Gospel of Mark Bible Part 52: The Way to Greatness [Bible Study]

Bible Study Title: The Way to Greatness

SCRIPTURE FOCUS

Mark 9:33–37

INTRODUCTION

The disciples had just experienced failure. A demon-possessed boy stood before them, and they could not cast the spirit out. Jesus did what they could not do. Later He told them plainly that prayer was lacking. They had leaned on themselves.

What happens next is almost painful to read. On the road to Capernaum, they begin arguing about which of them is the greatest.

Failure had not yet cured pride.

That tension is not foreign to us. We can stumble spiritually, and still secretly measure ourselves against others. We can serve Christ, yet crave recognition. The heart is complicated. That is why this passage matters.

BIBLE READING

Mark 9:33–37“And they came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, ‘What were you discussing on the way?’ But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. And sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.’ And taking a child, He set him before them. And taking him in His arms, He said to them, ‘Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.’”

OBSERVING THE TEXT

Jesus asks a simple question: What were you discussing?

Silence. They knew.

Why do you think they kept quiet instead of answering Him honestly?

Their conversation reveals something deeper than ambition. It reveals pride. Paul later addresses this very tendency.

Romans 12:3“For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”

Sound judgment means sober thinking. Clear. Measured. Not inflated.

Paul presses further.

1 Corinthians 4:7“For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?”

Take a moment to reflect. What gifts, opportunities, or roles in your life have you quietly begun to treat as if they originated with you?

Jesus does something striking. He sits down to teach, then takes a child into His arms. In that culture, a child had no status, no leverage, no social clout. The child becomes a living illustration.

Matthew records the same event with added clarity.

Matthew 18:3–4“Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Notice that humility is not merely admirable. It is necessary.

DISCUSSION

1. What qualities in a child might Jesus be highlighting here? Dependence? Trust? Lack of status?

2. How does our culture define greatness? How is that different from Jesus’ definition?

3. Where are we most tempted to measure ourselves against others? Ministry? Career? Family?

THE HEART OF THE LESSON

Jesus says plainly:

Mark 9:35“If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

Greatness in Christ’s kingdom is not about position. It is about posture.

James reminds us that pride is not a small matter.

James 4:6“GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”

That is sobering. God actively resists pride. But He gives grace to the humble.

Pause there. Where in your life do you most need grace right now? What might humility look like in that area?

Even Michael the archangel did not presume authority beyond what God had given him.

Jude 1:9“But Michael the archangel, when he, disputing with the devil, was arguing about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a reviling judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’”

If an archangel would not overstep his place, how careful should we be?

Pride often disguises itself as confidence, boldness, even spirituality. But true strength is anchored in dependence upon the Lord.

LIVING IT OUT

Jesus connects humility with receiving the lowly. When we welcome those who offer no advantage to us, we are welcoming Him.

Think practically:

• Who in your church or community might feel overlooked?

• Are there roles of service you avoid because they seem small or unseen?

• How would your relationships change if you deliberately chose to be “last” rather than first?

Humility is not thinking poorly of yourself. It is thinking rightly about yourself before God. Everything is received.

CLOSING CHRIST-CENTERED REFLECTION

Ultimately, Jesus does not merely teach humility. He embodies it.

Philippians 2:5–8“Have this way of thinking among yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a slave, by being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

The One who truly was greatest made Himself lowest.

And the Father responded.

Philippians 2:9“Therefore, God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.”

The pattern is unmistakable. Humility first. Exaltation later. In God’s time.

FINAL QUESTION

If Jesus walked into this room and asked, “What were you discussing on the way?” what might need to change in your heart?

Available NOW on Amazon!