Greatness Reversed
Notes
Transcript
Subject–Theme–Thesis–Principle
Subject: Greatness
Theme: Greatness Reversed
Thesis: In the shadow of the cross, Jesus confronts His disciples’ pursuit of status and redefines greatness in His kingdom as humble service and faithful dependence, not self-exaltation or worldly power.
Principle Statement: Kingdom greatness looks like Jesus: lowliness now, glory later.
Last week - Even as betrayal and evil unfold, Jesus calmly establishes a covenant secured by His blood.
Even at the table of grace, the disciples still misunderstand the kingdom — and Jesus patiently reshapes them before their failure.
That is the heartbeat.
Everything else supports that.
The argument about greatness → They still think in worldly categories.
Peter’s confidence → He overestimates himself.
The sword misunderstanding → They still think power is physical.
Satan’s sifting → Their faith will collapse.
Jesus’ intercession → But He holds them.
“The disciples are weaker than they think, but Christ is stronger than they know.”
I. Greatness Redefined — The Servant Model (vv. 24–27)
I. Greatness Redefined — The Servant Model (vv. 24–27)
We find ourselves here in the middle of probably one of the most significant points of Jesus life.
In the upper room he is sharing this meal with His disciples and teaching them.
The Matthew, Mark, and Luke do not go into as great of detail on this section, but John devotes 5 chapters.
John 13-17 covers this time in the upper room with Jesus.
It is during this time that Jesus has set the example of being a servant by washing His disciples feet.
And yet as we see here, they still don’t get it.
In verse 24
24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.
The word Luke uses here tells us that it was more than just bickering, it was a contentious argument.
It was not a new argument.
46 An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
Although in this previous passage it was a more civil argument.
In Luke 9 the word Luke uses there was more of them reasoning through their order.
Creating a pecking order.
Jesus ended that dispute by taking a child near him and telling them that the greatest person is the one who is the least.
Mark also records a couple of other occurrences, one where the mother of James and John went to Jesus and asked that her sons sit next to Him in the kingdom of God.
On another occasion in Mk 9 as they traveled Jesus questioned the disciples about what they were talking about when they had been arguing with one another about who was the greatest.
It seems to be a common topic of conversation amongst them.
The same issue is at the root though and perhaps this time it was brought about by the seating order that Jesus had set at the the table.
In the ancient world, seating positions at meals were assigned by rank, making the placement of guests at Jesus’ Passover meal deeply significant.
The position to Jesus’ right held the highest honor, and this place appears to have been occupied by Judas.
John reclined next to Jesus on one side, occupying the position of next to highest honor.
Rather than rewarding loyalty with honor, Jesus deliberately chose Judas for the place of honor.
For Jesus, the honor given to Judas was not tactics but an expression of his nature—
Jesus loved Judas, his heart aches for him, and despite knowing the traitor’s character and intentions, he cherishes and honors him.
The seating thus embodied Jesus’ radical ethic of extending grace even to those who would betray him.
It is that grace that sparks controversy.
Living together, the other disciples knew Judas character and flaws and yet Jesus, at this, the most significant meal of the year, gave him the seat of greatest honor.
When we look at the disciples, we see a group of rag tag, rough individuals.
And thank God we do.
The disciples messed up, and so do we.
These men had all the same sinful struggles that we have, and if Jesus had grace for them, we have good reason to hope that he has grace for us.
If we are honest, just as the disciples did, we want people to know how great we are.
We may not get into arguments about it, but we secretly love the attention we get from others.
We want people to know how smart we are, how athletic we are, how musical, how talented, how hard we work.
At home we want our brothers and sisters to lose so we can win.
In the church, we want people to recognize the value of what we bring to the ministry.
We want others to admire how we are teaching the Bible.
We want others to admire how we are raising our children.
We make little comments to inflate our reputation.
We too find it hard to reach the greatness we think we deserve.
Even when we do get it, we are not truly happy until others recognize how great we are too.
This is what Jesus teaches about.
He seeks to give his disciples, and us, a new definition of greatness.
Jesus begins with a gentile definition of greatness.
The kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship.
The greatest person is the one with the most power and wealth.
The Greek term for benefactor is not just a person with money like we think of today, but a prince.
This is our modern view of greatness today as well.
Fame, money, political or business prestige.
The greatest people in the world are the billionaire businessmen, the movie stars, the professional athletes, and the famous politicians.
You've probably heard that phrase, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
But in reality, it doesn’t take even absolute power to corrupt, just a little dose can do so.
We would think, how could we every be great here in Drummond Montana.
From the worlds perspective, nothing great would ever come from here.
But there are examples right around us in our own town even.
That saying says absolute power corrupts..., that's not really where the corruption lies.
The corruption lies in our hearts.
And that's why it's not absolute power that we need to corrupt us.
Because the corruption is there in the heart.
We'll just take a little bit of power and we'll run with it. And the heart of man is like that.
But Jesus gives a different perspective.
26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.
The way the world looks at things is not the way that God looks at things.
According to him, the greatest person is not the person at the top, but the one who takes a position at the bottom.
Here Jesus tells us to take the younger person’s place in our daily relationships.
Do the difficult job that no one else is willing to do, for no task—however menial—is beneath the dignity of a disciple.
Follow his example.
He has already practically shown them this by washing their feet.
And here is what makes this moment so powerful.
Jesus does not deny that greatness exists.
He does not say, “There is no such thing as greatness.”
He redefines it.
Jesus does not end with redefining greatness.
The disciples do not only misunderstand greatness.
They misunderstand themselves.
And that is where Jesus turns next.
If you and I were writing this scene, we might expect Jesus to stop there and rebuke them again.
We might expect Him to say, “After all you have seen, after all I have taught you, how can you still be like this?”
But Jesus does something that reveals the kind of King He is.
He corrects them, yes.
But He also comforts them.
He humbles them, but He does not discard them.
And that brings us to the next surprising movement in the text.
II. Greatness Assured — The Future Promise (vv. 28–30)
II. Greatness Assured — The Future Promise (vv. 28–30)
Jesus reassures his disciples with a future promise.
He says in verse 28.
“You are those who have stayed with me in my trials.”
They have been present when the religious leaders have confronted Him.
They have been there when others have turned their backs on Him.
And now, after exposing their pride, Jesus turns and commends their loyalty.
Jesus is not pretending that their argument was no big deal.
He has just confronted it directly.
But he He looks at these same men and says, in effect, “I have seen you stay.”
They have stumbled.
They have misunderstood.
They have argued.
But they have remained with Him through opposition, through rejection, through hardship.
These men who are so much like us, provide a lesson here for weak disciples like us:
Jesus is not blind to our failures, but He is not forgetful of our faithfulness either.
We must remember the context in which these words are spoken.
These words were spoken first to the first disciples and only secondarily to us.
They suffered the hardships of the open road, traveling homeless.
They left behind any regular source of income.
They suffered some of the hostility that Jesus endured from all the people who hated his ministry.
The disciples stayed with Jesus in these trials, and none of their faithful service would ever be forgotten.
Here is the key thing I believe we need to see here.
Were these men perfect?
Were they shining examples of the faith?
No!
Look what they were just doing!
What they did was stayed.
to continue in association with someone, remain continually
and Jesus says because they stayed, he will assign to them a kingdom.
There is quite a few different ways this word is translated in the English translations.
The ESV says assign, others say bestow, grant, confer, appoint,
In Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase
Now I confer on you the royal authority my Father conferred on me so you can eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and be strengthened as you take up responsibilities among the congregations of God’s people.
Their position is the kingdom does not rest on them. Thankfully, their future is not grounded in their performance that night.
Because think about what is coming - they will all scatter.
Their position in the Kingdom is grounded in the Father’s purpose for the Son.
That is the most beautiful news for you and for me.
Our position in God’s Kingdom is grounded in the Father’s purpose for the Son.
When Jesus says, “I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom,” He is saying something astonishing.
When Jesus says, “I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom,” He is saying something deeply encouraging.
The Father entrusted the kingdom to the Son because of His faithfulness.
And now the Son entrusts a share in that kingdom to His disciples.
That means the Christian life is not small.
It is not accidental.
It is not meaningless.
There is a pattern here: the Father sends the Son, and the Son sends His followers.
The Father gives authority to the Son, and the Son shares His work with His people.
What begins with the Father flows through Christ and extends to those who belong to Him.
For you and I, this means something very practical.
Your life is not an accessory in God’s plan.
You are not an outsider looking in on what God is doing in the world.
You are not merely trying to survive until heaven.
If you belong to Christ, you are part of His kingdom work.
I really want you to hear that and internalize it!
When you serve in the church, raise your children in the fear of the Lord,
forgive someone who has hurt you, share the gospel with a neighbor, or quietly obey when no one sees,
you are participating in the purposes of the King.
Jesus is not promising the disciples empty titles.
He is promising real participation in His future kingdom.
They will reign with Him.
They will share in His victory.
They will sit at His table.
That future promise reshapes the present.
It tells us that our identity is not defined by how impressive we look now.
It is defined by our relationship to Christ.
Our significance is not built on personal achievement.
It is grounded in belonging to the King.
And here is what is especially encouraging in this passage:
Jesus promises this kingdom to men who are still arguing about greatness.
He does not wait until they are perfect.
He does not revoke their future because of their immaturity.
He assures them of glory even while He corrects their pride.
That means our hope is not in how flawless we are today.
It is in the faithfulness of the Son who shares His kingdom with weak disciples.
So Christian purpose is never merely private.
Your faith is not just about personal peace.
You are being shaped now for participation in something eternal.
Lowliness now.
Glory later.
And that promise steadies us when we are tempted to chase recognition in the present.
Because we already know how the story ends.
Greatness in this kingdom is not seized.
It is given.
And it is given by grace.
Luke continues in the passage and takes us one step deeper.
Because even after Jesus assures them of a kingdom, they still have a problem:
They think they can get there on the strength of their own loyalty.
They believe the future is secure because their devotion is strong.
So Jesus turns to the loudest voice at the table, and He exposes what none of them want to admit:
The danger is not only that they misunderstand greatness.
The danger is that they overestimate themselves.
And that is why Jesus says:
“Simon, Simon…”
III. Greatness Tested — The Sifting of Peter (vv. 31–34)
III. Greatness Tested — The Sifting of Peter (vv. 31–34)
While Jesus is using Peter’s old name, it is not solely addressed to him.
As Jesus says in this verse.
Satan has demanded to have you-
The you there is plural.
That’s why it would sometimes I think be nice to have southern translation of the Bible.
Satan demanded to have y’all that he might sift you like wheat.
The sifting that Satan intended to do was for all of the disciples.
But it's also obvious, from the text here, that Peter is front and center in this conversation.
And frankly, the sifting that he received, the challenge that came his way through the enemy, is something that we hear most about.
We will see that more specifically in the weeks to come.
But here we understand that Satan had to go before God.
And it actually says here that Satan demanded, and in another Gospel account it says, “Satan asked,”
Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.
And so, we get some interesting information here, particularly related to understanding what is involved when Satan attacks a child of God.
When we merge these passages with some of what we learn in the Old Testament, such as in the Book of Job,
We come to understand that the enemy had to come before God and receive permission to do what he did.
I think we can rightly believe that God limited Satan’s actions here against the disciples just as He did against Job in the OT.
Jesus gives us the reason for this limiting of Satan’s actions in verse 32.
32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
Jesus didn’t pray that the attack would not come.
He prayed that Peter’s and the disciples faith would not fail.
When Jesus tells Peter that Satan has demanded to sift him, we need to understand something clearly.
Satan is never passive.
He is never satisfied.
He is never content to leave a believer alone.
From the very beginning he has been greedy for souls.
He slithered into Eden to tempt Eve.
He stirred Cain to murder.
He opposed Job.
He confronted Jesus in the wilderness.
And Peter himself would later warn the church, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
That is not dramatic imagery.
That is spiritual reality.
Satan wants faith to collapse.
He wants discouragement to win.
He wants sin to take root.
He wants conflict to divide.
He wants despair to overwhelm.
He wants believers to walk away from Christ.
And this is not only about Peter.
What Jesus said to him is true in principle for us.
The enemy would gladly sift you.
He would gladly exploit your pride, your fear, your exhaustion, your resentment, your secret temptations.
He is patient.
He lurks.
He waits for moments of weakness.
That is why this passage is so sobering.
The greatest danger to the disciples that night was not Roman soldiers.
It was not Judas.
It was not political opposition.
It was spiritual assault.
And the same is true for us.
But the story does not end with Satan’s demand.
Because Satan may request to sift—
But Christ prays.
And that makes all the difference.
Peter, probably not believing what Jesus said and determined to prove Him wrong, as usual, responds quickly.
33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”
He really believes that.
But his confidence is rooted in himself.
But Jesus knows better. He knows that while he will turn again (vs 32).
The fall will come.
34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”
Peter will fail.
He will deny knowing Christ.
He will collapse under pressure.
But here is the glory of the passage:
Jesus did not pray that Peter would never stumble.
He prayed that Peter’s faith would not ultimately fail.
And that is the birthright of every Christian.
Our failures are real.
Our sins are grievous.
Our denials are painful.
But if you belong to Christ, your failures are not final.
It is possible to lose a battle and still win the war.
Not because you are strong.
But because Christ intercedes.
That is greatness reversed.
Not confidence in yourself.
Confidence in Christ’s keeping grace.
And yet even after this warning —
Even after Jesus tells them that Satan is coming,
even after He tells Peter that he will fall,
even after He assures them that their faith will be preserved —
They still do not understand the nature of this kingdom.
They hear about danger.
And they think in terms of weapons.
They hear about opposition.
And they reach for swords.
They are still thinking in worldly categories.
They have learned that greatness is service.
They have learned that faith must be preserved.
But they have not yet learned how the kingdom advances.
And that brings us to one final misunderstanding in this room.
Greatness is not seized by power.
And it is not defended by steel.
IV. Greatness Misunderstood — The Sword Confusion (vv. 35–38)
IV. Greatness Misunderstood — The Sword Confusion (vv. 35–38)
Jesus draws the disciples attention back to when He sent them out to the cities and towns to proclaim the good news of His coming.
How they had everything they needed in that time.
Jesus contrasts their earlier mission with the mission that is to come.
Before they had provision without preparation.
But now they will need to be prepared.
When Jesus reminds them of their earlier mission, they answer, “Nothing. We lacked nothing.”
God had provided.
They went out vulnerable, and the Lord sustained them.
But then Jesus says something that signals a shift:
“But now…”
The season is changing.
Not that God will no longer provide, but the manner of provision will change.
“Let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.”
Now for us guys out there, this passage is not saying, go sell some coats and buy another gun.
I know, that would be nice, you should show your wife this verse and say look honey, Jesus said to do it!
But that is not what Jesus is saying.
Jesus is not reversing everything He has taught about servant greatness.
He is preparing them for a new reality.
Up until now, their mission had been marked by relative welcome.
But that is about to end.
With His arrest, trial, and crucifixion, the tone of their ministry will change.
They will be identified with a rejected and condemned Messiah.
And then He explains why.
“For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’”
That is Isaiah 53.
Jesus is saying that what is about to happen is not an accident.
It is fulfillment.
He will be treated like a criminal.
He will be arrested as if He were dangerous.
He will be condemned as if He were guilty.
And because they belong to Him, they will share in that hostility.
So when He tells them to prepare, He is not forming a militia.
He is warning them: the road ahead will be hard.
The kingdom will advance through suffering, not dominance.
They must be ready for opposition.
They must be prepared for hardship.
They must understand that following a crucified King means walking a costly path.
The world will treat them as transgressors.
And they need to be ready for that reality.
We should take heart for our own hearts in the disciples response in verse 38.
38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.”
I think Jesus was probably shaking his head as he tells them.
And he said to them, “It is enough.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
As we leave the Upper Room and travel next to the Mount of Olives, we need to feel the weight of what Luke has shown us.
The disciples argued about greatness.
Jesus redefined it.
They were promised a kingdom.
They were warned of sifting.
They reached for swords.
And before the sun rises, where will they be?
Scattered.
This is not just their story.
It is ours.
We still crave recognition.
We still measure ourselves against others.
We still overestimate our spiritual strength.
We still assume that if pressure comes, we will stand.
We still reach for worldly tools when we feel threatened.
But Jesus shows us something steadying and glorious in this passage.
Greatness in His kingdom is not climbing higher.
It is bowing lower.
It is not proving yourself strong.
It is depending on Him when you are weak.
It is not defending your name.
It is trusting His.
The disciples were weaker than they thought.
But Christ was stronger than they knew.
And here is the good news for every believer in this room:
Your failures do not have the last word.
Your moments of fear do not have the final say.
Your weakness does not cancel your future.
Because your hope does not rest in your strength.
It rests in a Savior who intercedes.
It rests in a King who serves.
It rests in a Messiah who was numbered with transgressors so that transgressors might be numbered with Him.
So what does this mean for us?
It means we stop chasing greatness the world’s way.
We stop grasping for recognition.
We stop trusting our own strength.
We stop fighting spiritual battles with fleshly weapons.
And instead—
We take the lower place.
We serve quietly.
We depend deeply.
We endure faithfully.
Because we already know how the story ends.
There is a table coming.
There is a kingdom coming.
There is glory coming.
Not seized by pride.
Not earned by performance.
But granted by grace.
Lowliness now.
Glory later.
That is what greatness looks like in the shadow of the cross.
That is greatness reversed.
And that is the path of every disciple who follows a crucified King.
