And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. 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. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him.
John 12:23–26 (RSV)
Iowans who have had any connection with the land will know that you must plant seeds in the spring to have a good harvest. Spring planting is an act of faith as it lays the seed in the soil, hopeful that it will germinate, survive the rigors of the growing season until Fall. Then gather the bounty.
Jesus knew that His hour was at hand. He knew, like a seed, He must go down into death so that the great harvest of God could take place. Jesus was willing to lose His life in obedience to the Father's will, so the fruit of salvation would come.
There are voices in this age that speak against Jesus' death. They cannot see it as an act of love. They accuse the Father of child abuse, of sentencing His Son to death. They would refuse to plant a seed in the spring, choosing to lose the harvest.
Jesus trusted that the cross was how sin and death would be undone. Yes, God could have redeemed all things in any of ten thousand ways. He chose this act of self-giving love. Jesus, alive in the love of the Father, willing bore it all, like a seed in the springtime, went down into death.
We may not fully comprehend such love, blinded by human weakness and sin. As an Iowan who knows that the harvest cannot come unless the seed is planted, We know that our salvation is won through Jesus' death and resurrection.