Daily Dose of the Word of God - John 12: 23-25

Erin Pacheco, Director of Worship

Transcript

Erin Pacheco  0:07  

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC’s Daily Dose of the Word of God. Today is Friday, April 4 and Sunday is coming!  I’m Erin Pacheco.  It’s the season of Lent, and we are journeying with Jesus toward the cross. Our theme for Lent this year is Die a Little, Live a Lot. It reminds me of these words of Jesus, spoken not long after his dinner with Mary and Lazarus. This is John 12:23-25.

Erin Pacheco  0:39  

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Erin Pacheco  1:07  

I’ve been loving all the signs of spring slowly emerging over the past several weeks. Crocuses, daffodils, and tulips poking through. ,Buds on the trees. Robins on the lawn. It feels fully appropriate that the word “Lent” means “spring”—a season of dying and rising, of waiting and watching for new life.   And I love how the wisdom of God has been baked into the witness of creation. In order to live a lot — in order to fully flower and flourish — there’s a certain kind of death required. Seeds fall into the ground and die. The trees are stripped of their leaves. The winter winds blow. The ground is hard and frozen. And, for a season, everything is brown and gray.   But life is underneath. Bulbs buried aren’t dead, but dormant, waiting for warmth to beckon forth flowers.   Jesus says, unless a seed dies, it remains only a seed. But if it dies – if it’s buried in the soil – it produces many seeds. Life and fruitfulness always grows out of sacrifice.   What signs of new life are emerging as a result of your self-denial and sacrifice in this season? 

Erin Pacheco  2:45  

Let’s pray. Jesus, as we follow you, help us to also grow in our willingness and ability to lay down our lives — to relinquish our resources, to give of our time, to expend ourselves for others — so that our lives would be full of signs of resurrection. Kind of like springtime. Amen.