Grain of Wheat: New Covenant, Death to Life

Mar 22, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Promise of a New Covenant Written on Our Hearts

God is not distant but desires to be intimately known by His people. The old covenant, based on external laws, has been replaced by a new and living promise. This new covenant is not a set of rules to follow but a relationship to be lived. It is an internal reality, written by God's own Spirit upon the soft flesh of our hearts. This divine engraving makes knowing God as natural as breathing. It is a promise of profound closeness and personal connection. [34:59]

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:33 NIV)

Reflection: Where in your life do you most need to shift from trying to follow religious rules to simply trusting in the closeness of God's presence written on your heart?

Day 2: The Call to Look Forward in Faith, Not Backward

A faith that is only focused on the past can become stagnant and lose its power for today. God is always calling His people forward into the newness of life that comes from His heart. Like the town that gave up because it had no future, we can become bedraggled when we lose hope in what is to come. True, forward-looking faith is rooted in the confidence of God’s nearness and His promises. It is this hope that empowers our present and shapes our journey. [34:27]

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV)

Reflection: What is one "former thing" from your past that God might be inviting you to release so you can more fully perceive the new thing He is doing in your life now?

Day 3: The Universal Longing to See Jesus

The desire to see goodness, love, and redemption is a universal cry that echoes through the ages. It is the same longing that led people long ago to seek out Jesus for themselves. This need to see Jesus active and present is not just a historical event but a current, ongoing hunger in the human heart. We often want to see Him in specific, preconceived ways, but His presence may appear in unexpected forms. He meets us in our deepest need, often in the midst of life's most challenging moments. [39:24]

Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we wish to see Jesus.” (John 12:20-21 NIV)

Reflection: In your current circumstances, where are you, like the Greeks, sincerely saying, "I want to see Jesus," and how might you open your eyes to recognize Him there?

Day 4: The Fruitful Mystery of Dying to Self

New and lasting life often emerges from a process of letting go and relinquishment. Jesus used the powerful image of a seed falling to the ground; it must cease being a single seed to become something far greater. This dying is not an end but a necessary transformation for bearing much fruit. It is a difficult yet profound mystery that God’s glory is often revealed through surrender, not through self-preservation. This path, though troubling, is the way to eternal life. [42:35]

“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24 NIV)

Reflection: What is one part of your "life"—a dream, a habit, a claim to control—that Jesus might be gently asking you to "hate" in the sense of letting it go, so that you can receive the life He has for you?

Day 5: Being Drawn to the Jesus Who Was Lifted Up

The culmination of Jesus' mission was not what anyone expected, yet it was the moment that drew all people to Him. He was lifted up on a cross, an instrument of shame that became the ultimate symbol of divine love and forgiveness. This act pushes beyond all human understanding and explanation; it is a mystery to be looked upon and received. From this seeming defeat came victory, and from this death came life for the world. His outstretched arms on the cross draw everyone near. [44:51]

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. (John 12:32-33 NIV)

Reflection: As you consider the image of Jesus lifted up on the cross for you, what response does it draw from your heart today?

Sermon Summary

Readings from Jeremiah and John frame a Lent-season call to look forward: God promises a new covenant written on hearts, not enforced by external rules but rooted in God's nearness and internal life. That covenant rewrites brokenness into forgiveness, offering an inner knowledge of God that sustains people through present trials. Forward-looking faith fuels present action; without hope for tomorrow, daily commitments wither, but trusting God's future work enables faithful preparation and endurance.

The gospel passage centers on longing to "see Jesus" and on the paradox of life achieved through surrender. Gentiles seek a sight of Jesus and encounter him en route to the cross, where he teaches that a grain of wheat must fall and die to bear much fruit. Death on the cross appears as the instrument of fruition: humiliation becomes exaltation, defeat becomes the opening for unprecedented life, and the crucified one draws all people into renewed relationship with God. The image challenges expectations of triumph and power, inviting a reorientation that accepts loss as the pathway to lasting life.

Practical invitations thread through the worship life: participation in Palm Sunday video projects, an outdoor Resurrection Rally on Easter afternoon, and community support efforts, including giving to relief and local foundations. Generosity and service receive theological weight as expressions of the new life written on hearts. Prayer and liturgy reinforce communal solidarity—intercessions for disaster victims, a litany of renewal, and the Lord’s Prayer center the community around repentant hope and mutual care.

The readings press a single spiritual discipline: let go of the past and open to God’s forward movement. The covenant that God promises implants love and law within, making obedience less a duty and more the natural response of a heart renewed. Seeing the cross as the place where God’s judgment and mercy converge reframes suffering and compels active compassion toward those in pain. The narrative moves from death to resurrection, urging a faith that looks ahead, prepares now, and participates in the ongoing work of healing and restoration.

Key Takeaways

1. New covenant written on hearts God will replace mere external rules with an inward presence that shapes motives and actions. This internalizing of the law means moral life flows from relationship, not obligation, so repentance becomes transformation rather than checklist compliance. The heart’s engraving by God sustains faith when external systems fail. [33:18]
2. Forward-looking faith empowers present Belief in God’s promised future energizes present stewardship; without hope, communities stop investing in what matters. Preparing now—sharpening “weapons” before danger—creates readiness and practical resilience when trials arrive. Hope reshapes priorities and enables disciplined work for long-term flourishing. [34:27]
3. Death of Christ bears abundant life The grain-of-wheat paradox reframes suffering as the seedbed of multiplication: loss becomes the conduit for widespread life. Embracing the cruciform path rejects short-term acclaim for enduring fruitfulness, trusting God to convert apparent ruin into redemption. This logic invites sacrificial service that expects God’s surprising vindication. [42:35]
4. Christ's crucifixion draws all The image of being “lifted up” shows divine attraction rooted in humility and forgiveness rather than force. The cross reveals God’s strategy to overcome alienation by drawing people through vulnerability and mercy, not domination. This magnetism calls for welcome across differences and persistent outreach to the excluded. [41:16]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[12:22] - Call to Worship & Gathering Prayer
[13:50] - Hymn: "Open Our Eyes, Lord"
[16:16] - Palm Sunday Participation Invite
[17:52] - Palm Video Shoot Details
[19:34] - Easter Resurrection Rally Plans
[28:37] - Scripture Readings Introduced
[30:57] - Gospel Reading: John 12:20–33
[32:54] - Jeremiah: Promise of New Covenant
[34:27] - Forward-Looking Faith & Forgiveness
[42:35] - Grain of Wheat: Death to Fruitfulness
[51:28] - Offering & Ways to Give
[1:00:21] - Prayers, Lord’s Prayer, Benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Jeremiah 31:31–34 (ESV)
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

John 12:20–33 (ESV)
Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 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. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

Observation questions

In Jeremiah 31:33, what does God promise to write on the hearts of his people, and how is this different from the old covenant?
According to John 12:24, what must happen to a grain of wheat for it to bear much fruit?
What request do the Greeks make in John 12:21, and how does Jesus respond to their desire to see him?
How does Jesus describe the effect of his being “lifted up” in John 12:32?

Interpretation questions

Why might Jesus use the imagery of a seed dying to explain his own mission and the nature of true life?
How does the promise of a new covenant written on the heart change the way people relate to God and his commands?
What does it mean for Jesus to “draw all people” to himself through the cross, and how does this fulfill the longing of those who wish to see him?
In what ways does the story of the town of Flagstaff [33:41] illustrate the connection between hope for the future and action in the present?

Application questions

Where in your life have you been clinging to old ways or looking backward, and how might you practice “letting go of the past and opening to God’s forward movement” [47:52] this week?
The new covenant means God’s law is written on our hearts rather than enforced externally. How does this truth shape your motivation for obedience—is it more out of relationship or duty?
Jesus said that those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. What might it look like to “lose” your life in a specific area—like pride, control, or comfort—in order to gain true life?
The cross draws all people to Jesus through humility, not force. How can you participate in this drawing by showing vulnerable love or mercy to someone different from you?
In what practical way can you “sharpen your weapons” [37:01] now—spiritually, emotionally, or relationally—to prepare for future challenges?
How does the hope of resurrection and God’s future renewal empower you to engage in acts of service or generosity today, even when results aren’t immediate?
When have you experienced loss or “death” (of a dream, expectation, or plan) that later became a source of life or growth for others? How does that shape your trust in God’s purpose in current struggles?

Sermon Clips

34s

#CostOfFollowingJesus

“You can't say the things Jesus said and do the things he did and get away with it. The authorities won't stand for it. The people will eventually wander away. They are standing on the threshold of a dark calamitous time. And yet and yet Jesus speaks of that time as the time when he will be glorified. Some glory. He speaks of a seed falling to earth and dying, but then through death, that seed bears much fruit.”

43s

#NewCovenantHeart

“This open heart surgery is not meant to harm. It is meant to heal what was once broken, to heal it with new words engraved on the heart, the new covenant, the word of God, Jesus. Psalm one nineteen gives close attention to those engraved hearts, keeping God's words contained therein and seeking with all my heart. It is about letting go of the brokenness that we carry. It is about allowing ourselves to move from death to new life. That is what is at the center of all of these readings.”

37s

#TrustJesusPresence

“How many times have you heard people say, we want to see Jesus. We want to see good in the world. We want to see an end to poverty. We want to see every child of God know that they are loved. In a million ways, we echo the sentiments of those Greeks from two millennia ago. We want to see Jesus. But even in our need to see Jesus active and present with us, we need to let go of our notions of just where and when we think he should show up. We need to trust that Jesus is here.”

40s

#RelinquishForNewLife

“These men and women who sought Jesus did see him. They saw him with astonished and even horrified eyes because they saw him lifted up and they saw him crucified. They saw those outstretched arms on the cross, and they saw the resurrected life that followed. They saw the life that would draw billions into new life through the ages. The difficult truth though is that new life only comes from relinquishing the old one.”

50s

#SpiritInOurHearts

“Then Lukac added by way of explanation. Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present. Jeremiah's description is arresting. His forward looking faith is based on the nearness of God. God would set aside the old covenant. And in its place, God would give his people a new covenant. A foundation would not be written on written laws and regulations, but the Lord would put his spirit directly into the hearts of the people. It would be based on the Lord's nearness. That's pretty close. God right in your heart.”

30s

#LiftedUpDrawsAll

“Death on the cross is the sign of Jesus' fruitful work. Those who lose their lives will keep them forever. Now is the time for judgment of this world. Now this world's ruler will be thrown out. When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me. What is that supposed to mean? Jesus is being thrown out of the holy city, Jerusalem. He is not throwing any of the world rulers out of office.”

42s

#CrossDefiesExpectation

“For God the father creator to allow God the son to be crucified, dead, and buried is for God to be pushed out beyond the limits of human expectation or human understanding. The cross is the ultimate dead end of any attempt at human self fulfillment, betterment, or progress. Hanging from the cross in humiliation and what seems to be utter defeat, there is nothing to be done by anyone to vindicate the work of Jesus or to make the story come out right by anyone that is except God.”

44s

#JesusDrawsEveryone

“Letting ourselves receive that engraving upon our hearts and opening our eyes to see Jesus. This gospel passage, which began with people needing to see Jesus, ends with Jesus proclaiming, when I am lifted up, I will draw everyone to me, all people, no matter what race, no matter what religion, no matter what size, no matter how smart, no matter how tall, how short, how fat, how thin, no matter what, no matter anything, all people.”

43s

#ForgivenessThroughFaith

“This forward looking faith that we are introduced to in Jeremiah, it results in forgiveness. Jeremiah thirty one thirty four is it's a most comforting passage. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. Wow. Gaining God's forgiveness is not a matter of following minute rules or loathsome regulations. It is knowing and trusting God. That trust can help us walk through incredible times. And now Christ calls us to a faith that looks forward.”

43s

#LoveIsPresence

“A child in a nursery asked her mother, mother, what is love? She made no reply, but picked up the child and hugged her. Like water to a fish, like air to a bird, like dirt to an ant, like love to a child, such is the presence of God to those who love God. This forward looking faith would come naturally. The covenant described by Jeremiah was natural and internal. People were not forced to academically learn of God. Instead, they knew God naturally.”

45s

#ForwardLookingFaith

“What an amazing narrative we had in Jeremiah today, one of looking forward. Real faith looks forward. While the people of God are told to remember what he has done for them in the past, no real progress can be made by staring in a rearview mirror. Jeremiah tells his contemporaries a time is coming. He helps them to look forward to a time in the future when their condition would improve. Jeremiah promised a new covenant. The new covenant would face the people forward and help them live life as it came toward them. This new covenant would be written upon their hearts.”

30s

#FollowingToTheCross

“It's hard to hear Jesus talk like this. I'm sure those who signed on with Jesus probably did not really wanna hear this kind of talk or walk behind him on the way to a cross. Perhaps perhaps harder still is to comprehend what Jesus means by this sort of talk. Surely, everybody around Jesus knew they were headed towards this disaster of his crucifixion. This is the dark time that many had predicted from the first.”

34s

#MysteryOfTheCross

“This morning's gospel opened with some Greeks, Gentiles, non Jewish people, wanting to see Jesus. They see Jesus giving his last teaching on his way to his death on a cross. And maybe that's the way of the truth of Jesus' crucifixion and death ought to be rendered. Maybe this is not something that we are meant to explain or even rationally understand, but rather we are to look upon it to see this mysterious drama unfolding before us.”

35s

#SeekFaithInPerson

“Our passage from John begins with people's universal need to see faithfulness in human form. As Jesus walks processional into Jerusalem over palms strewn under his feet, some Greeks, that is Gentiles, non Jews, approach. And they approach the disciples and say, sir, we want to see Jesus. The one they talked to is Philip, the one who has a Greek name. Kind of interesting. Some Greeks, they come. They wanna get a firsthand look at this Jesus. And what do they see?”

30s

#PrepareBeforeDanger

“There's an Aesop's fable. Aesop told this old story. Here it is. A wild boar was busily wetting his tusks against a tree in the forest when a fox came by. Why are you wasting your time in this manner? Asked the fox. Neither a hunter or a hound is in sight, and no danger is at hand. True enough, replied the boar. But when the danger does arise, I shall have something else to do than sharpen my weapons.”

32s

#NewCovenantWrittenOnHearts

“We began with Jeremiah, and we found God in the midst of making a new covenant with the people of Israel and the people of Judah because the old covenant, it was broken beyond repair. From death to life, that is our story. That is our song. For the new covenant to take root, God must renounce and forgive people's past sins and break open their hearts and write on those hearts.”

32s

#DeathToGloryMystery

“Jesus will be lifted from the earth, not with glorious acclaim, but he will be hoisted up on a cross. John says that in all of this enigmatic talk, Jesus was talking about what sort of death by which he must die. How can it be that death could be a way toward glorious fruition? How could Jesus say that this violent end would be the whole purpose for why he had come?”

38s

#GloryFromTheCross

“We are to see Jesus rather than attempt to understand this. And what we see what we see is the mystery of glory coming from an ignominious death. We see the one who was lifted up on a cross being exalted as savior of the world. We see the innocent victim somehow forgiving and dealing with our sin. We see the God whom we rejected and pushed away from us, drawing us near.”

31s

#KnowGodThroughChrist

“This does not mean disciplined study of religious matters is useless. It simply means that God wants to be known by people everywhere, by all the people. God has given knowledge of himself to everyone. This comes about as we give ourselves to God through Christ. Knowing God this way establishes us and it strengthens us. In times of trouble, we will have already have a relationship with God that we can count on.”

38s

#FaithShownNotTaught

“How do we think about that new covenant? Well, a baby bird was heard to ask its mother. Mother, what is air? To this, she made no reply, but spread her wings and flew. A baby fish asked its mother. Mother, what is water? She made no reply, but swished her tail and swam. A baby ant asked its mother. Mother, what is dirt? She made no reply, but stretched her legs and dug the burrow a little bit deeper.”

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