Before entering Jerusalem for the last time, Jesus tried, once more, to prepare the apostles for what was about to happen. As usual, He spoke in parables, this time referring to a grain of wheat and how that seed must die so that more life, much life, an abundance of life, might come (John 12:24).
Each year we offer this verse to the children in the Atrium from about age five and a half to age twelve. Here are several responses given this year by the oldest children…
– “Jesus died and brought life for all of us.” (5th grade girl)
– “He’s saying that the body dies but the spirit, the soul, lives in heaven.” (5th grade boy)
– “We have something in us that will bring lots of life, but not everything in us brings life. We have to look for that seed in us and let it live.” (6th grade girl)
– “He’s saying something is holding you back and it has to be let go of so that you can live.” (6th grade girl)
The image of a girl in the middle is to represent the girl who drew this picture. She has a sheep beside her and is sending kisses to Jesus, seemingly as a “fruit” of the growing / dying seed.
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Similarly, this artist drew herself beside the cross (with a sheep in between). In her picture, the “nails” of the cross are drawn as hearts, revealing her understanding of the cross as a representation of the love of Jesus.
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