The seed that bears fruit
by Jacob Traeger
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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 (John 12:24).
Read John 12:20–36
Have you ever thought of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry – and yes, his death – as a planting? The prophet Isaiah describes Israel as a vineyard, where God looked for a crop of justice and righteousness, but found bloodshed and oppression (Isaiah 5:7).
And now, through the bloodshed and oppression inflicted on Jesus Christ, God is bringing a crop of justice and righteousness to life. Death, Jesus tells us, is not always a defeat. Jesus’ death is, in fact, his glory. This death must occur for the new life to break through.
This is what Jesus means when he later tells his disciples, ‘it is to your advantage that I go away’ (John 16:7). Without Jesus’ death, his ministry would bear no fruit.
Perhaps you have sometimes wondered why Jesus’ death was necessary. Surely it would be better if he were still physically walking among us today, wouldn’t it? But without the cross, the Holy Spirit is not poured out. Without the cross, Jesus remains just one life, as holy and precious as it might be.
But through the cross, the seed multiplies. God plants a great crop. The world is damned and saved in one moment – condemned through bloodshed and oppression borne by one man and saved to produce a crop of justice and righteousness. Through the cross, we are drawn into Christ’s life in a way we could not imagine otherwise.
Without the cross, Jesus is God’s presence with us, but he remains a teacher and exemplar of humanity. Through the cross, Jesus becomes God’s salvation for us. He bears the enmity, anger, bitterness and pain, which we receive and give to one another in this world. Through the cross, Jesus draws us into God’s life, fills us with the Holy Spirit and brings forth the fruit of justice and righteousness, so that the world might be blessed through us.
God of planting, sowing and watering, bring to full fruit the seed of faith that you have planted in me. Bring to death those parts of me that harm others and pull me away from you. Through your Spirit, grow your fruit of justice and righteousness in me, that I would be part of your saving, compassionate work for the world. Amen.
Jacob lives with his wife, Kate, in Canberra, where he serves as a pastor in the Molonglo Valley Gospel Community church plant. He loves that Canberra is a place full of interesting people, where Christians can serve, bless and pray for those making big decisions for Australia. In his downtime, you’ll find him hiking, cycling, playing board games or making homebrew with friends.
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