Here are some questions based on last Sunday’s sermon text (John 12:17-26), in case they’re helpful to you for personal growth or group discussion…

• [17-22] Preparations are being made in anticipation of the annual Passover festival in Jerusalem, and everybody is there and talking about Jesus, including some foreigners who are also interested in meeting Jesus. He is the center of attention, in spite of efforts to remove him from the spotlight. Do you know people who, in spite of being self-proclaimed unbelievers, can’t stop talking about God or Jesus? How do you interact with them? Are Philip and Andrew good examples for us here?

• [23] “Jesus answered them…” Jesus says something—does it address the Greeks’ request for a meeting? How does his teaching here connect with someone’s desire to meet/know him? Would you talk about these things with people who need to meet/know Jesus?

• [24-26] Luke records Jesus saying, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me… Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it” (Luke 9:23; 17:33). Giving one’s life to and for others is true love and participation in Christ’s own life, because that’s how the Triune God lives. Why are we so afraid of such complete self-denial (or “dying to self”) as Jesus talks about? Is such life with Jesus meant to be soul-destroying, or liberating? How? Why?

• If Jesus is able to raise people from the dead (17-18), how does that change the way you feel about living a life of dying to self? Are there ways you can remember the Gospel of Resurrection that will help you die to self and truly love others during your interactions with them, say, during the holidays? At home? At work? At church? In the neighborhood?