Is Jesus really telling the truth at John 12:24?

[corynski]

I'm not a scholar of any kind, but I've been a gardner, and I would appreciate knowing how Jesus could have thought he was telling the truth in John 12:24, which says "I tell you the truth, 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."

A seed can either germinate or it can die. If a seed falls to the ground and dies, well, then it's dead and it returns to basic elements. If a seed falls to the ground and receives water and soil, then it germinates and lives.

Am I missing something? Literally Jesus says that 'if it dies, it produces many seeds', but how is that possible?

churly

[beowulf]

I'm not a scholar of any kind, but I've been a gardner, and I would appreciate knowing how Jesus could have thought he was telling the truth in John 12:24, which says "I tell you the truth, 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."

A seed can either germinate or it can die. If a seed falls to the ground and dies, well, then it's dead and it returns to basic elements. If a seed falls to the ground and receives water and soil, then it germinates and lives.

Am I missing something? Literally Jesus says that 'if it dies, it produces many seeds', but how is that possible?

churly

You are right, it is plain impossible for a dead seed to bear fruit, but I suppose it is a metaphor of a sort.
I suppose he is saying that martyrs will be rewarded. What do you think?

[corynski]

Yes, that occurred to me, but why would he then preface it with "I tell you the truth"? Surely agriculture was well established, and everyone watched the life cycle of seeds and plants. No, I have no idea why Jesus would have said that.

[beowulf]

I think that he is indicating the importance of the message, rather than some biological fact about the seed.

One comment I have found reads as follows: "This statement , prefaced by the verily, verily, that gives solemn emphasis, enforces a great truth."

Verily, verily.[ I tell you the truth ] seems to be a standard translation in solemn statements , I think 'verily' is also found in the Koran and hadiths meaning nothing more than , pay attention this is important.

But I don't really know .

[neilgodfrey]

This question is only a problem if we expect Jesus to have known seeds do not die when buried. Maybe if he was god then he knew something scientists have yet to learn.

[stevencarrwork]

Yes, that occurred to me, but why would he then preface it with "I tell you the truth"? Surely agriculture was well established, and everyone watched the life cycle of seeds and plants. No, I have no idea why Jesus would have said that.

It seems people thought seeds were dead, and God created new life.

Hence Paul's metaphor of 1 Corinthians 15 of the resurrection being like a seed planted into the ground. He is explaining that the corpse is dead, and that his god creates a new creation.