March 14 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

In March we read the gospel of John. John wrote his gospel so that his readers would know and believe the claims of Jesus. Those who do have everlasting life here and now.

Bible Reading:

John 12:20–33

Bible Text:

"Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed" (John 12:24).

Devotional:

Just when some people hope to crown him king, Jesus explains why he must die. If I make the salvation of my own life my first priority, he says, my life will be fruitless—I won't save anyone else. If a seed isn't sown, "it remains only a single seed." But if I follow the law of the grain of wheat and give myself over in death, I will reap a worldwide harvest. "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself" (v. 32). The law of the kingdom is that by giving we receive and that by dying we produce life.

Jesus didn't only fulfill the law of the kernel of wheat himself; he also made this rule binding on his followers. All disciples of Jesus must resolutely decide to make eternal life their priority. Don't try to preserve your life for the present world. That would be contrary to the law of the kernel of wheat. "The man who loves his life will lose it" (v. 25).

If our own safety and happiness are number one on our list, we will never have anything more. The wheat kernel will be safe and dry and unproductive. But if we die to self and live for God, we will have a fruitful life.