Who is the Greatest?
A Bible Study on Christian Service
Mark 9:30-37
They (Jesus and his disciples) left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first he must the very last, and the servant of all.” He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
Who is the Greatest?
In your opinion, who is the greatest person who has ever lived?
· Philosophers
· Explorers
· Authors
· Political Leaders
· Military Leaders
· Scientists
· Composers
· Artists
Who is the greatest person on the earth right now?
The President Business Leader Professional athlete Actor/actress
What makes them great? Is it fame? Is it power? Is it their ability to influence others? Is it their contribution to society? Is it the fact that they have amassed great sums of money? We may all have different definitions of what makes someone great. But we do have a definition. Jesus has one too. In our study we will find that Jesus defines greatness as humble service.
A scriptural definition
True greatness is not a matter of titles and authority. It doesn’t depend on how much a person has influenced society. True greatness involves service. Service means sacrificing your time, your talents, yourself for the sake of others, even when they do not realize or appreciate it. “If anyone wants to be first he must the very last, and the servant of all” (v.35).
What it is not
The exact opposite of service is selfishness. The American Heritage Dictionary defines selfishness as: “Concerned chiefly or only with oneself without regard for the well-being of others.”
Sinful human beings are very good at that…being selfish. We have a tendency to look at things through a narrow lens.
The Issue The Response
· Your boss asks you to stay late and work on a project. What’s in it for me?
· Your spouse asks you to remember to pick up the kids after school. How will this affect me?
Our second lesson for today says, “For when you have envy and selfish ambition, then you find disorder and every evil practice” (James 3:16).
Selfishness is not a trait we normally boast or brag about. We try to keep it hidden. We don’t want other people to notice it. Why? Because it is sinful. Selfishness shows just how self-indulgent we really are.
How Jesus defines service
Jesus is himself, the very definition of service. (Jesus said), “Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43-45).
Jesus came to earth, putting his own wants and needs aside, in order to carry out the will of his heavenly Father. He came to give up his life in order to save you and me. He told his disciples exactly that. “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise” (Mark 9:31).
Jesus’ entire life as an act of service! Consider what he did:
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:3-8).
Jesus’ entire life was an unconditional commitment of love: to his father in heaven & to us.
How the disciples’ defined service
When Jesus told his disciples that he was going to suffer, die and after three days rise, they didn’t understand and were afraid to ask him about it. Maybe they didn’t want to ask because they were afraid of what they were going to hear. Maybe Jesus’ definition of service contradicted their own.
The disciples at this time do not fully comprehend who Jesus is and what he came to do. Like many others, they figured that as Messiah, Jesus would re-establish the Kingdom of Israel to its former position of power and glory. And as his followers, they fully expected to reap the benefits. They believed they were going to receive positions of power and influence in his new administration. However, knowing all things, Jesus asked them about it. Why were they arguing about who was the greatest? They argued because they did not understand what true greatness is.
Jesus sets the record straight
True greatness involves humble service! Jesus said, “If anyone wants to be first he must the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
In an effort to help his disciples understand, “He (Jesus) took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me” (Mark 9:36,37).
If you have a child, grandchild, niece or nephew, you can understand what Jesus is trying to teach us all. You understand what it means to serve. Parents understand it is their responsibility to love and care for their children. Parents understand that to care for their children, more often than not, their children must come first. All true. But to receive a child in Jesus’ name also involves spiritual care as well. Jesus says that taking care of this need is the highest kind of ministry in his kingdom.
How we imitate Jesus’ example
In our homes In our church In our other relationships
Husband & Wife Worship Remember to put others first
Parent & Child Prayer
Christian education Offerings
Volunteer to serve
When Christian service is practiced as Jesus intends – it is a beautiful thing!