Seeds of Life

"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  

The story of this painting starts from the beginning.....in the book of beginnings.  The setting was a garden, the garden called Paradise.  There was, in that garden, a seed of promise that was given shortly after the "Great Divide", the time when the sin of God's firstborn brought a disastrous separation between a holy God and the man and woman that He loved so much. 

It was at this time that God pronounced curses and a promise in these words that He spoke to the Adversary of man;

" And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; 
it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Genesis 3:15


The biggest teardrop shape you see in this  painting represents the seed, or the offspring, of Adam.  It was a seed of promise.  The promise of the seed was that somewhere down line in Adam's family tree, there would be a Seed that would crush the enemy of all mankind.  This was a promise renewed by God to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and to King David.

Within the large seed is pictured Jesus, the Seed of that ancient promise, the one whose very name, in Hebrew, Yeshua, means "The LORD's Salvation".  He would be the one who would save His people from their sins.  He would take the curse of Adam upon Himself, and in so doing He would reverse the curse.  He would conquer the enemy.  He would brings seeds of Hope.

"If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise."  Galatians 3:29 
 

How ironic that in order for this Promised Seed to impart Life, He must endure death!  It is the lesson of the seed.  If you look carefully at the texture in the painting, you will see that there is a difference in the texture above the wavy  horizon line and the surface below it.  On the lower portion of the painting, I added sand to the paint.  It is just one more representation to show the division between Life and Death.  Above the ground represents Life, while below the ground represents Death.   

 

The Son of Man took the curse of humanity upon Himself, when He was crucified upon the cross.  He then, was buried in the heart of the earth where He rested like a seed that "sleeps" under the ground.  Then, after three days and three nights, according to prophecy, Jesus sprung forth from the tomb, like a seed that burst forth from the ground.  Death gave way to Life.  
  

"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."  
1 Corinthians 15:20

 A life for Life.  The Firstborn over all creation, gave His perfect life to restore the fallen firstborn man to Life forevermore.  As a seed produces many seeds through its "death and resurrection", so too, Christ became the Firstfruits of many who would be raised to eternal Life after dying with Christ to their fleshly, fallen, Adamic natures.

Pictured in Christ is a seed, representing all believers who are rooted and established in Christ.  Not just Adam, but all Adam's seed, who are in Christ through faith, will rise again to new Life.  The seed of Yeshua, "The LORD's Salvation", is multiplying to produce a great and bountiful harvest!  
 

 

" Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, 

he is a new creation; 

old things have passed away; 

behold, all things have become new." 

 2 Corinthians 5:17 

"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God."  1 Peter 1:23  

Inspired by:  The Divine Romance by Gene Edwards