Fruitful Death

Verily, verily, I say unto you.” “Verily, verily!” Here Christ would instruct His disciples, but the matter is hard. The mind does not understand it when the heart does not receive it. However, the truth does not change. “Verily, verily, I say unto you.”

“Except a corn of wheat fall…” Though a single seed brings forth much fruit, it is only through death. Adam’s death brought forth an innumerable stillborn race. Christ’s death will bring forth an innumerable living multitude.

Christ would have them know that death is the only way. “Except a corn of wheat fall…” Justice must be satisfied. In this, Christ was willing, but because His humanity was real, it recoiled. “O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it.” Yet His human will was without a moment’s disagreement… “Thy will be done.” However, this is not so with His Church. “Be it far from Thee, Lord: this shall not be unto Thee.” They will not have it for Him. They will not have it for themselves. However, He says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.” “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” He goes before. They will follow. “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

Adam’s death was threefold for his posterity; we read of more, however, for the posterity of Christ. First, their love for life in this world must die. “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” Of the prodigal we read, “He came to himself.” Where? In the swine pit, where he died to the world after he had spent all in it. “But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” There, in that pit, new life was born. “I will arise and go.” By the Spirit blowing where it listeth, a dead man becomes a living soul. A new life hungering… thirsting…longing…for despised and forsaken treasures, where the least have bread enough and to spare. “For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalm 84:10). Naaman was captain of the host of the king of Syria, a great man with his master, honorable, a mighty man in valour…“but he was a leper.” This was death to all. “But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

Secondly, Paul says that the first husband must die. “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.” The first covenant wed us to the law of merit. Do this and thou shalt live. Death must break this bond. “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”

As death is unnatural, human nature recoils, so also with our bond to merit. Naaman turns away in a rage but where mercy reigns, death is certain. “There is no discharge in that war.” The Lord perseveres with His people. The gentle voice of a servant is heard: “My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?” The arrow enters. The heart is conquered. The victory is won. “Then went he down.” He has a willing people in the day of His power. The old way is forsaken. The first husband is dead. “But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” Hope! New hope! A better hope! The old perished…a new is born. “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” “A New and Living Way!” “On earth peace, good will toward men.” Revealed from heaven! Suddenly! Surprisingly! Great light! Great joy! So suitable, so simple: Wash and be clean!

Thirdly, turning is not yet cleansing, for the leprosy has yet to be cured. The direction and expectation are new, but the disease remains. “I rejoice, and tremble.” The new way goes down. “Then went he down.” Down the banks. The river is low. A valley of humiliation. Another death. A different death. Down from the chariot. Royal coverings removed. Uncovered in the light of God’s countenance. All dignity perishes. Shame appears. The malady exposed. “His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out. Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers…” (Job 33:21&22). The evidence is clear: Corruption! The cause is single and the judgment plain: Guilty! A sinner before God! He cannot live!

“Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God.” “Down unto death Thou leadest me.” “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die…” “And dipped himself…according to the saying of the man of God.” “If there be a Messenger with him, an Interpreter, One among a thousand, to shew unto man His uprightness” (Job 33:23). God is righteous. God is just. It is shown. The mouth is closed. And dipped himself…once…twice… “The waters come in unto my soul”…three…four times… “I am come into deep waters”… five…six…seven times… “the floods overflow me.”

“Then He is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a Ransom” (Job 33:24). “His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s: he shall return to the days of his youth” (Job 33:25). “And his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” Life! New life! The malady cured, for the cause is grappled with! The debt is paid! Justice is satisfied! The head of the enemy is bruised! Principalities and powers are spoiled! “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

“But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel.” “I pray thee, give to thy servant two mules’ burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.” One talent? Take two talents. “…but if it die…fruit…it bringeth forth much fruit.”

And yet? “In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant.” A new life. Not a dead life, but a living life, a daily life. And in that new life…a new death…a daily death. “I die daily.” The flesh is yet a child’s, and death is at the heels. It is the fourth death, to be lived out, every day again, until the day of death. “The good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.” The fruit of the new life! “Another law in my members, warring…bringing me into captivity.” “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” “But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Fruit! Much fruit! Daily fruit! Living out of another death, yes, out of another Life. “I am He that liveth, and was dead: and, behold, I am alive for evermore.” Grafted into Him. A branch of the Vine. The Living Vine! Never to be separated…else I die. “Without Me, ye can do nothing.”

Finally, also for the Church, the seed of the body will be sown in the earth. “Lo, I die.” “Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been.” “I go the way of all the earth.” “But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” For “when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54). “And He shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the Tree of Life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healings of the nations” (Revelation 22:1&2).

“But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” Oh, fruitful death! Holy contradiction! Wonderful mystery! Hid from the wise and prudent, revealed unto babes!

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen