Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain

 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast.  Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."  Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.  But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.  Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also.  If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor."

- John 12:20-26

Yesterday we read that a great many of the Jews knew that Jesus was at the home of Lazarus in Bethany; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.  But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.  The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:  "Hosanna!  'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'  The King of Israel!"  Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:  "Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey's colt." His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.  Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness.  For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.    The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing.  Look, the world has gone after Him!"

Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast.  Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."  Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.   But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified."  These Greeks are Gentiles from abroad, Greek-speakers (for Greek was the "international language" of this time), who believe in the God of Abraham.  They have come to participate in the Passover feast.  My study bible says that as they are still called Greeks it shows that they were not yet full proselytes, or converts.  Jesus had taught His disciples not to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5; 15:24), and so Philip and Andrew approach Him before bringing them to Him.  When Jesus speaks of the hour in which He should be glorified, He's speaking of His death on the Cross.   My study bible says that this obscure response indicates two things:  First, that the answer these Greeks are seeking will not be found in words, but rather on the Cross; and secondly, that the Cross will be the event that opens all manner of grace to the Gentiles.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also.  If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor."  My study bible tells us that the image of a grain of wheat dying in order to bear fruit signifies that Christ's death will give life to the world.  In the Armenian Apostolic Church, this passage is read at every memorial service for the departed.  In many Orthodox churches, whole grains of wheat are sweetened and spiced and given out at memorial services, to affirm God's promise that those who died in Christ will rise again to life.

Somehow the Greek speakers, Gentiles coming and wishing to see Jesus, have triggered this important revelation of Christ, that it is His hour to be glorified -- to go to the Cross.  We are reminded of His revelation of Himself to a foreigner, the Samaritan woman, in chapter 4.  Greek is the international language of the world at this time, and the Gospels will be written in Greek as their original language, so that all the world will be able to know about Jesus.  It is the language of commerce in the wider world, and also in Bethsaida of Galilee, where Philip is from, as text mentions.  There is a poetic kind of paradox here that exemplifies so much about Christ's ministry and teachings, in that this is the language of the outsider.  For the Jews, it means the language of those at the edges, the margins, the foreigners, the pagans, and the frowned-upon minorities who are seen as inferior.  But this Gospel that will go to the whole world will gather many followers.  It "will produce much grain," as Jesus puts it.  And so, in the effects of this ministry, the outsiders become the insiders, the marginalized will be the many, while the insiders who don't believe will eventually be scattered.  This is something that reflects a spiritual pattern we can read of God's action throughout the Bible.  We can see this reflected, even culminated, in the song of Mary, from Luke chapter 1 (Luke 1:46-55).  Mary's song is also reflective of themes found earlier in the songs of women and in the Psalms.  Mary sings of herself as one in a lowly state, who will be called blessed henceforth by all generations.  God her Savior is One who has "scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts," "put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly."  It is Christ who, throughout His ministry, has ministered to the marginalized, the destitute, those who are blighted in some way such as paralysis or blindness or leprosy -- all individuals in some way on the periphery and frequently separated from community.  Now in today's reading He speaks of His death as planting a seed of grain, which can only give much more grain if it falls to the ground and dies.  And so it will spread to all the Greek-speaking world, the world that had been conquered by Alexander, which at that time meant the world spanning from the shores of the Mediterranean to India, across the Middle East.  Furthermore, trade and commerce assured that the Greek language was spoken across the known world at the time.  In the form of the Septuagint (the 3rd-2nd century BC Greek translation of the Old Testament, the version quoted by Christ in the Greek New Testament), the entire Hebrew bible will therefore also be spread to the known world.  In all of these ways, we can consider the Greeks who come to find Christ at the Passover a sign that the hour of His glorification is near, and His prophecy of the grain of wheat will be fulfilled.  Jesus' ministry is one of taking up outsiders so that they are included in community.  The disciples themselves do not come from illustrious or noble backgrounds.  Most are uneducated.  But with the coming of the Holy Spirit, they will be shown to be "wisest of all" as eventually the Hellenistic world will come to see them.  What we should consider is this action of God in the world, the One who lifts up the lowly and casts down the proud.   The Cross, instrument of dread and fear and crushing symbol of absolute worldly power, will become the greatest symbol of transformation and rebirth, salvation and liberation for all.  We are always reminded of the surprising power of Christ, and the resurrection power in the image of the grain that dies in order to give birth to many.   It is He who creates community.  Let us consider this action in our own lives, then, when we find ourselves in need of community, or even of a reminder to our need for humility.  What does His resurrectional power mean to you?  What needs to be fallen to the ground in preparation for that harvest in your life?