His footsteps. But He does so, only with the promise of resurrection and eternal life as well. And the resurrection is not just renewal of the original seed that was planted and decayed. What is sown is sown in dishonor and is corruptible, but what is raised will be raised in honor and be incorruptible (I Corinthians 15:42-49). When we are raised again, we will bear semblance to the Man from Heaven.

Both living for Christ and dying for Christ are honorable and have promises of rewards. Paul confessed, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21). While living, he was doing "fruitful labor" for Christ; if he died, then he would be with Christ. He firmly believed that "If we died with Him, we will also live with Him" (2 Timothy 2:11). So he was not afraid to die for Christ.

Like Paul, many other martyrs were not afraid to die for Christ. Korean church has been made strong by the blood shed by many martyrs -- such as Rev. Thomas who died on the shore of Tae-dong River in Pyongyang, while he gave away Bibles and proclaimed Jesus with his last breath; Rev. Joo Ki-Chul and many others, who refused to bow down before the Japanese Shinto shrines, choosing to die to serve the Lord God only; many unknown Christians who refused to disavow Jesus even to the threat of death from the Communists... This is a story that has been repeated many, many times throughout the history.

Lord, give me the courage and faith to follow you to wherever you take me, whether it is the lion's den, a fiery furnace, to a gun point, or to the threat of loss of worldly recognition or pleasure. Let Paul's confession become mine -- that to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. In Jesus' name, Amen.