ヨハネによる福音書12:20-25 John 12:20-25,

Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem, greeted by the blessings of the people, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” At that time, the people called Jesus “the King of Israel.” The people believed that Jesus was the Saviour who would free the Jewish nation from Roman rule and make it a strong nation like the Kingdom of Israel in the time of King David. And not only the Jewish people, but also the Greeks who had come to the city of Jerusalem at that time thought so. The people who lived in Greece believed in various gods invented by man. However, among the Greeks there were also those who believed in the true God, the Creator of all things, whom the Bible teaches, and they came to worship in the city of Jerusalem. These Greeks met Philip, a disciple of Jesus, and said, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Then Philip told this to Andrew, a fellow disciple of Jesus, and they both went to Jesus and told him that the Greeks were asking to see him. I am sure they were happy that Jesus, their teacher, was respected not only by the Jews but also by the Greeks, who expected him to eventually become king.

Then Jesus said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 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. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” “The Son of Man” refers to Jesus himself. When he says, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified,” it sounds like he is saying that the time has finally come for Jesus to become king. However, Jesus goes on to say, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Have you ever seen wheat growing? When wheat seeds are sown in autumn, sprouts and roots emerge from the seeds, and in spring they grow rapidly. Eventually, ears emerge, and in early summer, the plant bears a lot of fruit. When the shoots and roots emerge, the seed breaks down. If the seed remains a seed forever, it will never sprout, never have root and, of course, never bear fruit. It is through its own breakdown that the seed gives birth to new life.

The grain of wheat falling to the earth to die represents Jesus dying on the cross. After Jesus died on the cross, he was resurrected with a body of eternal life. Jesus told Philip and Andrew “If a grain of wheat dies, it bears much fruit,” which means “I will not be king in the city of Jerusalem from now on, as you expect me to be. I will die on the cross. But that is not the end. I will be resurrected in a body of eternal life. And many who believe in me and follow me will receive the eternal life like me.”

Furthermore, Jesus taught the disciples how to live following him. He said, “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” In this case, “loving his life” means saying that “my life is my own” and not trying to use it for God and for other people. Speaking in the parable of the grain of wheat, it means that the seed tries to remain a seed without sprouting or having root. If the seed does that, it will be in vain. In the same way, the life given by God will be wasted if it is not used for the benefit of God and others. However, if you use the life that God has given you for God and other people without sparing it, you can receive eternal life like Jesus. “Hating his life” does not mean committing suicide out of hatred for his own life! It means not to spare his life, but to offer it to God and use it for God and others. Offer your life to God and live a good life for God and people.