Unless...

“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). Likewise, Jesus said that “He would suffer great things, be killed, and raise to life on the third day” (Matthew 16:21). Jesus spoke these verses to His disciples, but this message of His soon-to-be death, didn’t register. Peter even went so far as to rebuke Him…  “Never Lord! This shall never happen to You!” (Matthew 16:22).

“How could death bring life? How could a Savior save if He dies? This paradox between life and death is still wrestled with today. Jesus rebuked Peter back…  “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but the things of man” (Mark 8:33).

How do we set our minds on the things of God? We recognize that through His perfect sacrificial death, we have eternal life. We are immortal, for we have “Passed from death unto Life” (1 John 3:14). We also must live out our lives in victory, as we are “More than conquerors in Christ” (Romans 8:37).

Jesus’ sacrifice for us is utterly and completely life-altering - Because of Him, death is only a doorway to Heaven, where joy, peace, love and fellowship never end. Disease, grief and pain are (at their worst) a temporary affliction: because He lives - we live.

May the joy of the finished work of the cross fill our hearts to overflowing. Unless the Grain dies, it can’t bear fruit, but because He willingly died for us, we are His bountiful harvest. May we praise Him and rejoice with great joy for He died and lives forevermore - and so will we!

(Devotional by Cheryl Hall-Laos)