With this truth Christ connects the lesson of self-sacrifice that all should learn: "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." All who would bring forth fruit as workers together with Christ must first fall into the ground and die. The life must be cast into the furrow of the world's need. Self-love, self-interest, must perish. And the law of self-sacrifice is the law of self-preservation. The husbandman preserves his grain by casting it away. So in human life. To give is to live. The life that will be preserved is the life that is freely given in service to God and man. Those who for 624 Christ's sake sacrifice their life in this world will keep it unto life eternal.

Det hvedekorn, som bevarer sit eget liv, kan ikke frembringe nogen frugt. Det bliver kun det ene korn. Kristus kunne, hvis han ville, frelse sig selv fra døden; men hvis han gjorde dette, måtte han blive ved med al være ene. Så kunne han ikke føre sønner og døtre til Gud. Kun ved at hengive sit liv kunne han skænke menneskeslægten liv. Kun ved at lægges i jorden for at dø kunne han blive sædekornet til den vældige høst de store skarer, der ud af alle folkeslag og stammer og tungemål og folk er genløste til Gud.