Scripture to Read: John 12:24–26
Jesus knew His hour had come and He knew He came to die, not just for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles. According to Ephesians 2:17, And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near. As God led Paul to write to the Gentile believers in Ephesus, God used Paul to remind them that Jesus came for them “who were far away” as well as for the Jews “who were near.” According to John 12:24–26, after Andrew and Philip told Jesus that the Gentiles wanted to see Him, Jesus responded with this, “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. 25 He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. 26 If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” Jesus told Andrew and Philip that a grain of wheat can’t bear fruit unless it dies. Jesus made reference to His own death, knowing that through His death, many Gentile and Jewish souls would surrender their lives to Him as Lord and be saved and therefore bear forth the fruit of eternal life. Jesus also reminds us that loving this life is fruitless but that we must die to ourselves to find life in Him, for eternal life apart from Him is impossible.
Challenge & Application
• How did Jesus respond to Philip and Andrew after they told Him that the Gentiles wanted to see Him?
• Jesus clearly said that we must lose/hate our life to find life through Him; so, how would you explain this to someone who does not know Christ yet?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!