Whether you’re a guest or a long-time attendee we’re glad you’re here with us. We’re a friendly and caring group of Christians who are here to help people be CONNECTED with Jesus, CHANGED by Jesus, and COMMITTED to the mission of Jesus.

Sermon Series: We are currently going through a sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew. Today, we’re talking about a moment where Jesus teaches us an important lesson on humility. 

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

¹⁷ And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, ¹⁸ “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death ¹⁹ and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

A Mother’s Request

²⁰ Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. ²¹ And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” ²² Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” ²³ He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”²⁴ And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. ²⁵ But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ²⁶ It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,^{[a] 27} and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,^{[b] 28} even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The world tells us many things about how to be great, but have you ever been around someone who is truly humble? If you have, you know that there are not many people who are, and that being around someone who is humble is way better than being around someone who is considered great in the world’s eyes. Evenso, being humble doesn’t come easy. In this part of God’s Word we see that being great in God’s Kingdom, actually means being humble. By taking a look at Jesus’ teaching here, we learn:

How to be Great (in God’s Kingdom):

1. Remember Jesus’ example

Matt. 20:17-19, 22, 28, John 13:1-20, Eph. 5:1-2

2. Don’t seek greatness

Matt. 20:20-21, 1 Cor. 10:24, Mark 9:35, 1 Pet. 5:3

3. Be willing to submit to God

Matt. 20:23, 26:39, James 4:7, Eph. 5:21, Rom. 8:7, 1 Pet. 5:5-6

4. Don’t compare yourself to others

Matt. 20:24, 2 Cor. 10:12, Ex. 20:17, Gal. 2:20

5. Realize that the world gets it wrong

Matt. 20:25-26, 2 Tim. 3:16-17, Heb. 4:12, Rom. 12:1-2

6. Be the one who serves

Matt. 20:26-27, John 12:26, 1 Pet. 4:10-12, Acts 20:35, Gal. 5:13-14, Luke 6:38

7. Count others more important than yourself

Matt. 20:27-28, Phil. 2:3-4, Rom. 12:3

Reflecting on God’s Word

Getting Started

• Take some time to read over Matthew 20:17-28 and pray. 
• Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it? 
• What surprised you as we talked about it?
• What thoughts might have been going through Jesus’ disciples’ minds  when they heard Jesus teaching them this? What about the mother?
• When you think about being great, what comes to mind? When you think about humility, what comes to mind? 

Diving In 

1. Read Matthew 20:17-19, 22, 28,  and John 13:1-20. How would remembering Jesus’ example of serving others in both of these passages help you to do the same? How can you better remember the example of service He gave on the cross? 

2. Be honest with yourself: in what do you have a difficult time submitting to God? Why is that, and where do you think that comes from? How would submitting to God in this aspect of your life help you to be more humble and serve others better? 

3. How likely are you to compare yourself with others? How does that affect your ability to be humble and serve others? 

4. When you see something that needs to be done, how likely are you to be the one who does it? How can you serve others better? 

Applying the Scripture

What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word? 

• What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture? 
• How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord? 
• Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?

Small Group Guide: