The Miracle of the Seed

The Story of the Judean Palm Tree

If you are a gardener, you probably have some old seeds shoved away into your junk drawers or out in the shed. Maybe you’ve wondered if they would sprout. Do they have an expiration date like the milk in the refrigerator? Well, let me share with you the story of a 2,000-year-old seed.

In the Song of Songs Solomon refers to the fruitfulness of a tree called the Judean palm tree. An image of the Judean palm tree appeared of Hebrew currency, the shekel. They were famous for their medicinal properties to cure many diseases and infections, promoting longevity, and acting as a mild aphrodisiac. They grew everywhere when the Romans invaded but by the year 1400, they vanished – except seeds that were found inside an ancient jar during excavations between 1963 and 1965. Researchers dated the seed to sometime between 155 BC and 64 AD, over 2000 years ago!

Scientists weren’t sure if or even how to germinate the seed until a scientist, Sarah Sallon, came up with a plan in 2005. That seed took root and by 2020 was over 11 feet tall. They named the tree Methuselah.

If God can preserve life in a seed for 2,000 years, imagine the life He’s preserved in the promises, faith, and callings you think are dead.

We Are Planting Seeds. So, What Should We Expect?

We’ve been considering themes associated with PLANTING. We’ve taken time to understand that planting is largely driven by expectation. We plant because we expect a harvest or outcome. We also have taken time to understand that planting demands commitment. We have to get our hands dirty. BUT…we also need to understand that seeds that we plant…even imperfectly have the advantage of God’s favor and His power. Today I want to encourage us to understand The Miracle of the Seed. Its properties and characteristics are in the hands of a miracle working God.

Genesis 1:11 NIV

Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.

Yes, this creation passage is talking about physical plant producing seeds. We see that they are God inspired, creative, and genetically specific. But the natural reveals the spiritual so we can find powerful truth in seeds.

As we talk about planting and the importance of the seed, realize that the Bible uses the metaphor of a seed in many contexts. Seed is used for the Gospel message. It is used to describe faith. It is used to illustrate the growth process of new Christians (discipleship). It is used to illustrate investments that we make.

When we talk about the expectations or commitment that comes with planting, it could apply to you sharing the Gospel with others, sacrifices you make in serving God and others, steps of faith that you are taking (even small ones), or experiencing a greater vision for your life.

When You Plant God’s Seed, Expect…

Planting will cost you. I’m not trying to sugarcoat anything with this series of messages. But before we give up before we even try to plant, I want us to understand some amazing things about seeds.

Let’s begin with this reality…

Expect Seeds to MULTIPLY, not ADD

There is a Kenyan proverb that beautifully states a principle that we all know

You can count the number of seeds in a mango, but you cannot count the number of mangos in a seed

The miracle of the seed operates on a principle of divine multiplication rather than mere addition. At its core, this miracle involves human action followed by God’s supernatural response—we sow, and God multiplies it back, never simply adding but always multiplying.

John 12:24 NIV

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.

Let’s use one practical illustration of this. Let’s imagine that you see the need to plant seeds for the health of your marriage. Would it affect your happiness? Sure! But consider what other fruit might come…improved secondary relationships, impact on your kids, growth in personal caring, compassion, creating, learning, growing, freedom, commitment, effort, devotion, hope, vision, sacrifice, teamwork, and on and on.[1]

One seed…lots of plants

Expect Seeds to Produce GREAT Things

Most of us can recall the message that Jesus taught about the power of the mustard seed…

Mark 4:30–32 NIV

Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

The mustard seed is only 1-2 millimeters. However, it will quickly grow into a large bush like shrub usually 6-12 feet tall. In warm and dry areas, like the area where Jesus was, the Black mustard tree can reach 20-30 feet tall.

When the nation of the Israel was reconstituted after the captivity in Babylon, a few leaders with an inspired purpose moved back to Jerusalem with no economic power, no existing government, and enemies all around. As the temple began to be reassembled God spoke prophetically to the people

Zechariah 4:10 NLT

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that search all around the world.)

You have a little faith? This faith would move mountains, do the impossible, perform miracles.

1.   Possibility of faith—Matt. 26:26. With God, all things are possible.

2.   Power of faith—Mark 9:23. All things are possible if we believe.

3.   Practice of faith—James 1:6. Ask in faith; do not waver.[2]

A little understanding? A little energy? A little vision? Don’t despise [show contempt or “look down”] on it. Plant it!

Expect that God’s Seeds Are ALWAYS Good

I opened with the story of a 2000-year-old tree that produced the Methuselah tree. We saw the creative power of God at the birth of the world as He spoke life into the seed. And, that is the key, the seed is God’s. Jesus tells the parable of the Sower and the Seed in Matthew 13. This farmer goes out to sow the seed. The seed falls on a path, on the rocks, in the thorns, and on the good soil. The birds ate some, the sun scorched some, and thorns choked some, and some grew into a harvest. Jesus would explain to the disciples later about the enemies of the harvest but in all the cases the seed was good.

We are called to believe in the potential within small life-seeds, sowing with a view to righteousness without knowing the vast potential of what we hold—our task is faithful planting, while God’s task is performing the miracle.

I think we can get all wrapped up with knowing that we have shortcomings. We don’t parent perfectly. We can’t share the Gospel message as beautifully as a well-crafted sermon.

We are messy when we plant, but we must plant! Let God do His work with the seed!

Expect the Lord of the Harvest to Control the HARVEST

Seed Has Its Own Multiplication Factor

Comparing ourselves to others is destructive. We say, “I’m not a good (fill in the blank), because so and so is having amazing (success, marriage, children, church).”  When Jesus explained the parable of the Sower and the Seeds He explained the good soil.

Matthew 13:23 NIV

But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

Even in the good soil the return was variable. Give yourself a break! We are unique and have a unique SHAPE [Spiritual giftings, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences]. Our SHAPEs make us unique in the body of Christ.

And, just maybe, you haven’t seen the full crop yet!

Seeds Have UNIQUE Seasons

From Genesis 1 on, seeds are genetically determined, pronounced and absolute in their individual identities. In Eden each plant bore “fruit with seed according to its kind” (Gen 1:11).[3]We don’t expect an acorn to behave the same way as a kernel of corn. We’ll be eating ears of corn within 6 months, but the squirrels and deer will not be eating acorns for years.

Seeds contain potential miracles, filled with the potential for life, growth, blossoming, and fruitfulness—the plan and everything the seed will become is already contained within it.

Plant! Water! Fertilize! Wait! Trust what is going on under the surface of the ground. There is hidden energy at work below the surface.

What Seed Am I Supposed to Plant?

You may be sitting here thinking, "I don’t feel like I have much." But let me ask you: “What seed is already in your hand?”

A prayer you’ve stopped praying

An apology you’ve been avoiding

A step of obedience you’ve delayed

Hope instead of despair

A dream you buried

A person God put on your heart

A habit you know you should start

A sin you know you should uproot

You keep looking for a harvest, but God keeps pointing to a seed.

You want breakthrough. God says, “Plant.”

You want change. God says, “Plant.”

You want growth. God says, “Plant.”

The enemy wants you to despise your seed because it looks small. But heaven never laughs at small seeds. Heaven celebrates faithful planting.

You say:

“It’s just a conversation.”

“It’s just a prayer.”

“It’s just serving.”

“It’s just forgiving.”

“It’s just showing up.”

But every forest started as “just a seed.” And here’s the freedom: You are not responsible for making it grow. You are responsible for putting it in the ground.

Trust the Creator for the Harvest

What would happen if we became a church that believed in seeds again? Not instant results. Not flashy moments. Not spiritual shortcuts. But seeds.

Seeds of prayer.

Seeds of generosity.

Seeds of encouragement.

Seeds of repentance.

Seeds of faith.

Seeds of obedience when no one is watching.

What if we stopped measuring success by what we can see and started measuring faithfulness by what we’re willing to plant?

Some of the seeds planted in this church will outlive us.

Some prayers we pray will be answered for our grandchildren.

Some acts of faithfulness will grow into trees we never sit under.

But that’s okay. Because the miracle was never in the harvest. The miracle was always in the seed. So, this week… Plant something.

Plant forgiveness.

Plant generosity.

Plant prayer.

Plant faith.

Plant obedience.

And then trust the Lord of the Harvest to do what only He can do. Because every seed planted in faith is already a miracle in motion.

[1]9 Lies That Will Destroy Your Marriage. Pg 15.

[2]Croft M. Pentz, Outlines on the Parables of Jesus, Sermon Outline Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1980), 43–44.

[3]Leland Ryken et al., Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 771.