In the early pioneer days of Ontario, Canada, a farmer named David Fife received a small quantity of seed wheat from a friend in Glasgow. He planted this, but out of the whole plot only one grain grew and ripened, producing a handful of hard, red grains. Farmer Fife kept the seeds and planted them the next year. He kept on doing this from year to year until there was enough wheat to use himself and sell to his neighbors. In a few years "Red Fife" wheat was in constant demand.
Within twenty or thirty years from the time when the first kernel was sown, "Red Fife" was grown far and wide in the great plains of the West. Since then, from this seed has come the finest wheat in the world. Picture miles upon miles of ripening wheat, elevators choked to overflowing with golden grain. In a single year there has been grown in the Canadian West alone more than four hundred million bushels of "Marquis" wheat-a product of "Red Fife."
When farmer Fife planted the seed wheat over a hundred years ago, he little dreamed that from a single kernel there would spring the overflowing harvests that have helped to fill the granaries of the world!
What a wonderful illustration this is 'of the words of the blessed Lord when He said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." John 12:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. (John 12:24).
He was the blessed "corn of wheat" who died that we might live; and when those myriad voices acclaim Him in the glory-voices out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation-this will be the theme, "Thou art worthy...for Thou wart slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood" (Rev. 5:99And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (Revelation 5:9)).