Planted with Christ

A farmer casts one kernel into the ground turning it into dozens of new kernels. Jesus said, “My death will be like that. One kernel turning into much fruit.” When Paul explains baptism to the Romans, he says that when you are baptized you are joined to that death, that fruit-bearing death of Jesus. So then, by Christ’s death and resurrection God commenced His global harvest operation. It is quite suitable, then, for Scripture to call our children holy grain (Mal. 2:15). For He is in the business of gathering individuals, families, tribes, and whole nations into this harvest of His. 

Consider how this image of baptism, being planted with Christ as a grain of wheat, naturally leads to the image of a loaf of bread. God is making one loaf of heavenly bread. But the grain for that bread is not made from the chaff of unbelief; rather, that grain only sprouts from that first kernel, which is Christ. Jesus is restoring the verdant fields of Eden by joining you and me and our children to His death, so that we might all feast at His banqueting table.

So welcome our brothers and sister to Jesus Christ…