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I am not a farmer or the son of a farmer though my dad did plant a small garden in our backyard when I was growing up. I also know a growing number of small garden green thumbs around here trying to get back to Eden. Gardening has a multitude of benefits, especially when considered from the sower’s perspective. But when was the last time we considered the seed’s perspective? I don’t ask that because of environmental sensitivities. I ask because, if someone were to personify seeds, give them human characteristics (in a more mature way than Veggie Tales), what do you suppose the seeds think when it comes to planting time?

Because the Creator created earth to spin one way and not another, because the Word who was God and was with God who created all things to behave the way He wanted, seeds look forward to being buried. They know their purpose and they see the product of their being planted, the yield that comes from them yielding to death. If the Spirit is pleased to take this truth and plant it deep in us, then the harvest will explode and the whole earth will be filled with His glory.

In John 12 Jesus has returned to Judea where there were “Wanted:” posters hung around town by the authorities. On Saturday He attended a banquet that the people of Bethany threw for Him to honor Jesus for raising Lazarus. The next day, Sunday, Jesus came into Jerusalem with a crowd and met another crowd acting as if He was the promised king. He was, but not the one they thought they wanted. Nevertheless, the Pharisees showered themselves with pity: “Look, the whole world has gone after him.”

Not exactly, and not fully, but more than the Pharisees knew. John follows in verses 20-26 with an ironic and critical piece to the Messiah puzzle.

Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. (John 12:20–22, ESV)

Perhaps this happened later on Sunday. Some Greeks had come to Jerusalem for the Passover. “Greeks” in the New Testament doesn’t describe men from Greece, it meant Gentiles, non-Jews. These men were God-fearers, men who converted to the faith of Israel without taking the sign of circumcision. Indeed, “the world” was going after Jesus.

Though converts were welcome, the Temple included the court of the Gentiles since they weren’t permitted into all the benefits that the Jews had. Perhaps this is part of what explains why these Greeks didn’t go directly to Jesus. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee . We can surmise that John mentions this detail for a reason, probably because somehow these Gentiles were connected with or close to the region of Galilee which bordered with pagan countries. They asked…”Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Or, Take us to your leader. They wanted more than a photo op, they wanted a sit-down meeting, an interview with Jesus.

Before going to Jesus, Philip went and told Andrew . This may have been because Jesus told His disciples not to go to the Gentiles but only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:5-6). Philip got a second opinion and they both went and told Jesus about the request.

The Answer (verse 23)

Not only does the story take an unexpected turn, this verse also marks a vital status change in Jesus’ life.

And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. (John 12:23, ESV)

If it didn’t say, Jesus answered them we’d be tempted to this was another conversation. Philip and Andrew told Jesus about some Greeks who wanted to meet with Him and yet there’s nothing else mentioned about the Greeks. But this was His answer, so how does it fit?

Jesus answered, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified . That screams for a full-stop, rearrange the front page of the newspaper reaction. More than a few times in the first eleven and a half chapters Jesus (or John) said it was not His hour. (He told His mother, 2:4; He wasn’t arrested, 7:30 and 8:20.) “Hour” refers not to a 60 minute delineation but rather to a certain time, an immediate inevitability. Now is the time and He’ll repeat it over the next few days (13:1; 17:1).

It is time for the Son of Man to be glorified . He already made His “triumphal” entry but that wasn’t His glory. The banquet and anointing wasn’t His glory. Giving sight to the man born blind, healing the paralytic, these were not the hour of His glorification. Now was His hour.

Previously when Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man He anticipated His death. His very next statement in verse 24 refers to death and John explains in verse 33 that Jesus was telling people about His death. The hour for glorification was the hour for death.

Before we move onto Jesus’ analogy, how is this an answer? It is an answer because those who truly desire to see Jesus must see Jesus’ death. He told the religious leaders that they would know that He was who He said He was when they had lifted Him up (John 8:28). That’s because the nature of sacrifice comes from the nature of God. Not only that, God’s nature is also resurrection. He can’t help but beat death because that’s who He is. But overcoming death still involves death. This is His glory. Not only the resurrection and the fruit but the sacrifice itself.

The Greeks would have their opportunity to see Jesus for who He really was in just a few days.

The Analogy (verse 24)

This analogy, or illustration, helps to explain the fruit of death. Out of all the things that the Word made, the agricultural world reflects a key reality in the spiritual world.It’s almost like God created stuff in a way to reveal things about Himself.

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. (John 12:24, ESV)

Maybe if more of us were farmers then we would be excited about this. We would know the drill and get to work. It’s not an obscure (What do we do with this?) or debatable (That will never work!) principle in the field: Truly, truly I say to you . You can take this to the barn: unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone . This is not a do or die situation, this is a die or don’t. No zombie alternative exists.

A grain of wheat is the seed. It doesn’t matter where the seed is if it isn’t buried under the surface. The seed could be in a bucket at the co-op waiting to be purchased. The seed could be in the sower’s bag waiting to be scattered. The seed could even be sitting on the top of the soil. It could be that close to fulfilling it’s potential and still be useless. It must go into the earth , it must get below surface-level to germinate. If the grain doesn’t die, it remains alone . It is barren. It does no good.

On the other hand, if it dies, it bears much fruit . A seed has a high-yield when it yields to death.

• A grain of wheat cannot bear fruit any other way. For fruit, a seed’s death is mandatory.
• A grain of wheat cannot be half-buried and get half a bushel of fruit. For fruit, a seed’s death must be total.
• We watch for fruit when we know the seed has gone under. For fruit, a seed’s death doesn’t discourage.

In one illustration Jesus uncovers part of what makes His death glorious: it will bear much fruit, global and eternal fruit. (Think also Isaiah 53:10-11.) Augustine said, “The death of Christ was the death of the most fertile grain of wheat [ever].” Death for fruit is gospel.

But Jesus does not apply the analogy to Himself first.

The Application (verses 25-26)

It’s not immediately obvious how verse 23 answers verses 20-22. It makes more sense by the end of verse 24. But the subject switches again in verses 25-26. Whose death are we talking about? Who is supposed to be the seed?

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. (John 12:25–26, ESV)

The seed is us, anyone who wants to be a disciple, anyone who desires fruit. Jesus will apply the analogy to Himself starting in verse 27. “What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ But for this purpose I have come to this hour.” That’s what a seed is for, to be buried and die and produce fruit. A seed isn’t meant to be barren, fruit is in its DNA, but it must die first. We are fruit of Jesus’ dying.

As true as that is, first Jesus applies the dying analogy to us. Whoever loves his life loses it . If you value looking good on the shelf you had doomed yourself to having no value other than looking good on the shelf, which is not what a seed is for. Your life is not a savings’ plan, it is a spending plan.

Whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life . This is not a contrast of whether or not you will die, this is when you will die. Not whether or not you will lose your life, but which life you’ll lose. You will keep something, but will you be glad later at what you chose to keep today? You will reap something, will see greater faith or greater panic, greater worship or greater self-centeredness, greater joy or greater frustration wondering where the joy is.

Let’s also be careful to put the decision in it’s place. Dying now for fruit later isn’t only dying now for heaven later. Hating one’s life in this world does not mean hating one’s life on this planet. It means preferring fruit that the world doesn’t. Preferring purity before marriage and one (opposite sex) spouse for marriage. Preferring to spend Sunday morning giving thanks to God not drunk on movies and sleep. We who hate our life in this world will spend our money, time, leisure on things that don’t fit the world’s idea of life.

But hating one’s life in this world also means pursuing fruit in a way the the world won’t, namely, by dying. Some people in the world want a good family, obedient and educated kids, a reputation for diligence. But they won’t gladly give up their convenience and preference and sleep and themselves.

Our world wants many wrong things and some right things, but they cannot want to get them the right way. So also for Christians. We have separated the blessings from the burial, the harvest from the sowing.

The general principle applies to specific disciples. If anyone serves me, he must follow me . Follow Him where? To death. A disciple must be a die-er just like His master. The benefits, the fruit are where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him .

Why would the Father honor a man who followed Jesus in sacrificial dying? First, because He is consistent. Note in verse 23, “the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” That is a passive verb. Jesus doesn’t glorify Himself; His Father glorifies Him. The Father glorifies His Son and those who live like His Son. Second, because sacrifice is His nature. He fellowships with those who have something in common with Him.

Conclusion

The flow the paragraph: the Greeks wanted to see Jesus. Would them see Him in His death? Would they follow Him in dying? Truly seeing Jesus involves seeing His glorious death. Truly following Jesus requires following His dying.

The fruit of death: the Gospel is both the fruit and the instructions for sowing. The gospel informs us that Jesus died and brings much fruit - our life. The gospel also instructs us to die likewise. When we do, we get the fruit of eternal life, Triune fellowship, divine honor, and the privilege of seeing fruit in others.

Kids, learn to die now, for your siblings, for your friends at school. You are learning to die, but not learning like it’s not real dying now. It’s learning that prepares you for bigger dying for bigger fruit later.

This idea will change the world. It already is. It is so simple and so profound. No TED talk could ever have this much effect. Of course, it is completely impossible apart from grace.

God honors men who give up their lives. The glory goes to those who die. There is no fanfare at death, but there is fruit. Be buried or be barren.