We begin with a short conversation that ensued between Jesus and his disciples just a week before He was going to die. The account is in John 12:20 – 25
And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
John 12:20-25
John 12:24 is a unique verse in the bible that tells us about the secret to living a fruitful and glorified life. It comes by giving ourselves to selflessness – meaning dying to self. Sowing our lives in for a greater purpose than self. All these “self-love” rhetoric we trend about is trash in the real sense of living a life of true greatness.
Ever wondered what prompted Jesus to even come to this point of revealing this all time secret to His friends and disciples? Well, it’s hidden in the verses that precede John 12:24.
From verse 20, we can see that certain Greeks who came to worship in Jerusalem suddenly sought to meet with Jesus. Jesus Himself understood that His assignment on earth – in His earthly body – was reserved for the lost sheep of Israel. That was the reason why He once asked a Samaritan woman who approached Him for healing, “Shall I give to dogs, the bread (food) that belongs to the children”? Thank God that woman understood and never took offence at the fact that she was being referred to as a dog. The fact was that she was not meant to partake of the ministry that God had brought to Israel at the time through the person of Jesus. Alas! She quickly remembered, “at least once a while, crumbs fall off the table and it’s okay for the dogs to eat such”, in other words, “consider my encounter with you today as one of those crumbs that have fallen off the table and let me eat and be healed”. Immediately, Jesus commended her for her great faith and got her healed of her sickness.
So, in effect, Jesus while on earth was called to reach just the Jewish nation. He however knew that a time would come when He would have to reach the world individually and establish living relationships with all of humanity who simply decided to accept and receive Him into their hearts. However as far as He His current version was concerned, in His human flesh that could not be possible.
It is no wonder that as He began concluding His ministry phase on earth in His then current version, He was awakened to that major sign, when for the first time, people from a far Gentile nation came seeking Him. This was His future already calling and beckoning on Him. He knew he could not attain this in His current version and so it was time to reinvent.
The time had come for Him to embrace My true identity, His destiny of reaching the entire world and so he declared,
“The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified”.
In glorification, He was referring to the next glorified version of Himself which was the only way He could fulfil His true destiny.
And so, He made a very resounding statement –
“Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone but when it dies, it brings forth much fruit”.
Our lives are seeds. God has given us these seeds of destinies and potentials locked up on the inside of each one of us. However, to unlock this great potential – this great and fruitful version of ourselves – there is a process.
This is the process! We must come to a certain season of our lives when that future begins to beckon on us and that is the time, we must sow ourselves down into the soil of that assignment and die to self; letting the soil to take its hold on us, metamorphosizing us into a dead version of our current selves, consuming everything within that’s contrary to the real deal, conditioning and us, our daily habits/lifestyle to conform this new version, hence changing us into new living plants that soon begin to shoot upwards and break out into glory! That’s the glory men begin to see.
Then alone can we be said to have undergone the reinvention process of the seed sown. It’s sown a tiny little seed but emerges into a great tree with numerous branches, fruits and millions of seed that eventually births a forest. And men come take their shelter under us.
Until we are ready to let go of our current version, letting go of all else, selling out to God and His assignments or callings on our lives, we shall never attain the fullness of the greatness that God has implanted on the inside of each one of us.
This is the power of the Easter Resurrection that we celebrate. Jesus died but arose in a much more glorified state. The glorified version of you is awaiting your death to self – you’ve got to redefine yourself and live for a greater purpose.
You’ve help on to that dream for so long now. It’s now beckoning on you! So, what are those things inhibiting you from dying? What are those habits, desires, temporal pleasures, indulgences and laziness, those comfort zones that have kept you so long in this current state? I bring you goof news, with Easter comes the power to let go! With Easter comes the power to die to self, lay down your life like Jesus and have it back in a glorified state. A lot remains unexplored until you let go and sow yourself into the soil of your assignment which God has programmed on your inside. I invite you to respond to God this season. To die to self and live to His Spirit, His promptings, His leadings, His new lifestyle, become at peace with your real version that flows not from the flesh (outside) but from the Spirit (within) and have God reinvent you the next glorified version of you.
To your next version, I say a big Amen.
Make the decision. Put off the old man, put on your new man, let go of those fake pleasures that deprive you of the real deal, let go of everything that disrespects your true version and identity; set goals, take action-steps towards the realization of your real you, and then become the Masterpiece that God put on your inside. It’s possible, why not have it?
Happy Easter celebrations to you – it’s your reinvention story!
Cheers.