IBS john 12:26

"If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my father honour"

in verses 24 and 25 Jesus uses the illustration of how a seed must fall into the ground and break in order to grow and bear fruit to explain how we must lose our lives in this world to gain true life. Jesus, like the seed that fell into the ground and broke and bore fruit, came to earth from heaven, died, came back to life, and ascended to the right hand of God, all things being put under his feet. If we follow Jesus we will also find ourselves in this pattern, die to self by denying the flesh and obeying the Father, and then receiving honor from the Father. It's simple following Christ is like down, down, and then way up if that makes sense, humility, death, and then honour. I will experience this most completely when this life is over and I'm in heaven, but this applies to now as well.