Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. (John 12:24)
A simple illustration from nature. A kernel of wheat placed in the soil dies as a grain of wheat, but life is not destroyed. There is in the kernel a germ of life that the dissolution of the kernel cannot destroy. In the growth of the new plant the one kernel becomes many kernels. However, such multiplication does not take place if the seed is not cast into the ground. So it was with Jesus. If He had chosen not to die for the guilty race, He would have remained “alone.” The human race would have perished and there would have been no harvest of souls for the kingdom. By His death Jesus brought life to all who would fix their faith in Him. Compare Paul’s argument in 1 Cor. 15:36.