As they walked with Jesus, the apostles argued about which of them was the greatest. Jesus was out of earshot yet still knew what they were discussing. When they arrived, Jesus patiently and graciously called them to Himself to teach them about what makes someone great.

Throughout His ministry, Jesus taught by example. True greatness is found in being a servant and serving others, especially those who have no ability to serve you back or can benefit you in any way. 

To illustrate His point, Jesus places a child before them. In those days, children were considered just above property (they were to be seen and not heard). Yet even today, children are needy and need constant attention. They have no ability to bless you back. They can’t make you important. They were the “least of these”.

Jesus taught that true greatness is found in serving the “least of these.” It’s making others like this feel as though they are the most important person. Because they truly are. True greatness is not found in power or position. It’s found in looking into the eyes of those who can do nothing for you and serving them as if you were serving Jesus Himself.

​What does it mean to be greatly used of God? How does Jesus view and define greatness? How does one become great in His Kingdom? These are the questions we asked as we considered the stark and serious statement Jesus made to the Apostles, who promptly argued afterward.

After the transfiguration, Jesus came down the mountain to find his disciples arguing with others instead of ministering to the man who was looking for help. One of the most often made mistakes servants of Jesus make is wasting time arguing. It’s such an effective trap that saps our energy, grieves the Holy Spirit, and robs those around us who need help.

Wasting time arguing when people are hurting and need help is something that believers are to avoid (see 2 Timothy 2:23, Titus 3:9, and Ephesians 4:29-32). When the Lord returns, may He find us serving and ministering, rather than fighting and arguing.

One of the most effective ways to serve others is to bring them to Jesus. Instead of wasting time arguing, we can bring those who need help to Jesus through prayer and fasting. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days (Ephesians 5:16).

The only hope for lasting change in our country and communities is not found in our own intellect, abilities, or strategies, but only in Jesus. Our only aim is to bring people to Him and watch Him pour out His power in love by His Holy Spirit.

This might seem irrelevant in light of the section of scripture we considered this past Sunday. But as we work our way through it, we see the importance of looking up instead of within—of looking to Jesus instead of anything else as we bring people to Him.

Watch our study of Matthew 17:9-21 and the parallel passage in Mark 9:14-21 as we consider Jesus—our only hope!

“…and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.”
Matthew 17:2

For Peter, James, and John, witnessing the transfiguration of Jesus was an intense and glorious mountaintop experience. It would be difficult for them to want to leave that mountain with that company—Moses, Elijah, Jesus, and God the Father. Just imagine the glory, the clarity, and the intensity of that encounter!

But mountaintop experiences are intended to be temporary. They bring clarity so that we can come down the mountain. Like Peter, we can recognize that it is good for us to be in those places, but it’s not good for us to stay in isolation from the world. We seek Jesus on the mountain in solitude so that we can descend and serve those who are still suffering and struggling in the valley. 

So seek out times of solitude with the Lord and spend regular time with Him on the mountaintop. But also realize that He wants you to go down the mountain too. That’s where God has sent you to be, as salt and light for the world that is suffering because of darkness. 

There are moments in the Gospels when we read of Jesus and His disciples on a mountain. These are typically profound yet temporary moments of intense emotional or spiritual experience. In those moments, we witness a profound sense of connection, joy, or revelation.

We can also have those mountaintop experiences—times of solitude that bring clarity and inspiration. And if we are honest, we wouldn’t mind staying put and enjoying times of elation for as long as we could. But life wasn’t meant to be lived just on the mountain. We experience those moments to endure difficult times in the valley. 

We considered one of the greatest mountaintop experiences this past Sunday as we looked at what’s called the Transfiguration of Jesus. Watch our study in Matthew 17:1-8 as we see Jesus revealed in His divine glory.

​Caesarea Philippi was a satanic supermarket with all sorts of little temples to participate in all sorts of pagan worship. It was here that Jesus took His disciples to reveal to them that He is The Messiah, that He would suffer and die, and that they must be willing to suffer and die as well.

Jesus was declaring the necessity of self-sacrificial love and service in pagan places (like Caesarea Philippi) for pagan people so that they too can be saved. Soon, He would send His disciples to places like this for people like these.

We must understand that Jesus did not come to save you from your circumstances. If you look to Him for this, you will miss out on life. He came to save you from your sin. To do that, He needed to suffer and die. As The Messiah, He willingly sacrificed Himself to save others. To be His disciple, you must understand that He is calling you to a similar life—one that will include self-denial and self-sacrifice so that others can be saved. This is the life that is truly life!

The life of a believer isn’t just being born again to wait around in a spiritual diaper until He returns. We have work to do that we have been called to do—saving souls and making disciples.

To participate with Him in this work, we must learn what it means to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.

This is something that the disciples of Jesus were still learning, even after three years of ministry with Him. Watch our study of Matthew 16:13-28 as we consider the importance of self-denial and self-sacrificial service so that others might live.

Jesus will not be approached through ritual or religion. He is a person, and He is also God. There is nothing too hard for Him–not even feeding 5,000, or 4,000, or healing a blind man, or healing a deaf man, or casting many demons out of a man, or casting one demon out of a little girl.

​And yet, in the midst of all of this, the blindness of religion demands a sign. But if you approach Jesus through ritual or religion, you won’t see it. Jesus is not a robot. He does not perform at our whim or pleasure.

​How quickly we forget the lesson of the loaves. How swiftly we cease to remember that He is a person who isn’t persuaded by ritual or religion. But He has compassion on our condition and desires to draw us into a deeper fellowship with Him. Though it may seem that He doesn’t listen, He does–and continually reminds us that He loves us and will do anything that blesses us and brings Him glory. Jesus is God–nothing is too difficult for Him.