unless a seed falls into the ground and dies..Easter message

The message that haunts me this Easter season, is captured in the words of Jesus, which reads, ‘unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, it remains only a seed..’ (Joh 12:24) We often hear how individuals and organisations, clamour to affirm themselves, their rights and their ownership- whether it be land, private property, taxi routes, songs, history- even the church. ‘This is our church’ we would often hear.

Of course, it makes sense if its meant as an affirmation of how we’ve appropriated what these objects stand for, or if it expresses our sense of responsibility and stewardship towards it. It can also mean self-preservation. The fight to obtain and to maintain power, to maintain ourselves, (at all costs)

The words of Jesus came in the context of the Jewish feast of Pesach. Let’s read the story, in Joh 12:20-36. What did the Pass-over festival meant for the Jews of the time? In a recent explanation on a website called, Judaism 101, it is explained that this feast, called in Hebrew ‘Pesach’ begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan (which is the first month of the Jewish year, beginning in March/April). These festivals had both historical and agricultural significance. Agriculturally, it represented the beginning of the harvest season in Israel (The Feast of the Harvest). The primary observances of Pesach are however related to the Exodus from Egypt after generations of slavery. This story is told in Exodus, Ch. 1-15. Many of the Pesach observances are then instituted in Chs. 12-15. The name “Pesach” comes from the Hebrew, meaning to pass through, to pass over, to exempt or to spare. It refers to the fact that God “passed over” the houses of the Jews when he was slaying the firstborn of Egypt. In English, the holiday is known as Passover, when the blood of the lamb was on the doorpost. “Pesach” is also the name of the sacrificial offering (a lamb) that was made in the Temple on this holiday. These days, during this season, the houses of Jews are cleansed from leaven products and only unleavened bread are eaten, symbolising the cleansing, but also the fact that the Israelites left Egypt in a hurry. The significance of all this, is of course, rooted in Old Testament,

And if your son asks you in the future, saying, What are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, that the LoRD our God commanded you? You will say to your son, We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt; and the LoRD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. The LoRD gave signs and wonders, great and harmful, against Egypt, against Pharaoh, and against all his household, before our eyes: And he brought us out of there to bring us in, to give us the land that he promised our fathers. –(Deuteronomy 6:20-23)

As history evolved, this feast however became a festival with deep nationalistic and ethnic undertones. Here, race, faith and nationalism collided. ‘Others’ were excluded, unless you are birthed in the Jewish nation. It is in this context, where some from Greek descend, also indicated that they want to be part of this story. They’ve heard of a Jew, called Jesus, who seemed to be the door to this story and rich history, this identity, where God gives hope for oppressed peoples. So, they asked to be part of this.

Their request however caused a bit of a stir. No-one wants to take responsibility and they pass the buck. The subtexts was ‘no- you cannot be part of the festival- you are not from us…’, i.e. self-preservation, this is our history, this is our liberation, this was our struggle, our songs. But this is not Jesus’ understanding. For Jesus, this is his moment. He came precisily, to open up the story, to all. God’s history with the Jews, was the seed for a great harvest, for the liberation of the whole world. This seed had to be planted in the soil, it had to be buried, it had to die, to bring out the harvest. Jesus connects with the agricultural significance of the feast. It’s the feast of Harvest, a feast of opening up to the harvest. Where did the harvest come from… it came from the seed. It came from a small insignificant little seed. But more so, seed that died. The harvest came because the seed was put to death, in the ground- the seed was buried. (Yes, we call it planting the seed, but indeed, its burying the seed-putting it to death) Indeed, their own history of liberation was a history of leaving behind Egypt, the death of the first born towards a new life, Jesus the Jew, was to be planted, buried, he had to die, to open up to the world, the significance of God’s love.

This is the significance of Gods action in the world ( as demonstrated in the cross of Jesus,) He was the seed to be buried, to die, so that Greeks, heathen, the others, the outsides could become part of Gods Liberation story, Gods good news. This is what this day is all about. The seed dying, so that it doesn’t remain a seed, but bring forth the life to the world. This morning we take up the bread-it came from seed who died; we take up the wine, from the grape that was crushed… we take up new life, to die again, to serve ourselves, for the life of the world. If you live your life in this word…you will loose it; If you loose your live, for my love, you will gain it. So, lets take up the bread and the win