If a Grain of Wheat Dies, It Bears Much Fruit
Pastor: Fixation on coincidences is a sign of life imbalance, but he also says it’s okay to be amazed and encouraged by certain rare coincidences, such as the timing and text of this weekend’s message. Next Sunday night, we will celebrate 140 years of God’s faithfulness to this church.
Treasuring Christ Together
In the Twin Cities, Beth Bethlehem Church has a growth and impact strategy for the glory of Christ. The South Site has been meeting in Burnsville High School for over five years, and the church will give one million dollars to their campus one week from today.
An Encouraging Providence
I believe God gave me this text in 2006, particularly verses 20u201326, as the word we needed for the launch of the South Site; I chose the text five years ago, under God’s providence, but this time it’s there in sequence without anyone but God planning it that way.
Jesus, King of Israel — and the World
Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel! Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming.” John weaves his story together to make it clear that Jesus’ kingship is more than a local, Jewish, tribal kingship, but rather the kingship of the world.
The Greeks Want to See Too
“Sir, we wish to see Jesus,” some Greeks said to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. Philip told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. The Pharisees say in verse 19 that “the whole world has gone after him,” and now even Greeks are going after him.
Jesus Speaks About Himself — and Us
Our job is to lift Jesus up in witness and corporate worship North, Downtown, and South so that he can draw “all the world” to himself.
Wanting to See Jesus Is Right
He writes that the time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified, saying, “When my Father raises me from the dead, I will be the most glorious person in the universe.”
What They Didn’t Expect
Jesus: Do you want to see my path to glory? I will bear much fruit, including Greeks, if I leave the road I’m on now and try to be seen by people looking for a glimpse of a king. If I leave the road I’m on now and try to be seen by people looking for a glimpse of a king, I will remain alone like a seed in a bag.
Jesus’s Design for Our Imitation
Prepare to follow me on the road I am going; if anyone serves me, let him follow me [to Gethsemane, Calvary, and the grave]. John 12:25: He who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal; prepare to follow me on the road I am going; if anyone serves me, let him follow me [to Gethsemane, Calvary, and the grave].
The Hard and Glorious Call
Follow me. Hate your life in this world with me. Let us not overlook either of these aspects: the difficult and the glorious. If we only see the difficult aspects, we will miss out on the power and freedom.
Four Hard Things
Taking on the role of a waiter at his table to do his bidding, no matter what the demand or how lowly the status. Matthew 7:14-26: “The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
Four Glorious Things
Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount that we must hate our lives in this world because what we lay down for Christ he will return to us with glory, and if we follow him to Calvary, we will be with him in glory.
Don’t Miss This
So, as Pastor John Haggart of Westminster Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas, puts it, “don’t miss the glory and the overflowing joy in this hard life of being a Christian.”
Not Easy, but Glorious
It won’t be easy, but it will be significant and eternal. I pay the price for one (John 10:16), and I provide the strength for the other (John 15:5). It won’t be easy, but it will be significant and eternal.
Does wheat die before growing?
The plant must reach full height and develop flowers, where reproduction will take place to ensure the plant’s genetic future in the form of seeds; once this occurs, grain develops in the ripening stage, and the plant withers and dies.
Why does a seed have to die before it can live?
In order to regenerate the dying seed, the endosperm must die and give up its contents in order to support life; if the endosperm refuses to give up its contents and support the developing embryo, there will be no new life springing up from the dying seed.
What does the wheat symbolize in the Bible?
Wheat is a symbol of charity and love in the Bible, with the harvesting of wheat representing advanced love and charity, and the wheat field representing the church. Wheat is also a symbol for those who believe in Christ.
What does the Bible say about eating grains?
While grains are mentioned frequently in the Bible, they are not always positive. One of the most detailed and well-known references to grains is in the Book of Ezekiel, where God instructs Ezekiel to use u201cwheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and speltu201d to make bread for the people to eat.
What did Jesus say about the grain of wheat?
Unless a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit; and he who loves his life in this world shall lose it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
What happens to wheat if it is not harvested?
Wheat harvesting is postponed, putting the crop at risk of disease, lodging, sprouting, and harvest loss.
Is a seed alive or dead?
Although seeds are dormant (resting), their cells are still alive and performing normal cellular functions. Answer 3: Seeds are alive! They are just in a dormant state, which means they only need a small amount of resources to stay alive until they are in the right conditions to grow.
Do seeds never die?
A seed is alive while it waits, but more than half of them will die before they feel the trigger they are waiting for, and every single one of them will die during the terrible years.
What is a dead seed called?
Dormant seeds do not germinate in a specified amount of time when exposed to a combination of environmental factors that would normally cause non-dormant seeds to germinate. One important function of seed dormancy is delayed germination, which allows dispersal and prevents simultaneous germination of all seeds.
What does a sheaf of wheat symbolize?
Wheat’s origins are unknown, but it is the foundation of basic food and a staple in many cultures, and as such it is regarded as a gift from Heaven, symbolizing immortality and resurrection, as the sheaf of wheat can represent the Body of Christ.
What do wheat fields represent?
Symbolism: Van Gogh used his paintings to express his ideas about what life meant to him; the wheat fields represent the cycle of life, where people celebrate their progress while also being vulnerable to nature’s powerful forces.
What does the ears of wheat mean?
An ear is a spike that consists of a central stem on which tightly packed rows of flowers grow, and it is the grain-bearing tip part of the stem of a cereal plant, such as wheat or maize.
What kind of fish did Jesus eat?
Tilapia is thought to be the fish that St. Peter caught in the Sea of Galilee and fed to the masses of Tabgha, an ancient town on the sea’s north-west coast, by Jesus, which is one of the reasons why the fish is also known as “St. Peter’s fish” and is separated from meat according to Lenten standards.
What type of food did Jesus eat?
According to the Bible and historical evidence, Jesus most likely ate a Mediterranean-style diet that included kale, pine nuts, dates, olive oil, lentils, and soups, as well as baked fish.
Can Christians eat pork?
Although Christianity is an Abrahamic religion, most of its adherents do not follow these aspects of Mosaic law and are allowed to eat pork; however, pork, along with other foods forbidden by Jewish law, is considered taboo by Seventh-day Adventists.