In His Footsteps Week 27: Resurrection and First Fruits

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What if understanding a simple grain of wheat could completely transform your view on life and death? This week on the Living Words Podcast, join Charles Vance as he unpacks the profound teachings of Jesus from John 12:23-24. Through the metaphor of a grain of wheat dying to produce abundant fruit, Charles takes us on a journey to grasp the paradoxical nature of life and death in Christ’s kingdom. Dive deep into the significance of Jesus' glorification, the necessity of sacrificial love, and the universal reach of His mission. Charles also presents a thought-provoking interpretation of Jesus as the first fruits, suggesting it symbolizes the second resurrection and provides a fresh perspective on morality by celebrating Jesus’ resurrection as a triumph over death.

In our next chapter, we turn our focus toward three heartfelt prayers designed to lead us into a more profound relationship with God. Learn how to embody sacrificial love by following Jesus’ example, and discover the secret to finding true life through the act of self-surrender. This episode also highlights the beauty and unity within God's diverse kingdom, encouraging us to be living testimonies of Jesus' love and resurrection power. As we bind Satan’s influence and seek divine protection, Charles guides us in walking more closely with God, fostering trust in His infinite wisdom and grace. Join us to enrich your faith and gain a deeper understanding of the transformative power of Jesus' teachings.

Get a copy of the In His Footsteps devotional here.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, I'm Charles Vance and this is Living
Words Podcast.
Have a blessed Sabbath and ahappy day today.
And I just pray that you wouldreceive a blessing this morning
from Word, as we're in our 27thweek of the In His Footsteps 52

(00:22):
weeks in the Gospel of John, andif you want a copy of this
devotional, you can find a linkto it in the show notes or you
can visit Amazon and just searchfor In His Footsteps 52 Weeks
in the Gospel of John, charlesVance.
This week is week 27, is theresurrection and first fruits,
and the text for the week isJohn 12, 23, and 24.

(00:44):
And the text for the week isJohn 12, 23, and 24.
Now, as usual, I like to switchit up a little bit on my format.
I want to keep it brief,because that's the whole point
is.
This is a brief devotional togive you some insights for the
day and for the week.
So sometimes I'll read thescripture, but the last few
times I've just went through thedevotional and read scripture

(01:06):
as it was needed.
I think keeping it brief andkeeping it succinct is helpful.
So let's talk about the textfor the week.
This text contains a profoundteaching from Jesus that
encapsulates the heart of theChristian gospel and foreshadows
his imminent crucifixion andresurrection.
When, in the brief passage,jesus offers a metaphor of death

(01:30):
leading to life which not onlyspeaks to his own sacrificial
death and glorious resurrection,but also to the transformative
journey of every believer.
The passage is part of hisresponse to the request for some
greeks to to wish to see himsign this signal the the

(01:51):
universal scope of his mission.
He recognizes the hour of hisglorification.
Glorification is near and heuses the moment to teach about
the paradoxical nature of lifeand death in his kingdom.
John 12, 23 through 24.
J replied the hour has come forthe son of man to be glorified.
Very truly, I tell you.
Unless a grain of wheat fallsinto the earth and dies, it

(02:11):
remains just a single grain, butif it dies, it bears much fruit
.
So the key themes are the hourof his glorification.
He indicates that his time ofsuffering and subsequent
glorification is at hand.
The hour encompasses his death,resurrection and exaltation,
revealing the necessity of theseevents for the salvation of
humanity.

(02:32):
The death leading to life.
The metaphor of a grain ofwheat dying to produce many
seeds illustrates the principlethat true life and faithfulness
come through sacrifice His deathwould bring forth the fruit of
salvation for many, establishinga foundational principle for
understanding his discipleshipand sacrifice.
The universality of his mission.

(02:54):
The context of this teaching,following the request of the
Greeks wanting to see Jesus,underscores the universal
significance of his death andresurrection.
It's not only for the Jewishpeople, but for all who would
come to believe him.
And some of the lessons we drawfrom this passage are the
necessity of sacrificial love.
Jesus exemplifies and teachesthe principle that true life and

(03:16):
faithfulness often come throughsacrifice.
His reference to the grain ofwheat dying to produce many
seeds serves as a metaphor forthe impending death on the cross
, which was necessary forsalvation.
This lesson extends to hisfollowers, calling them to the
life of sacrificial love, wherepersonal desires and ambitions
are surrendered for the sake ofothers in the gospel.

(03:37):
The universality of the gospelin the context of this teaching,
coming as a response to theGreeks seeking Jesus,
underscores the universality ofhis mission.
Jesus' death and resurrectionwere not just for a specific
ethnic or religious group, butfor all humanity, and this sets
the stage for the church'smission to bring the message of

(03:59):
salvation to every corner of theglobe, emphasizing the
inclusive nature of the gospel.
Now for reflection anddiscussion.
What does the concept of Jesusas the first for its reveal
about the nature of theresurrection and its
significance for his believers?
And now, moving on toreflections and discussion, what

(04:20):
does the concept of Jesus asthe first for its reveal about
the nature of the resurrectionand its significance for
believers?
Well, personally I believe thatthat verse that talks about
Jesus as the first fruits hasbeen misinterpreted.
That actually is talking aboutthe four resurrections.
Jesus, his resurrection, wasthe first resurrection and the

(04:44):
resurrection of the first fruitsis the second resurrection.
So the first fruits is notreferring to Jesus as the first
fruits, it's actually referringto the firstfruits is the second
resurrection.
So the firstfruits is notreferring to Jesus as the
firstfruits, it's actuallyreferring to the firstfruits.
If you read the account of hiscrucifixion, it says that when
he gave up his ghost, the rockswere rent, the temple was, you

(05:06):
know, the veil was split fromtop to bottom, there was an
earthquake, and it says that therocks were rent and the graves
were opened.
And it said when he arose, theyarose, and that's who that's
talking about.
It's talking about thefirstfruits, who were chosen to
be the firstfruit offering,because this is the Passover
going into the Feast ofFirstfruits or the Feast of

(05:30):
Unleavened Bread, where theywould offer the firstfruits
before the throne, before thealtar?
And if you think about what thepriests are doing right now,
what the Levitical priests aredoing the high priest, it
follows 100%.
It's a rehearsal for what hedid in his death, burial and

(05:54):
resurrection.
In other words, he is the Lambof God and as they brought the
Lamb into the city, jesus wascoming into the city as he gave
up his ghost and they took himoff the cross and put him into
the tomb.
They were putting the Lamb intothe oven.
The priest had sequesteredhimself, they were everything
mirrored.

(06:14):
So me, to me, the significanceof the first fruits is that
second resurrection.
The third resurrection is theresurrection of the lamb, for
those that are written in theLamb's Book of Life, and the
fourth and final resurrection isthe resurrection of the damned,
the great white throne,judgment where every knee will
bow.

(06:35):
Now the next question is howdoes understanding his
resurrection as a victory overdeath transform your perspective
on morality?
Well, this can, as aperspective, it can ease your
soul, ease your mind, to knowthat you'll be with him in
eternity and that he's given youvictory over death and that we

(06:57):
have nothing to fear, and sothat this should empower us to
live our life in peace and havethe peace of the Holy Spirit
within us, you know, have thepeace of the Holy Spirit within
us, and that, though we may gothrough trials and tribulations,
we have his eternal naturewithin us and the promise of
life over death.
At the end, in what ways doesthe resurrection inaugurate his

(07:24):
kingdom and how do we see signsof his kingdom in the world
today?
It inaugurated his kingdombecause he says, if I don't go,
then the helper can't come, butwhen I go, I'll send you a
helper who's just like me, andthat helper is the Holy Spirit,
the Ruach HaKadosh of the livingGod, which lives within you if

(07:44):
you are a believer, if you'vecovenanted with Yeshua, and so
that perspective, then, is thatwe, you know, are to be
transformed, and that the signsof his kingdom are that we have
that life within us.

(08:05):
We can see it as he works inour lives.
Prayer for embracing sacrificiallove.
Lord Jesus, you're the grain ofwheat that fell to the earth
and died to produce a harvest ofrighteousness and peace.
Teach me to follow in yourfootsteps, embracing a life of
sacrificial love.
Help me to lay down my desires,ambitions and comforts for the

(08:26):
sake of your kingdom, trustingthat through sacrifice you bring
forth abundant life.
May my life bear fruit thatglorifies your name and draws
others closer to you.
Amen.
The prayer for understanding theparadox of life through death.
Heavenly Father, your ways arehigher than our ways and your
wisdom surpasses allunderstanding.
Grant me the grace to grasp theprofound truth that in dying to

(08:49):
ourselves we find true life inChrist.
Help me to surrender my will toyours daily, dying to sin and
selfishness, so that I may livefully for you In this paradox of
faith.
Strengthen my heart to seekyour will above all.
Amen and a prayer foruniversality of the gospel.
Amen, empower us to bewitnesses of Jesus' sacrificial

(09:26):
love and resurrection power tothe ends of the earth,
celebrating the diversity andunity of your kingdom.
Amen.
I hope this lesson's beenhelpful in some way in your walk
and your desire to be closerand more united with God and the
Holy Spirit.
Have a relationship with Jesus.
I hope you have a good day anda rest of the week that's good

(09:49):
for you as well.
We just bind Satan in anyaspect of your life and we pray
for the blood of Yeshua to beupon you and to protect you,
surround you with his guardianangels.
We know that for every evilspirit, there are two spirits of
the kingdom of God, and thatgood shall overcome evil.
I pray this in the name ofYeshua HaMashiach, amen.