From Death to Life

"....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. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." John 12:23b-25 ESV
These verses captures in paradoxical fashion the essence of the Christian calling and experience, Life through Death! The understanding that life is found through death. Of course Jesus himself spoke these words as God's Son, the Incarnate One. Through His incarnation He would die for the sins of the elect and through His death alone would be born much fruit. Namely that many would be saved through His atoning, sacrificial, vicarious death. "If the seed does not die it remains alone....but if it dies it bears much fruit."
These words have arrested me....life through death....not incarnational but yet incarnational! These words are spoken by the Christ. Only through His death could the Father produce much fruit. Only through the Incarnates death...not through ours. But yet incarnational....in the fact that in a real sense Christ calls us to adopt the same attitude as believers. A sort of incarnational death....death to self...death to sin...death to the flesh....death to ambition...death to pride...death to selfishness.....death!!! Not physical death but a certain putting to death of that which hinders real life...the different quality of life God has promised....eternal life.....starting here and now!
This death is just as torturous, agonizing, and painful as any other kind of death. A death that causes invisible tears to flow, the bowels to wrench in agony and gush out, the mind to split and be uneased, the heart to be torn assunder and stop........real pain....death...six feet under in spirit while walking about above...death!!!
But there springs from this death the beautiful promising bud of life. How long the death? Who knows..each seed blossoms at its own appointed time...but with its first sprouting brings forth signs of promise, hope, destiny and a brighter future........LIFE!!!!!........"but if it dies, it bears much fruit"....incarnational ...can God, will God really honor this kind of voluntary, incarnational death?
He gave His very life to prove that He would!!!!!