In Your Bible Read This
John 12.

Here Is Your Memory Verse
If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross
and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses
his life for me will find it. Matthew 16, 24-25

Afterwards Talk About This
Have you ever asked God about one thing and heard a very different
answer back? Tell each other what God said.

Something To Do Before Next Time
Make a list of all your possessions, every one, big and small.
Bring all your lists to a time of prayer and place them on the altar of worship
before the Lord, publicly surrendering ownership to him.

Written Diploma Work
Explain in one page of writing what it might mean to a believer
today to have to carry his own cross. Give examples.

Meditate Word By Word On This Verse
Luke 24, 30-31

Spend a Minute to Change the World

Pray For Eskimos - 32,000 Inuits in the Arctic

Suffering from western life, many conversions since 1982

 

Be sure to teach this lesson to others.

Always pray and prepare well adding

 your own verses and stories to bring it to life.

The best way to see Jesus is to be with him, then you will both see him and hear his voice clearly. See Luke 8.1. Those that followed Jesus he called his disciples, a word which means learners, pupils or apprentices. This lesson is from John 12, 19-33 and is all about the cost of being a disciple of Jesus, a price that has little to do with money.

The Whole World Has Gone After Him

Some men from Greece came to Philip, one of Jesus’ apprentices who was a Greek like they were, and said that they would like to see Jesus. Philip told his brother Andrew and both of them went and asked Jesus for an appointment for their new friends. 12.21

Jesus would have been pleased with their request because he had just taught saying, John 10.16, " I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice." Maybe these men from Greece were the first to come to him from other nations.

We Want To See Jesus
Have you noticed that sometimes Jesus gives the most unusual response to our questions and requests. His answers deal with the real issues, which are not always what we are asking about! We would expect an answer like 3 o’clock, or tomorrow at 10 am. But the answer that Jesus gave, once we understand it, will tell us all how we can see Jesus and know him intimately. What did he say? John 12, 23- 28

The Hour Has Come
Meaning yes, it is time for men to see the glory of God’s Son. It is still time, now is always the best time of all.

You Have To Die
That sounds like a shocking statement but Jesus is not talking about physical death. In order to grow and multiply a seed of wheat has to be buried, lose its outer shell and at the right time emerge with a new life which bears much fruit. The same is true of our life and old nature. It too has to die with all its selfish ambitions and passions, be buried with Christ and rise up, born-again into a new life. When you are born again spiritually you will see Jesus clearly. John 3.3; Romans 6.1-14.

A Disciple Also Has To Die - Daily

The greatest obstacle to seeing Jesus is always self, that is doing our own thing, in our way, even doing it in the name of Jesus. How must a disciple die? Jesus says this ~

By Not Loving His Own Life
That means no promoting ourselves and our plans, like Korah did and was swallowed alive by the grave when God opened up the earth. Numbers 16,32

That means no fighting to get your own way as Moses did before God taught him a better way, but that took forty years in the wilderness. Exodus 2.12

That means no helping God to fulfil his promises, like Abram and Sarah did and by doing so brought about the birth of Ishmael the father of Islam. A price for impatience that we are still paying for to this very day. Genesis 16.

By Hating His Life
Jesus never meant that we are to hate the one precious life that God has given us, rather we are to hate our life in this world. The life the world offers is a life of eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die and that is the end. The world says live - drink, try drugs, sex, and selfish living. No wonder Jesus says die to it. Say no. Hate it.

A Disciple Must Follow Jesus
To be with him means discovering where Jesus is and then following Jesus’ own rules, from Luke 14, 25-33 where we read that a disciple must:

Love Jesus More Than Any Other
Even more than father, mother, wife and family. If for example, father tries to entice you to worship the family idol you say, "No, I love Jesus." If brother-in-law invites you to go gambling with him, you say, "No, I love Jesus." 14.26

Carry His Own Cross
That is to bear the weight and suffering of doing whatever it costs to obey the will of God, as Jesus did. 14.27

Give Up Everything He Has
Which means to say whatever you thought was yours actually belongs to God, and is his to use and your brothers to use as God directs. 14.33. A disciple must also always want to be where Jesus is, not asking for deliverance from suffering, trials and death, asking only for the glory of God. John 12.26,27

Heaven Said, "Yes, That Is Right"

The Father was so pleased with what his Son was saying that he leaned over the balcony of heaven and spoke, so confirming Jesus’ message. The unbelievers said it was thunder, and the religious people said it was an angel that spoke but Jesus said it was the voice of God. John 12, 29-30

Jesus Then Prophesied

First, the imminent judgement and defeat of Satan, bringing the release of his grip on man. John 12, 31. Then his own death, and the purpose it would accomplish on the Cross, so opening the way to God so that as many as wish to see Jesus, may indeed be able to see and know Jesus for themselves. John 12, 32-33