January 13 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

The tension in Jerusalem was mounting. People whispered that this Jesus might be the promised deliverer. The whisper became a roar when Jesus rode into the city on the donkey. "Hosanna!" they cried. "Long live the King!"

Then he said it himself: "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified." And how will this happen? "Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies...."

Jesus knows that there will be no crown without a cross. His Father will have no harvest unless Jesus is the seed. So he gave himself. He gave his life for us. Therefore we thank and praise him forever.

But Jesus was not the only one who had to fulfill this law of the seed. He said that this law applied to his followers as well. We are inclined to forget that. We must learn and believe that the only crop this earth will ever bear will sprout out of the sacrifice of Jesus. But we must also understand that the sacrifice of Jesus gives us the power to obey the law of the seed.

A kernel of wheat that is kept in the granary remains alone. It is unfruitful. That it may serve as flour and finally as bread is not the point now. It can yield fruit only if it falls into the ground and "dies."

Jesus clarifies this law of the seed in the next sentence: If you love your life, if your only concern is self-preservation, you are unfit for the kingdom. Life in the kingdom follows the law of the seed. It is by giving that we receive, it is by blessing that we are blessed, and it is by dying that we live.

If I call Jesus my Lord, my life is subject to the law of the seed.

Reflections

What does it mean to you that your life as a follower of Christ is subject to the law of the seed?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.