A FEW weeks ago, says one writing in the early seventies of the nineteenth century, I saw a handful of corn. It had been grown from some which had lain for three thousand years in the tomb of an Egyptian monarch. As long as it lay there, there was no fruit. It was sown, then two results too place; it died, decayed; then there sprang up fruit; death, then life.
Even when we sit down at the daily board to our meals we are reminded by the food we partake of, that before our life could be sustained there must be death. The Spring-time tells us of it.
Without this death there could be no life.
The Lord Jesus represents Himself as a corn of wheat. He must needs die. He did die, and from that death there sprang up life and fruit.
He said, “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.)
The Lord Jesus saves by His death and resurrection. He is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep, in order that we poor lost sheep and lambs who are away from God, away from Christ, might be saved. He has loved us so well that He died for us, died that we might live.
This was His great mission, salvation. He saves by death and resurrection. The law of nature and of grace teaches that there must be death before life. We must accept salvation through. Him alone, the sacrifice of God's appointing. His death procured salvation for us; His life secures salvation to us who believe in Him.