Title: I must die to live
must die to live
John 12:24-26
13. 4. 28, pm
Spring gives us the hope of resurrection. Trees that died in winter, plants that sprouted after winter in wild grasses, and nature teaches us how to live even if they die.
Looking at the background of today's text, John 12 shows the glory of Jesus. Mary anoints Jesus to glorify Him (1-8). As he ascends to Jerusalem, the crowd glorifies Jesus as King (12-19). Some Greeks see him and glorify him (20-33).
All of these events show the events of the Lord's death and resurrection.
All of this was also the last of Jesus' public events in this world. Jesus began his life together by holding a feast. The last also shows a feast at the house of Simon Bethany. At this time, the perfume that Mary used for Jesus was very expensive, equivalent to an average worker's annual wage.
He poured this perfume on Jesus' feet and washed his feet with his hair. He said that this was for the funeral of Jesus, and he was pleased with his service. We too need to show our love to the Lord.
Jesus tells of his death and resurrection.
Through today's text, God gives us some food for life. We hope that we will become saints who preach Jesus, who conquered death by preaching the resurrection of Jesus, our resurrection, our life, our life, and the resurrection of life, to our neighbors who know only death with common sense.
You must first die to be resurrected.12:24
In the text of John 12:24, truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Jesus is talking about self-sacrifice, which gives us life to mankind only when he is killed by a grain of wheat. We must be in Jesus to enjoy life. Jesus told the parable of sowing seeds earlier.
When a living seed falls into good soil, life seems to be destroyed and disappear, but He is speaking of being born again with new life. This is a natural law created by God. So is salvation through the death of Jesus Christ.
Jesus died for the salvation of many people. Unless he dies, the redemption of mankind cannot be accomplished. Because the Lord died like a grain of wheat, the way for many sinners to be saved is opened in Jesus.
Second, he commands us to live for eternal life. 12;25
John 12:25 He who loves his life will lose it, but he who hates his life in this world will keep it for everlasting life.
Those who love their own life lose their spiritual life. Those who hate their life will preserve it for everlasting life.
For the sake of spiritual life, the Apostle Paul said that if he constantly struggles with the physical life, he practices death every day, and if he confesses that I die every day, he will die and only Jesus wants to be honored in his life. Apostle Paul confesses that I die every day in order to enjoy the blessing of resurrection and eternal life
Third, let us live like a grain of wheat. John 12:24-26.
We believe that our God, who is pleased with the saints who worship us today, will bless you with grace. Trees cannot live without soil. Fish cannot live without water. A believer cannot live apart from God and cannot live apart from the Word of God. Among the words that are the source of our life and life, today's text tells us that the life of a believer must be a grain of wheat. While thinking about the principle of a small seed, we want to apply that principle to our lives.
1. The life of a grain of wheat is a life of sacrifice.
John 12:24. "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies"
① A grain of wheat as it is.
There is no change even after 1 year or 10 years. There is no growth, no reproduction, no fruit, no joy. They don't know how to fall to the ground, how to be buried, how to rot or how to sprout.
② Saints that are intact as a single grain.
It is a fruitless life, a stingy, indifferent, unchanging, fertile, unimitable, unusable, humble faith.
③ A grain of wheat that bears many fruits.
The seeds that fall to the ground and are buried and rotten form an amazing history of sprouting, taking root, growing and bearing fruit. Jesus became the example.
④ A saint who bears much fruit.
A saint who gives up his ego and sacrifices for the Lord, and lives a life where his outward appearance is exploding.
Think about what kind of wheat I am. Shabby? Are there any fruits? A grain of wheat that fell to the ground? How long has it been since you accepted Jesus Christ as Lord? How long has it been since the Lord entrusted you with the work? How long has it been since you held a specific position through the church?
2. The life of a grain of wheat is a life given to God.
The duty of all creation is to fulfill the will of the Creator. The duty of a grain of wheat is to give itself to become the foundation for abundant fruit.
① It is a life that gives oneself to the Lord. Romans 12:1-2.
You must give your body, talents, and time to do God's will.
② It is a life where we give our possessions to God. Mal 3:8-10.
You must pay a full tithe. You must use the property entrusted to you correctly.
③ It should be a life of serving others. Luke 6:38. "Give, if you do"
You must serve with your body and your mind, with money, with love, with prayer, and above all, with the gospel.
3. The life of a grain of wheat is a life of experiencing the principle of reaping what you sow. Gal 6:7.
Positive: Abraham gave his son completely on Mount Moriah, but God made his descendants great through his son Isaac. Isaac gave himself to God, but God made him the father of Israel. The faithful servant in Matthew 25 did his best to increase talents for his master and give them to his master, but he was praised by his master and received more.
Negative aspects: Judas Iscariot sowed greed and died, Ananias Sapphira and his wife sowed lies and reaped shame, and the Old Testament prophet Balaam sowed selfishness and reaped the rotten fruit of shame.
① The life you give to God will be used to accomplish the Lord's work, and you will enjoy more abundant grace and blessings from God.
② A life of loyalty to the Lord is promised praise, joy, and reward.
③ The life we sow in the Holy Spirit is bound to bear the fruits of life.
closing words
Are you living a grain of wheat life? A grain of wheat that we all fell to the ground. A grain of wheat giving itself away. A grain of wheat that rots and becomes the foundation. A grain of wheat that knows how to give itself. May you become a grain of wheat that bears fruit.