In the previous chapter, we have seen that the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ Jesus and it does not change. It is the same yesterday; It is the same today and it will remain the same forever.
Why the gospel?
(Joh 12:24) 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.
This is a very deep statement about the reality of how the seed works.
You remember that Jesus' teaching ministry in the four gospels was in parables or dark sayings, hence the need for interpretation.
(Psa 78:2) I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
(Mat 13:34) Jesus used parables to tell all these things to the crowds; he would not say a thing to them without using a parable. (GNB)
What is Jesus talking about? What is the story behind the seed?
You should be able to see that Jesus is the seed. In Galatians 3:16, Paul makes it plain that Jesus is the seed.
Why the seed?
The power of the seed is in its ability to multiply, and the multiplication only takes effect when the seed is buried and germinates from the ground and harvests after its own kind.
One seed is planted that billions may be formed.
In this parable, Jesus was prophesying about his death, burial and resurrection and the resulting fruit that would spring forth from his resurrection.
In Mathematics there is a law which says if A is equal to B, then B is equal to A. This means A and B are equal.
Likewise, if the gospel is the preaching of Christ and Christ is the seed. It means the seed is the gospel.
Thus, Jesus is equal to the gospel and the seed. So, the seed is equal to the gospel. Hence, the seed is the gospel.
In John 12:24, Jesus said a kernel of corn (the seed/Jesus) will be alone if he does not die.
In John 12:24, Jesus said a kernel of corn (the seed/Jesus) will be alone if he does not die. This means that without the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, the entire human race will be locked inside the prison of sin and death.
And Paul confirms in 1 Corinthians 15:14 and 17.
(1Co 15:14) And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
(1Co 15:17) And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
You can see that if Christ has not risen
Without the resurrection of Christ, there is no life because Christ is our life. (Col 3:4)
The resurrection of Christ paved the way to eternal life and unlocked humanity from the cage of sin and death. He was planted to produce more people in the world like him. He is the prototype or the sample, so in him, all the sons of God sprung forth.
What sprung from his resurrection?
We will deeply explore each of these in the next chapters.
In summation, the gospel is the instrumentality on which God saves people from sin and death through faith in Christ JESUS.
Once one believes the gospel, he becomes a son of God.
