25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
This verse applies the seed illustration of the previous verse to Jesus’ followers. Verse 25 offers a wheat analogy to illustrate a paradoxical principle—death is the way to life. Jesus’ death led to His glory. Not only is this true for Jesus but it is also true for those who believe in Him.
After His parable of the necessity of the seed falling into the ground, Jesus gave instruction for His followers on how to produce a harvest to the maxim.
25 He who loves his life will lose it,
If we care more about our physical life than eternal life, we will lose the true purpose for our lives. Any idol we hold that involves our interests in this life will allow for no eternal value.
“Love” and “hate” in this verse are Semitic ideas that point to the thought of preferences toward life rather than actual love or hate. These words when used in a Semitic sense are hyperbole.
Losing one’s life is to accept the principle of God’s sovereign control over our lives. God has a right to direct our values.
and he who hates his life [earthly life] in this world
Hating life in this context means being willing to forfeit personal purposes for God’s eternal plan for us. Hating life in this world means that we must go through spiritual death to temporal values. One hating “his life” cares more for Christ than personal values.
It is important to realize that the idea of hate here is a semantic hyperbole, an overly emphatic statement to make a strong point. The point is that we are to live with priorities that are not our own; we put priority on God’s primacies. This is to live life beyond self.
will keep it for eternal life.
Those who believe in Christ will not pander to temporal things but to eternal. By living a life devoted to the Lord, come what may, we enjoy rich harvest in eternity. Only by spending our lives do we retain it. By service to the Lord comes greatness. The only possessions we take into eternity is what we did for the Lord. Everything else evaporates into the past. Those who live for others will harvest eternal blessings. We share Christ’s glory in serving others.
“Keep it for eternal life” means the sacrificial life during time will manifest itself in eternity. If our primary concern is to amass temporal things, this value will not carry over into eternity. The extent of our harvest is a single seed, not an abundant harvest.
PRINCIPLE:
Renunciation of living for self instead of God is at the heart of discipleship.
APPLICATION:
A seed unsown does not produce fruit. From an eternal perspective, death is the means of life. It is a paradox. Jesus’ death led to the eternal life of many. That same overarching principle is true for the believer. The Christian who lives with eternal values in view will have a productive life. It is a matter of setting our priorities right.
Only as we understand that the death and resurrection of Christ are linked together can we comprehend what appears to be a waste of life. If we place things of this physical life in highest value, it will result in devaluing eternal things.
Hey does this verse mean we will be able to enjoy the same things we like to enjoy on earth in heaven as well?
Chandler, no, the point John makes here is that we need to put our value on eternal things.
Eyes haven’t seen ears haven’t heard the things God has prepared for us,the things of this of this world cannot match what God has for us!!! Glory to God!!!
Thank you to the author of this explanation. It appears to be blessed and worthy of God’s Word.
John 12:25
“He who loves his life will >lose itkeep it< for eternal life"
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If a person "loses their life", is that not the same as a loss of life? In other words, they will no longer be living.
And by the same token, if one "keeps their life", doesn't that mean that they will keep on living?
James, this passage is not speaking of literal life and death, but it is metaphorical. When Jesus said “I am the door” He did not mean that He was a piece of wood hanging on hinges.
I don’t understand the answer that you gave for this verse.
“He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
Surely keeping one’s life for eternal life is not metaphorical. A believer will literally live forever.
And in English, if we say that a person “loses their life”, it means that they will literally be dead.
I was comparing John 12:25 with Luke 17:33.
Luke 17:33
Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.
I understand that to lose one’s life means to give up one’s own desire. But what about the second part where it says that they will “preserve” their life?
So I checked the Greek word for “preserve” which is similar to “keep” one’s life.
Here is what the concordance says for the Greek word for preserve.
From the same as zoon and a derivative of ginomai; to engender alive, i.e. (by analogy) to rescue (passively, be saved) from death.
So it looks like keeping one’s life or “preserving” one’s life means that you will not die.
James, The word in Lu 17:33 is not ginomai, but ζῳογονήσει (zphogonesei) to keep alive, bring forth alive, which can mean preserve. It is in the future, active, indicative. Future=logical sequence; active=the subject produces the action; indicative=it is a reality that this will happen.
The word “keep” in John 12:25 is not ginomai but φυλάξει (phylasso), to guard, watch. It is in the present, active, indicative; present=continuing aktionsart; active=subject produces the action; indicative= it is real.
I would suggest that you be careful when you attempt to understand Greek because you are not using it improperly.
James, The word in Lu 17:33 is not ginomai, but ζῳογονήσει (zwogonesei) to keep alive, bring forth alive, which can mean preserve.
According to what you wrote for the definition of this Greek word, I don’t see anything different from the concordance definition that I found. — It means “to keep alive.”
And I didn’t copy the full concordance.
ζωογονήσει – 1 Occurrence to keep alive = to engender alive
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It is in the future, active, indicative. Future = logical sequence; active = the subject produces the action; indicative = it is a reality that this will happen.
“It is a reality that this will happen.” – – – So the believer will “keep on living.” But unbelievers will not keep on living. So they will die. At least, that is how it looks to me.
James, I believe your problem is that you are reading more in the text than what the text says. That is called the error of interpolation in interpretation (hermeneutics). This passage is simply saying that if Jesus dies (please see my commentary in John leading up to this verse), He will produce much grain (benefits of eternal life for others, etc.). Note my previous study on 12:23f. This passage is not referencing unbelievers, but Jesus Himself. The point is if Jesus dies, those who believe His death will receive eternal life.
Before you wrote. >
James, I believe your problem is that you are reading more in the text than what the text says. That is called the error of interpolation in interpretation (hermeneutics). This passage is simply saying that if Jesus dies (please see my commentary in John leading up to this verse), He will produce much grain (benefits of eternal life for others, etc.). Note my previous study on 12:23f. This passage is not referencing unbelievers, but Jesus Himself. – – – The point is if Jesus dies, those who believe His death will receive eternal life.
The last sentence in your comment is still saying the same thing that I wrote before. I said that believers will be able to keep or preserve (or guard) their life for eternity. That is exactly what you wrote. But unbelievers (who love their life) will “lose their lives.” So I don’t see how I am reading anything into this verse.
And then, Luke 17:33 is saying the same thing. >
Whoever tries to save his life will “lose it”, but whoever loses his life will “preserve” it.
And in John 10:10, Jesus said, “I came that they may “have life”, and have it abundantly.
Jesus came that people—may—have life. So if an unbeliever does not come to Jesus, then obviously he cannot “have life.” That only leaves one other alternative for them as far as I can see. They will die.