“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. 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 12:24-26 NIV
I love it when I stumble upon a verse that I have never heard before, especially when the words leap off the page in a way that speaks to your soul. This happened to me the other day during my devotional time. This verse takes place when Jesus is in Jerusalem and proclaiming his impending death, shortly before the last supper. Can you imagine? Jesus, fully God and fully human, knows the torture he is soon to face and therefore has the human worries with the divine foreknowledge of purpose.
It was in this setting of great tribulation that Jesus proclaimed these words. The imagery astounds me. I mean think about it, it often takes death to bring about life. The death of a seed produces plants, things die in the ground and provide fertilizer for future growth, and caterpillar has to stop being a caterpillar to become a butterfly. Time after time Jesus talks about dying to ourselves, but as humans it seems that is the last thing we want to do. We often put more effort into keeping our old self than adopting our new Christ like self.
I know we hear this message in church, and we probably know it backwards and forwards, yet for some reason that does not make the transformation easier. While on earth Jesus set an example in everything He did. He washed His disciples feet to show we should serve, He did not judge people to show we as well should not judge, and once again we have Jesus setting an example by dying to give us life.
Like the butterfly, we have to be willing to die to ourselves to accept the new creation God has for us. We can never be half caterpillar half butterfly – I just do not think that would work. Although we have all tried it! It is so easy to try to sneak in our sinful self, somehow justifying it through other good works. Jesus calls for all or nothing. Either we drop our nets and follow Him, or we just keep on fishing. The great thing is that through our death, life is born. Not just any life, but True life. Through dying to ourselves we take on a new creation – the person God intended us to be.
This process is never easy, it was not meant to be. But I think as long as we are willing, and seeking, God will continue shaping us and transforming us from a wriggling caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly.
