Here at the Garden Church, the spiritual parables of Jesus come to life in a way that is practical and real for anyone who has planted a seed in the ground. Planting a seed is an act of faith. The seed is carefully placed into the dark soil that reminds us of tomb or place of burial. We trust that all the intelligence within the small seed will eventually burst forth into a growing plant. The seed planted must give up an identity as a seed in order to become something greater. So too is our journey of faith with the Lord. When we join together as the Body of Christ here on earth, we give up a small identity and burst forth into something much greater than ourselves. Here in this Fifth Sunday of Lent, we explore a bit more deeply, these powerful words of Jesus from the Gospel of John and the fruits of the spirit:
"Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."
John 12:20-33
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. "Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say--' Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.
True Christian Religion 762
The rise on this earth of four churches since the creation of the world is in accordance with Divine order. This demands that there should be a beginning and an end to it, before a new beginning can arise. This is why every day begins with the morning, advances, and ends in night, after which a new day begins. Likewise every year begins with spring, advances through summer to autumn, and ends in winter; and after this the year begins again…It is much the same with churches. The first of these, the Most Ancient Church, was like morning, spring and the east. The second, the Ancient Church was like the day, summer and the south. The third was like evening, autumn and the west, the fourth like night, winter and the north.
These ordered progressions gave the wise people of antiquity the idea of the four ages of the world. They called the first golden, the second silver, the third copper and the fourth iron.
“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it stays as it is; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24.”
In Faith,
Rev. Dave
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