5th Sunday of Lent
John 12:20-33
20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 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. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
27 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
Questions
What stuck out to you from this text or from the sermon this week?
What do you think it means to hate your life in this world, and what would it look like for you to die to yourself the way that Jesus describes in vv 25-26?
Pastor Ben said on Sunday that we have learned to love our incarceration to sin, to our desires and that through death Jesus offers us a way to true life. What are things that we may be enslaved to in this life (personal or as a society)?
What are some ways that you think Jesus is inviting you to die to yourself?
What do you think it looks like to invite the world into this lifestyle? How do you think we are able to demonstrate to our neighbors around us that this lifestyle of hating our life and dying to ourselves is where the ultimate meaning of life and truth is?
