A dying comedian asks for the curtain to come down, the farce is over, a person’s last words reveal who they really were. This sermon invites you to sit right beside Jesus and listen in on his conversation with the Father just hours before his death (John 17). In the face of suffering Jesus speaks not of pain but of the mutual delight between Father and Son, and prays for those who stay behind, including us. Listen, and see whether your life could be an answer to that prayer.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Jesus prays this prayer just hours before His death, yet He focuses on the mutual glorifying of the Father and the Son rather than on suffering. What does that choice reveal about Him and His mission?
- In John 17 Jesus does not ask the Father to take the disciples out of the world, but to protect them from the evil one and sanctify them in the truth. Why do you think He asks for exactly this?
- The church fathers compared the relationship within the Trinity to a dance where each one moves around the others rather than around themselves. In which areas of your life is it hardest for you to step out of the center and put God there?
- The story of the woman in the Kyiv prison shows how God's Word helped her survive persecution. How does the Bible help you turn toward God rather than away from Him in hard times?
- The story of the two feuding churches in a small town shows that our relationships can be a foretaste of heaven or of hell. What do you think makes Christian unity convincing to the world that the Father sent Jesus?
- The sermon ends by asking whether you will be an answer to Jesus' prayer. What is one concrete step this week that could make your delight in God visible and contagious to someone near you?
