Matthew 18:1-4: The Call to Greatness

Prayer of Adoration

O Lord, We come before You with hearts full of praise and joy. You are the Rock of our salvation, and we lift our voices in worship to You. We sing aloud to You, our great God, and shout for joy in Your presence, for You are worthy of all honor and adoration. With gratitude, we approach Your throne of grace, knowing that You are the Creator of all things, the King of kings, and the Lord of glory.

We give You thanks for Your greatness, for Your power, and for Your immeasurable love that draws us near. You alone are worthy of our praise, and we bless Your holy name forever.

In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

Scripture Reading

Matthew 18:1–4 ESV

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Pastoral Prayer

Gracious Father, We come before You as Your children—grateful, needy, and dependent. We confess how often we chase after greatness on the world’s terms. We long to be seen, to be celebrated, to feel secure in what we can achieve or prove. But Jesus has shown us a better way: the way of humility, the way of childlike trust, the way of the cross.

So we pray now—turn our hearts. Make us like little children before You: content to be held by grace, eager to follow Your Son, and glad to rest in Your sovereign love. Remind us that the kingdom of heaven does not belong to the proud or the powerful, but to the poor in spirit, to the humble, to the dependent.

We pray for those today who feel small and unseen. Strengthen their faith. Comfort the discouraged. Restore the wandering. And make us, as a church, a community that welcomes the lowly and reflects the greatness of Christ through humble service and quiet faithfulness.

Father, we also lift up mothers to You—those in this room and those we carry in our hearts. We thank You for their daily, unseen labors of love—feeding, comforting, disciplining, guiding. Remind them that in Your kingdom, these quiet acts of sacrifice are not forgotten; they are honored. We pray for weary mothers—give them strength. For grieving mothers—give them comfort. For those who long to be mothers—give them hope and peace in You.

Make us all more like Jesus, who did not cling to status but emptied Himself for us. May His humility shape our homes, our church, and our witness in the world.

We ask all of this in His name. Amen.

Sermon

Introduction

There have been times in my life when I desperately tried to be the best — without even realizing it. In high school I wanted to prove to people that I was a good Christian kid so I did all I could to convince them. I thought I was pretty good at it until I met some other Christian kids from other schools who made me look like a heathen.

And so I worked harder to be an even better Christian kid than they were.

I measured my worth by my performance. I wanted to know I was better. I wanted praise for my goodness.

I wanted to be the greatest.

And in our passage today we see that the disciples wanted the same thing for themselves.

We’ve been in Matthew for almost two years, and today we step into the fourth major teaching section of the Gospel. If you remember, Matthew is structured in five major movements—each one begins with Jesus’ actions and ends with a block of teaching, a sermon. Today, we come to that fourth sermon.

Jesus has been preparing His disciples for life after His death—what it means to follow Him even when He’s no longer beside them in the flesh. We’ve seen Him revealed in glory on the mountaintop. We’ve heard His call to depend on Him in weakness. We’ve been challenged to live in the freedom of responsibility, not rebellion.

But the disciples are still struggling. After failing to cast out a demon and after Jesus again predicts His death—they ask this question: “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

It seems tone-deaf. It seems like they’ve missed the point entirely.

But maybe it hits closer to home than we’d like. Because we, too, are often concerned with greatness on our terms.

And by God’s grace, Jesus doesn’t shame them—or us. He redirects us. He redefines greatness. And He calls us to follow Him in this newly defined greatness.

That’s the King’s Call today.

But we so often find that we start, like the disciples, with the Wrong Question.

I. The Wrong Question (v.1)

In Matthew’s account, the disciples come to Jesus with a question: “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” At first glance, it seems simple—maybe even innocent. But when we read Mark 9 and Luke 9 alongside it, we get more context. These Gospel writers tell us that the disciples weren’t just curious—they were arguing. They were comparing themselves, each hoping the answer was: “It’s you.”

This isn’t just a passing thought. It reveals a deep misunderstanding. Just a few verses earlier, Jesus had predicted His death for the third time. He told them the Son of Man would be delivered into the hands of men, and they would kill Him. And what’s their next move? They start a debate about status. “Which of us will be the greatest?”

Do you see how strange this focus is?

Instead of asking Jesus what His death means—and what it means for them—they want to know who will be the most important in the Kingdom of Heaven.

I teach middle-schoolers, and this kind of thinking is par for the course. But here, we see it coming from the future apostles of the church—those who will lead the people of God after Jesus ascends. They should know better. But the truth is: so should we.

We may not say it out loud, but we often think in similar terms. We compare. We wonder where we rank—how we measure up spiritually. We want to know if we’re doing better than others. Better parents, better workers, better Christians. We crave significance—but Jesus redefines what that means.

He responds to their question not with a lecture, but with an object lesson. He calls a child to Himself, places the child in their midst, and says: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

That’s not just about greatness—it’s about entrance. You don’t even get in unless you come low. Not strong, not impressive, not self-sufficient. But humble. Dependent. Trusting.

Jesus is saying: The greatest in the kingdom is the one who knows they don’t belong there except by grace.

Many are kept from Christ because they think too much of themselves—and, as a result, too little of Christ. They come to Jesus like a job applicant, résumé in hand, with a list of reasons they’re a good investment.

But Jesus isn’t looking for the qualified. He’s calling the humble. He’s not impressed by your spiritual achievements. He’s moved by your need.

That means entrance into the kingdom requires humility—admitting you’re not enough, you’re not in control, and you’re not your own savior.

Many are kept from Christ because they think too much of themselves and, in so doing, think too little of Christ and what he has done.

Too often, we don’t come to Jesus as a child. We come as a successful businessperson, an upright moral citizen, someone who just needs a little spiritual boost. We assume we’re mostly fine—and Jesus can round us out. We are pretty great all on our own and people are rightly impressed.

And though we don’t say it, our thoughts and actions make it clear that we think Jesus should be impressed with us as well.

Too often, we measure our spiritual lives by comparison: how “together” our families look, how much we serve, how much Bible we know.

Let me pause and say—this can be especially true on a day like today. If you're a mom, it’s tempting to measure your worth by your children’s behavior, your home’s atmosphere, or your ability to balance it all. But greatness in the kingdom isn’t about having it all together. It’s about knowing that you don’t—and coming to Jesus anyway.

Jesus says: “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

That means kingdom greatness isn’t climbed up into—it’s stooped down into. Not through performance, but through repentance. Not through strength, but surrender.

So here’s the call: Confess where you’ve made your spiritual life about performance. Let go of comparison. This week, practice kingdom greatness in hidden ways:

Serve where no one will see.

Listen instead of speak.

Lift others up without slipping your name into the story.

Repent when you're wrong—and do it quickly.

Turn from pride and self-righteousness. And come to Jesus like a child comes to a parent—empty-handed, trusting, and ready to receive what only He can give.

So Jesus calls us to greatness—but not the kind we expect. Not greatness by comparison, but greatness through humility. The disciples come with a question rooted in pride, and Jesus responds not with rebuke but with redefinition.

And that brings us to the second part of our passage and what the right posture should be.

II. The Right Posture (vv.2–3)

How does Jesus answer their question? As He so often does—by completely flipping the script. While the disciples are caught up in status and significance, Jesus calls over a child and places the child right in the middle of their conversation.

Imagine the scene: they’re debating who among them is the greatest, and Jesus interrupts by saying, “Come here, little one,” and sets this child down in the middle of the circle. And then He says:

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (v. 3)

That’s not just a surprising answer—it’s a sobering one. They asked about greatness in the kingdom, but Jesus starts by saying: you won’t even get in unless you humble yourselves like this child.

Let’s pause and picture this through a lens familiar to many of us. Think of how the children come up for the Children’s Moment here at church. Do they walk up with resumes? Do they insist on their own songs or sermons? Do they jockey for top billing? No—they (mostly) just come forward eager, expectant, trusting that someone up front has something good planned for them. They sit. They listen. They receive.

Now yes—some might try to steal my seat or roll on the floor or want to tell me a story instead of listening to the one I’m trying to tell them—but the core posture is still the same: joyful participation, not status-seeking. That’s the picture Jesus gives: childlike trust, joyful dependence, and humility.

Now to be clear, Jesus is not telling us to be childish—He’s telling us to be childlike. There’s a world of difference. He’s not encouraging immaturity or irresponsibility. He’s pointing to a child’s humble posture—one that is quick to trust, open to receive, and unconcerned with climbing the ladder of spiritual success.

It’s that kind of posture He’s calling us to adopt. Not because children are inherently innocent or virtuous—but because they know they need help. They depend on someone else to provide for them. They come empty-handed. And that’s exactly how we are to come before the Lord.

Jesus even uses the word “turn” here—“unless you turn and become like children…” That word implies repentance. You are going one way—in pride, self-importance, self-reliance—and you need to turn around. Humble yourself. Acknowledge your need. Become like a child again in the presence of your Father.

And let’s not miss the force of what Jesus says. He doesn’t say, “This would be a good idea.” He says, “Unless you do this, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” That’s not advice. That’s a warning. Jesus is lovingly, clearly drawing a line in the sand: greatness in His kingdom begins with grace, and grace begins with humility.

This is a major theme all throughout Matthew’s Gospel:

Matthew 5:3 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 20:26–28 – “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant… even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 11:25 – “You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.”

This is what Jesus consistently teaches: that the door to the kingdom swings low. The people who stoop, who know their need, who trust like a child—those are the ones who enter.

And if we step back even further into biblical theology, we see this in the person of Jesus Himself. He is the true Son—perfectly dependent on the Father. At His baptism, the Father declared from heaven: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). Jesus didn’t cling to His rights but entrusted Himself to the Father’s will—even to the cross.

That’s the example for us. As Paul says in Romans 8:14–17, the only way into God’s family is through adoption—and adoption requires childlike trust.

You don’t adopt yourself.

You’re brought in.

You receive.

You depend.

And if you resist that, if you try to make yourself great on your own, Jesus says you won’t just miss out on greatness—you’ll miss the Kingdom altogether.

If you cling to pride and a desire for worldly greatness, accolades, and assurances, you are assured that those will be your only reward—because you are unseating Christ as the King and placing yourself there instead.

This has direct implications for our lives—especially in a culture that prizes self-promotion and performance. If you’re building your spiritual confidence on how you compare to others—how good your parenting is, how much you serve, how polished your theology is—you’re building on sand.

And this is where we can also offer a gentle word of encouragement, your life might feel full of unseen service, of unglamorous humility. And there may be pressure to feel impressive—to be celebrated, to be enough. But what Jesus says here is actually a deep comfort: the way into His Kingdom isn’t found in being enough—it’s found in knowing you’re not.

Friends, hear this: the Kingdom is not for the competent, the accomplished, or the admired. It’s for those who know they need grace. And that’s good news for all of us if we will take the right posture before Christ.

So Jesus tells His disciples—and us—that we must turn and become like children if we are even to enter the kingdom.

That’s not a side note; that’s the gate.

There is no place in the kingdom for pride, for self-exaltation, or for performance. It all starts with the right posture: low, humble, dependent.

But then the question naturally follows: If humility is how you enter the kingdom… what does true greatness look like inside the kingdom? That’s where Jesus goes next.

III. The True Greatness (v.4)

So what do we do with our longing to matter, to do something significant, to be great in God’s eyes?

Jesus doesn’t scold us for that desire—He redirects it.

He doesn’t say “stop wanting to be great”—He says, “Let Me show you what true greatness is.” And here it is, plain as day in verse 4: True greatness is humility.

Let’s be clear: Jesus does not eliminate the idea of greatness. He redefines it. He flips it upside down—or maybe better, He turns it right-side up.

Humility is the measure of greatness in God’s kingdom.

In a world that says, “Be loud, be seen, be impressive,” Jesus says, “Be low, be quiet, be dependent.”

This is a consistent theme throughout the New Testament, especially in the example of Jesus Himself.

Philippians 2:5–11

Paul says, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who… though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself… humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

And what happened next? “Therefore God has highly exalted Him.”

The path to exaltation is through humility as we also see in James 4:10.

James 4:10

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

This is the rhythm of the Kingdom: Lower yourself, and the Lord will lift you up. Exalt yourself, and you will be brought low.

That rhythm is all over Matthew’s Gospel:

Matthew 10:39 – “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Matthew 11:25 – “You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.”

Matthew 19:14 – “Let the little children come to Me… for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus is not asking us to become great despite humility—but through humility.

Application:

This truth is incredibly freeing. You don’t have to be impressive. You don’t have to keep performing. You can stop striving for greatness by the world’s definition… and rest in Christ.

Greatness in the Kingdom is not about your résumé; it’s about your reliance. It’s not about your strength; it’s about your surrender.

Preview the rest of the chapter:

Now before we move on, it’s important to step back and take in the bigger picture of what Jesus is doing here in Matthew 18.

This chapter isn’t just a collection of random teachings—it’s a unified, intentional discourse. Jesus is answering one question: “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And His answer spans the entire chapter.

This is a full teaching on how kingdom citizens are to live with one another. This is how Jesus wants His disciples—His Church—to act.

It starts with humility (vv. 1–4), then moves into how we receive and protect one another (vv. 5–9), how we pursue the wandering (vv. 10–14), how we confront sin in love (vv. 15–20), and how we forgive lavishly (vv. 21–35).

So what’s the theme? Kingdom living is humble, careful, sacrificial, and merciful. It’s life shaped by the King, not by the world.

That’s why it matters that we understand what Jesus means in the following verses when He speaks of children.

He’s not just talking about literal children—though they are precious. He’s speaking of those who have become like children through humility and dependence—His disciples.

So when Jesus refers to “these little ones” throughout the rest of the chapter, He’s referring to humble believers—those who come to Him lowly, with nothing in their hands but trust.

This is a crucial shift in perspective. We’re not just talking about how to treat kids in Sunday School—we’re talking about how we treat each other as fellow citizens of the Kingdom.

Application Preview: This means how we receive others, how we guard one another from stumbling, and how we respond when someone wanders away—all of that reveals what we really believe about Jesus and His Kingdom.

How we treat the “least” among us—those with no platform, no prestige, no polish—shows what we think of Christ. Because Christ identifies with the humble. To welcome them is to welcome Him. To despise them is to dishonor Him.

So as we look ahead to the rest of Matthew 18 in the coming weeks, come ready to be reshaped. This isn’t just about who gets into the Kingdom—it’s about how we live once we’re in.

Kingdom greatness is humble. Kingdom relationships are sacrificial. Kingdom love reflects the King.

Conclusion

So what have we seen?

Jesus’s disciples came asking a question we all ask in one way or another: Who is the greatest? How can I matter? Where do I stand in the kingdom?

And Jesus answers—not by dismissing the question—but by redefining greatness altogether.

The wrong question focuses on comparison, status, and performance.

The right posture is humility—coming like a child, not striving to be above others but content to depend on the Father.

The true greatness is not in what we do for God but in how low we’re willing to go in trust and surrender.

And the kingdom lens reshapes how we view others: “the least” are not unimportant—they are precious. To welcome them is to welcome Christ Himself.

Friends, there is no ladder to climb in the kingdom. There’s only a cross to kneel beneath.

And the beauty of that is this: when we come low, Jesus lifts us up.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” (James 4:10)

This is good news for all of us—but let me say gently, it’s especially good news for those who feel overlooked or unseen.

For moms who feel like your faithful service in the home is invisible—Jesus sees. And He says that kind of humility is true greatness.

For the believer who feels small, who battles pride but longs to walk faithfully—Jesus says the way forward is not climbing higher but going lower in trust.

And for the one who has not yet come to Christ—hear this warning and invitation: Unless you turn and become like a child, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

You cannot earn your way in. But the King welcomes the humble. If you come to Him with empty hands, He will not turn you away.

So come. Humble yourself. Depend on Him. And find in Christ the greatness that the world can never offer.

Time of Confession

Prayer of Confession

Almighty God, We come before You as a gathered people, acknowledging that we have sinned and fallen short of Your glory. We confess that we have sought our own ways, trusting in our own strength, and neglecting Your guidance. We have been proud, seeking greatness for ourselves instead of humbling ourselves before You. We have failed to love one another as You have commanded, and we have been slow to listen, quick to speak, and reluctant to serve.

Forgive us, Lord, for our pride, our self-centeredness, and our lack of humility. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness and renew our hearts. Help us to embrace the humility of Christ, to lay down our ambitions, and to follow His example of selfless love and service.

By the power of Your Holy Spirit, empower us to turn from our sin, to seek Your forgiveness, and to walk in Your grace. We trust in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Savior, who has paid the penalty for our sins and who calls us to live as kingdom citizens marked by humility, love, and service.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Hear the good news from Isaiah 57:15:

“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.’”

To all who come to Jesus with childlike faith, humble and lowly, He draws near—not to condemn, but to revive and forgive. In Christ, you are welcomed, cleansed, and called beloved.

Benediction

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He lift your eyes to Christ, the true Servant King, who humbled Himself for your sake. Go now in the strength of His grace— not seeking to be great in the eyes of the world, but to walk humbly with your God, trusting, depending, and serving as citizens of His kingdom. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.