"Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." (John 12:24 NASB)
"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies.'" (John 11:25 NASB)
Countdown and Harvest Cycles
After Passover starts a countdown. This countdown makes complete sense in the Israeli agrarian society. It is a period of seven weeks—forty-nine days—till one harvest is celebrated at Pentecost (Shavuot), the fiftieth day, and another begins.
Firstfruits, right after Passover, when Christ rose as a "firstfruit" from the dead, marked the beginning of the barley harvest. Barley matured by Pentecost, and the beginning of wheat was celebrated.
Bread of Life
These two crops are bread crops. It all points back to our Lord Jesus Christ—He is the bread of life, sent from Heaven.
"For the bread of God is that which comes down out of Heaven and gives life to the world." (John 6:33 NASB)
"I am the bread of life." (John 6:48 NASB)
Our cultures may no longer be primarily based on agriculture. However, it is important to note that no matter how high-tech any society becomes, they will always need agriculture—bread crops. (Photo via Unsplash)
You Are God's Field
In the spiritual dimension, we are God's field.
"For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building." (1 Corinthians 3:9 NASB)
Jesus taught about the word being seed, and His Matthew 13 parable of the sower is famous. Most Believers hope that they will be one who produces fruit (crops) a hundred times as much as what was planted.
"But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much." (Matthew 13:23 NASB)
As any farmer knows, to have good crops takes lots of work physically and spiritually: prepping the soil, nurturing the crops, and praying for Father's provision, protection, and for rain and faith. That faith is to believe the seed is growing when nothing—zero percent—is visible.
Resurrection Is Also a Process
The resurrection of Christ is astounding and awe-inspiring. Heavenly Father revealed to me that it is easy to dismiss the "resurrections" in my own life, because of the shortfall between my experience of "resurrection" (of what seem like small crops in my life), and the glorious, full-body resurrection of Christ. Both are real, but not the same.
It is important to not dismiss the resurrection process in our own lives and the lives of others. Jesus connected resurrection with wheat and its process.
"Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." (John 12:24 NASB)
When we recognize and repent for patterns (sins, iniquities, however it shakes out) and take them to the Lord at the cross by our faith, repentance, and agreement with Him, they die. (Photo via Unsplash)
Then, through His redemption (by His resurrection), we live. We literally enter new creation in Him—our new day dawning in that area. This is all by faith and our agreement with Him, and consistency helps the process not stall out.
Let His Seed in the Soil of Your Heart Mature and Feed Others
Likewise, His Word is seed in our hearts. That seed is planted in the soil of our hearts (the dimension of God's field that we are). It "dies." What that means is the outer hard shell which protected it falls away, and it implants in the soil of our hearts. Like the farmer, if we let it—through nurturing, praying for rain (Spirit), and faith—then it will grow.
Resurrection also comes as a process. Maybe, Father has planted hope in your heart; let the seed die and go through its resurrection process, maturing till full harvest. The more we recognize the process of the crops (His Word = His seed) in us, the more resurrection fills our hearts and our lives in Christ. The seed He planted in our hearts is meant to go through the resurrection process till maturity of harvest, that it may be bread that feeds others.
This is what the disciples lived and showcased during that first Pentecost. Let resurrection be in our hearts and lives in Christ!
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Crystal Wade
Hope Streams
Email:contact@hopestreams.net
Website: www.hopestreams.net
Crystal Wade writes to help people connect to their heavenly Father, and to keep good pictures of him visible—through real life stories as well as through prophetic words and teachings. Crystal and her husband Stephen received a commission from the Father to connect the generations to him and to each other so that they can start well, live well, recover well, build well and finish well. As part of that commission, they release materials to assist people of all ages in connecting to the Perfect Parent.
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