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ND Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. (John 12:23-26)
At the center of every seed is a tiny embryo that possesses the very spark of life of a future plant from roses to large redwood trees. There are three elementary parts of a seed – the seed coat; the endosperm; and the embryo. The smallest part is the embryo containing the spark of life. The endosperm provides nourishment to the embryo as life grows forth. The seed coat provides protection for the embryo as life emerges from the embryo to the plant. This is much like the human womb as it is nourished within with mother’s fluids and protected from the harsh outer environment.
God’s Word is compared to a SEED. It possesses the essence of life. When imparted via the agency of the printed Word, and by Godly preaching, it is planted in the heart of the listener and may germinate there for a short time, or even a very long time, before growing visibly into a much larger organism. The Words of the Holy Bible are the true figure of Christ appareled in human language. The Words from Genesis to Revelations provide us a full knowledge of Christ and His Mind. In fact, Jesus is the very Word Incarnate according to the Gospel of Saint John 1:1-4 – 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4) Please observe the Word Incarnate (our Lord Jesus Christ) has life in His Word just as every seed has life enclosed in its natural makeup.
In many passages of the New Testament, the term ‘seed’ is used to represent the Word of God. In the beloved Kingdom chapter (Matthew 13) we read: But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (Matthew 13:23) This text is taken from the parable of the Sower and four kinds of ground (hearts). Every seed in the plant kingdom needs to be planted in soil sufficient to provide growth beyond the seed’s protective coat. So does God’s Word planted in the heart of man. It must have been planted in a heart that is fertile and receptive to growth. There are some hearts beyond hope for producing life from the seed. These have disregarded the Word of God repetitively and therefore have ears grown deaf to the call of the Holy Ghost. 1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron. (1 Tim 4:1-2)
The Lord Jesus Christ, being the whole Word and SEED, must be planted in the earth and, like the seed of grain the farmer sows in his field, He must die to self. Unless The Word is planted so that it dies, it cannot produce fruit. So Christ suffered on the cross and was sown in the Garden Tomb in order that life might come forth effulgently and eternally to those whose hearts are prepared to receive Him by the grace of God. But that spark of life in Christ is an eternal spark – sometimes revealing timid growth at first, and sometimes bursting forth in brilliance of light. It all depends on the hearts into which the SEED is sown!
If sown into good ground (hearts, good or bad, whose soil can germinate the Seed) life eternal will break forth. Once life is imparted to that good heart, water is needed to produce growth. The Fountain of Life is that which waters the seedling as it grows to maturity and gives evidence of that righteousness imputed to it by the Lord Jesus Christ and His redemptive sacrifice.
Remember the Words of our Lord to the Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s Well: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14)
Have you been given the grace and mercy to drink of that well of Living Waters our Lord offers?
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