When Darkness Feels Like the End: How God Uses Pain for a Greater Purpose! 💝

In John 12, Jesus presents a biblical truth about life, death, and eternal purpose through the imagery of a grain of wheat. He declares that unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it produces much fruit. This statement not only reflects the journey of His followers but also foreshadows His own imminent death on the cross.

Just as a seed must surrender its outer shell to release the life within, Jesus’ death was necessary to bring forth a harvest of redeemed souls. 

In this article, we explore the dual significance of this teaching: the process of a believer’s dying to self to bear fruit and Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice as the seed sown by God to reap an eternal harvest of people.

Through the lens of sowing, dying, and reaping, we discover the divine plan for multiplication and the glorious harvest that results when we embrace God’s design.

John 12:24-26 (CSB) says: "Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit." The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; where I am, there my servant also will be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

In agriculture, the image of a grain of wheat falling to the ground and dying reflects the natural process of germination. First, the grain must be separated from the stalk, which mirrors how we must detach from worldly attachments and self-centered ways to align with Christ. The act of falling to the ground symbolizes humility, surrender, and being brought low—an essential posture for spiritual transformation. Just as the seed must be buried to bring forth new life, so too must we die to our old selves to experience the flourishing of spiritual growth and produce much fruit in Christ.

This burial is a moment of trust, as the seed ceases to "control" its own destiny and relies on the soil, much like we must trust in God's plan for our transformation. When life feels dark and cold, it may be the process of being planted. Many perceive this as God’s absence, but in reality, you are being planted, and God is ensuring the soil is prepared for your growth.

This is the crucial moment where God is working beneath the surface, setting the stage for a significant spiritual growth spurt and a fruitful harvest.

Just as the seed must give up its former identity to become something greater, we too must let go of our old ways to be transformed into something fruitful, reflecting God's work in us. As you read the Word, you are feeding your soul; the Scriptures act as the spiritual nutrients that fuel your growth. The more you take in, the faster you will grow in faith and understanding. Keep reading, for the Word of God continually nourishes you, allowing you to blossom into the person He created you to be.

Once the seed "dies," it germinates and begins to grow, ultimately producing much fruit. This fruit symbolizes the spiritual outcomes of a life surrendered to Christ—through personal transformation and the ability to influence others for God's Kingdom. Just as a seed, once buried, pushes forth new life, the believer, when surrendered to Christ, experiences growth that not only impacts their own life but also brings forth fruit that blesses others, spreading God's love and truth.

Jesus teaches that holding on to worldly desires or self-interest leads to isolation—like a seed that remains alone.

"Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself.

But when we let go, dying to our own ambitions, fears, and selfish desires, we open ourselves to God's transformative power, allowing Him to work through us and produce a harvest of eternal significance. This doesn't mean despising life itself but rejecting the worldly values of selfishness, materialism, and sin.

This image of wheat dying is a perfect way to explain the paradox of the Gospel: life comes through death, gain comes through loss, and fruitfulness comes through surrender. Jesus beautifully continues to connect the imagery of the wheat to his own life and mission in John 12. Jesus doesn’t just teach about the principle of death and life; He embodies it fully. Let’s unpack this parallel and the connection between the dying grain of wheat and Jesus Himself:

When Jesus speaks of the grain of wheat that must fall to the ground and die to produce much fruit, He is foreshadowing His own death and resurrection. Like a grain of wheat, Jesus' physical body was the "outer shell," and through His death, the life-giving power of His Spirit was released. 💞

Jesus' death on the cross wasn’t the end—it marked the beginning of a new harvest. Through His sacrifice, He made it possible for millions to come to God, becoming the "fruit" of His labor: the redeemed people of God. Just as a single seed produces a bountiful harvest, Jesus' singular act of love produces an eternal harvest of souls.

Jesus’ teaching about the grain of wheat dying applies both to Him and to His followers. He is the ultimate example of dying to self, trusting the Father’s plan, and producing fruit through obedience.

Jesus speaks of His followers dying like wheat to produce fruit, and in the same breath, He demonstrates that He, too, must "fall to the ground" to fulfill God’s plan. In John 12:24, Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.” This speaks to the necessity of self-sacrifice and surrender for spiritual growth.

Jesus then exemplifies this truth through His own death. In John 12:32, He says, “As for me, if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.” This "lifting up" refers to His crucifixion, demonstrating that His own death would bring about the salvation of many, fulfilling God's redemptive plan.

Jesus doesn't ask us to do what He hasn't already done Himself. 

As He says in John 15:13, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” His death on the cross is the ultimate act of love and self-sacrifice, showing us the way to follow. His death not only fulfills God's plan for salvation but also paves the way for us to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God, just as He promised in John 12:24.

Jesus is the ultimate seed. Just as a seed surrenders itself to the earth to bring forth life, Jesus surrendered His life to death so that through Him, we might have life. As He says in John 12:24, “Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.” 

Through His death, He shows us how to live, and through His resurrection, He empowers us to follow.

This beautiful truth connects deeply with the principle of sowing and reaping that runs throughout Scripture. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:36-38, “How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. In the natural world, the harvest always matches the seed.

If you want tomatoes, you plant tomato seeds. If you want jalapeños, you plant jalapeño seeds. This truth is simple but profound: what you sow is what you reap. This concept mirrors the spiritual life, where sowing our lives in surrender to Christ yields an eternal harvest. 

God, as the master Gardener, desired a harvest of sons and daughters—children made in His image, redeemed and restored to eternal fellowship with Him. To reap this harvest, He planted the seed of His own Son, Jesus.

God didn’t plant just any seed; He planted His most precious and perfect seed—His Son. Jesus’ life was the ultimate expression of God’s love and sacrifice.

Through His death, Jesus became the first "seed" sown for a harvest of countless sons and daughters of God, as stated in Romans 8:29, “For those He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

By planting Jesus, God reaped a harvest that includes all who believe in Him. Through Christ, we are adopted into God’s family and made heirs of His kingdom (Galatians 4:4-7). Each believer is a part of this abundant spiritual harvest, extending the impact of Christ’s sacrifice across generations. As believers, we, too, become part of the ongoing fruit of His life and resurrection.

Consider this: a single seed has the potential to produce an entire crop. Jesus, as the one Seed, gave His life so that eternal life could multiply and spread across generations. His death wasn’t just the end of His earthly ministry; it was the beginning of a spiritual harvest that continues to grow even today. Every believer who lays down their life to follow Him becomes another piece of that harvest, contributing to the ongoing work of God’s Kingdom here on earth and in eternity. As Jesus said in John 12:32, “As for me, I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.” Through His sacrifice, the seed He planted continues to bear fruit, reaching and transforming lives across time and space.

God invites us to sow our lives for His glory. We sow ourselves as seeds.Through our surrender, God produces fruit that reaches far beyond what we could imagine—a harvest of love, faith, and transformed lives. As we live sacrificially and in obedience, we allow God to work through us, spreading His love and grace to others.

The darkness, suffering, and apparent abandonment that Jesus experienced during His crucifixion provide a profound and powerful example of the planting process. When Jesus was “planted” through His death, He indeed felt the cold, dark brewing around Him, a moment that seemed like the end of the world, but in reality, it was the beginning of the ultimate harvest.

In Matthew 27:46, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” In that agonizing moment, Jesus expressed the depth of His feelings of abandonment, highlighting the weight of the separation He endured, not just physically from His disciples, but spiritually, as He bore the sins of the world. The Father’s silence during this time was profound; Jesus, the Son of God, was fully experiencing the weight of humanity's sin and the sting of death.

It was in this darkness that He endured 
the brutal realities of human suffering.

Jesus, being fully human and fully divine, knew that the pain He was experiencing was part of the divine plan. His body was broken—His back was torn open, revealing His bones (Psalm 22:17), He was mocked, and a crown of thorns was pressed into His head. He was beaten, whipped, and humiliated. Isaiah 53:3 foretold this suffering: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.”

It must have felt like the very end—the end of His ministry, the end of His mission, the end of His life. Yet, what the world saw as His defeat was in fact His most significant moment of victory. As we see in John 12:24, the death of a seed, though appearing as an end, is actually the means to new life. His death was not the end of God’s plan but the very seed from which salvation would spring.

Jesus’ suffering and death were essential for the harvest that would follow—an eternal, worldwide harvest of souls who would be brought into the Kingdom of God through His sacrifice. Jesus’ cry of abandonment,

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” was not the end, but the breaking open of the seed, allowing the fullness of God’s redemptive power to be unleashed.

This is how the Kingdom works: what looks like death or failure in the natural realm is often the very thing God uses to bring about eternal life and transformation.  This process, though painful and marked by suffering, is the very path to victory. Just as a seed must die and be buried in darkness to sprout into new life, Jesus’ death, though shrouded in darkness, was the soil from which the greatest harvest of all would arise.

God’s plan has always been about multiplication. By planting Jesus, He made a way for His family to grow exponentially. Every seed produces after its kind, and Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection ensure that the harvest will reflect His likeness—people transformed to embody His love, grace, and truth.

In this, we see the heart of the Gardener: He sows intentionally. He sows with love. And He sows with the expectation of a glorious harvest—one that includes all who trust in His Son.

Just as a gardener plants with the end in mind, God planted Jesus with the vision of gathering many sons and daughters into His kingdom. And we, as His followers, are both the harvest and the seeds for future generations. As we follow Christ and live out His example, we too are called to sow our lives for His glory, contributing to the ongoing harvest of transformed lives that will reflect His eternal goodness.

Heavenly Father, in Jesus Name, help me die to myself daily. Remind me that my trials and valleys are the very areas where I am being nourished for my calling. My ability to endure to the end is a reflection of You, showing Your determination to make a difference and to save my family, friends, and the world through Jesus and the process He walked to give this gift. Give me a greater love for Your Word, so it can nourish every part of who I am, enabling me to be effective in all You’ve called me to. Where I am sent, let me be buried to reap a harvest. Remind me of Your ways and overrule my soul and thoughts when they attempt to take control. For Your glory, I choose to surrender all to Jesus Christ, King of the World.