Jesus’ fruitfulness will only come about through his death

There is a lot to learn about gardening. Most plants come from seeds which have to die in order to produce a crop. In this passage, however, Jesus is pointing to something more important. Jesus’ death is unique because it doesn’t end something but begins something … his mission, which was to die, as a sacrifice, for the sins of the people. Without the cross Jesus produces nothing. With the cross the one ‘seed’ dies and produces a harvest (v24).

In this passage, Jesus points particularly to his lifting up on the cross. No-one ever faced what Jesus would face on the cross. Jesus denies himself for us. He became a curse so we could be blessed and not cursed. The cross doesn’t repel people who are looking for his forgiveness but it does condemn those who reject him.