In John 12:24-26, Jesus is describing what we call the paschal mystery. It is the belief that God brings new life out of suffering and death. The first and ultimate expression of the paschal mystery is Jesus’ own death and Resurrection. God used Christ’s sacrifice to free us from the bonds of sin, and Christ’s Resurrection to open the path to new life. It is a mystery that no one can fully explain, but the Gospels and experience tells us it is so.
Like the grain of wheat in this Gospel passage, in death, we bear the fruit of new life. The path to new life is through sacrifice and death. By dying to our selfishness and focusing on loving others, we experience the fullness of life in Christ Jesus.
Imagine that you are in the middle of a crisis and ask your best friends to stay with you while you prepare to face the situation. They all promise to be there for you. But one friend after another fails to come through, and you are left to face the trauma alone.
The friends of Jesus were no different. They were well intentioned and meant to stay awake with Him. But in their tiredness, they let Him down.
We recognize that the friends of Jesus, the Apostles in particular, were special and holy, but they were also human and had their own weaknesses. Even Peter, one of the greatest heroes of Christianity, lacked the courage to admit he knew Jesus, as we read Matthew 26:69-75. Yet Jesus loved them despite their failings and even when they were disloyal.
In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the focus of the Last Supper is on the institution of the Eucharist. But in John, the focus is on Jesus’ cleaning his disciples feet (John 13:1-17). John makes the point that serving others is at the heart of being a follower of Jesus. In Holy Thursday Mass, we celebrate both traditions, indicating that service is a necessary part of living the paschal mystery that we celebrate in the Eucharist (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20).