LENTEN GOSPEL STUDIES John 12: 20-33. TEXT John 12:20-33 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip,

LENTEN GOSPEL STUDIESJohn 12: 20-33

TEXT

John 12:20-33 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks.

They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

"Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say-- `Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

ARTISTIC INTERPRETATIONS

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COMMENTARIES

THE EERDMAN’S BIBLE COMPANION, 3RD EDITION, 594.

OXFORD STUDY BIBLE, 4TH EDITION, 1902

COMMENTS, QUESTIONS

TRANSITION, BREAK IF NECESSARY

KALEIDOSCOPE BIBLE STUDY

Read the Respectful Communication Guidelines and invite members of the group to affirm them for their time together.

Inform participants that the Bible passage will be read 3 times. After each reading, participants will be invited to share their reflections.

Invite participants to capture a word, a phrase or image when listening to the passage the first time.

Invite someone to read the passage.

A moment of silence to capture a word, a phrase or image that stood out from the passage for them.

Using Mutual Invitation, invite each person to share his or her word, phrase or image briefly. (This should take no more than 5 minutes.)

Invite participants to consider the reflection question appointed for this passage. Invite someone to read the passage a second time.

A moment of silence to reflect on the question.

KALEIDOSCOPE BIBLE STUDY

Using Mutual Invitation, invite each person to share his or her reflection.

Invite participants to consider the following question while listening to the passage again.

“What does God invite you to do, be or change through this passage?”

Invite someone to read the passage a third time.

A moment of silence to reflect on the question.

Using Mutual Invitation, invite each person to share his or her reflection.

End the session with a prayer circle:

Invite participants to join hands in a circle. Invite each person to mentally complete the sentences:

I thank God today . . .

I ask God today . . .

The leader will begin by sharing his or her prayers. After he or she has shared, the leader then squeezes the hand of the person to the right. That will be the signal for the next person to share his or her prayers. If the person does not want to share, he or she can simply pass the pulse to the next person. When the pulse comes back to the leader, he or she can begin the Lord’s Prayer and invite everyone to join in.

NEXT WEEK: MARK 14:1-15:47: THE PASSION