John 12:25

Jesus now applied the principle in the illustration for His followers. This was a principle that He had taught them on at least three separate occasions previously (cf. Matthew 10:39; Mark 8:36; Luke 14:26). Obviously it was very important.

Anyone who selfishly lives for himself or herself loses his or her life in the sense that he or she wastes it. Nothing really good comes from it. Conversely anyone who hates his or her life in the sense of disregarding one’s own desires to pursue the welfare of another will gain something for that sacrifice. He or she will gain true life for self and blessing for the other person. Jesus contrasted the worthlessness of what one sacrifices now with the value of what one gains by describing the sacrifice as something temporal and the gain as something eternal.

"People whose priorities are right have such an attitude of love for the things of God that all interest in the affairs of this life appear by comparison as hatred." [Note: Ibid., p. 527.]

Obviously Jesus did not mean that we gain justification by living sacrificial lives. The Bible describes eternal life in some places as a gift (e.g., John 3:16; John 5:24; John 6:40) and in other places as a reward (e.g., Matthew 19:29; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; Romans 2:7; Romans 6:22; Galatians 6:8). It is the life of God, but we can experience that life to a greater or lesser degree depending on our obedience to God (cf. John 10:10; John 17:3). [Note: See Dillow, pp. 135-36.]

On one level Jesus was talking about how eternal life comes to people: through the sacrifice of the Son of Man (John 12:24). On another level He was speaking of how to gain the most from life now: by living sacrificially rather than selfishly (John 12:25). The general principle is a paradox. Death leads to life.

Over the centuries the church has observed that the blood of Christian martyrs has indeed been the seed of the church. Their literal deaths have led to the salvation of many other people. Even more disciples have discovered that any sacrifice for Jesus yields blessings for others and for them that far exceed the sacrifice.