Jesus paradoxically speaks of seeds dying to bear fruit, giving life to get life, hating life to find life and all of this is somehow tied to His “glorification."  Jesus will be “lifted up” and by this lifting he will draw all people to himself.  Is this a common understanding of modern glorification? How has God turned our values on their head by having Jesus be glorified by being lifted up on a cross? 

It's hard to come up with a verse of scripture we are more accustomed to seeing than John 3:16. It's commonplace for us, but when Jesus said it to Nicodemus, it was anything but common. We know the verse, but do we get the point?

Charles Wesley wrote a hymn with the line, “Gentle Jesus meek and mild." Our passage corrects that misperception. What would have made Jesus start tearing up the temple and running people out with a whip? What modern application can we make of this incident?

"Get behind me Satan!" Jesus has some strong words for Peter in Mark 8. What causes Jesus to rebuke his friend? We aren't guilty of the same thing are we?