The sacrifice that leads to new life

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “What the world needs now”

Our Bible verse for today: “Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.” John 12:24 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “The sacrifice that leads to new life”

In John 12:24 Jesus was alluding to the biological process of seed germination and plant growth. The parable uses the analogy of a grain of wheat being planted in the earth (dying) to ultimately produce more wheat. The seed essentially gives its life to spawn much more new life. This illustrates that from the sacrifice of a life-giving force like the seed of wheat (or like Jesus), much new abundant life can come forth.

That was certainly true of Jesus. His death was the seed that produced eternal life for multiple millions of souls who have since been born again. It was the ultimate sacrifice that produced tremendous results which will last for eternity.

This is what we celebrate on Good Friday and this is why Good Friday is “good.” His pain, suffering, and death were horrible, but the good results of His sacrifice were beyond description. There simply are no words to suffice. His sacrifice was the seed that produced a beautiful result beyond compare for all eternity for multiple millions of souls.

But the story doesn’t end there. As great as it is up to that point, the beauty of it continues today through the lives of His followers. Shifting analogies from grains of wheat to the life of a vine, Jesus continued illustrating the same truth in John 15:5. There He extended the analogy to illustrate His life pouring out, flowing through, and producing fruit through the lives of His followers, “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.”

Whether we’re thinking about a grain of wheat being the seed that produces much more wheat which then becomes seed to produce even more wheat, or if we’re thinking about a vine that grows and the branches off that vine that then produce more fruit of the vine, the lesson is the same – the sacrifice is the seed that leads to new life.

On this Good Friday, take some time to worship Jesus. Thank Him for His sacrifice and for your new life. Then share Jesus so that others can have new life too.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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