Sermon Guide
TO US A SON IS BORN | SON OF MAN
Teaching Text
Matthew 20:20-28
Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Sermon Recap
This Sunday, Pastor Jon Tyson continued our Advent Series with a teaching on Jesus as the Son of Man. During the Christmas season, we often tell stories of hearts changing for the better, but what does it take for a heart to truly change? In our teaching text from Matthew’s gospel, two disciples’ mother ask Jesus to grant them seats of honor in His kingdom, but Jesus disrupts their understanding of greatness, servanthood, and sacrifice by showing them the path to true greatness—through hearts that are changed through humility.
In the Roman Empire, as well as in our Western culture, the traditional understanding of greatness operates by a “winner’s script,” where by achieving the right things and running with the right people, you’ll obtain elite status and preserve your wealth and power. Only, Jesus puts a wrecking ball through the winner’s script, and replaces it with the “servant’s script,” where true greatness comes through descending. Through this countercultural script, Jesus invites us to examine the scripts we are living by and see where they may need to be disrupted by His call to humility.
Jesus also challenges His disciples’ understanding of servanthood by both confirming and confounding their expectations of Him as the Son of Man, the Messianic King prophesied by Daniel in the Old Testament . Instead of using His authority to gain social or political power, Jesus—the Son of Man—ushers in a new humanity as the second Adam, choosing to identify with humanity in order to redeem humanity.
Finally, Jesus disrupts His disciples’ understanding of true sacrifice, as He chooses not to sacrifice the weak and poor for hHs own gain, but rather sacrifices Himself for the weak and poor, giving His life as a ransom for many. In the words of C.S. Lewis: “The son of God became a man, to enable men to become the sons of God.” Through His own sacrifice and example, Jesus invites His disciples—including us—to have hearts truly changed by learning His own script of humility. We are invited to respond to His divine disruption with gratitude, and offer our worship to the Son of Man.
If you missed this talk, you can watch it here today.
Discussion Questions
Connect
1. Do you have a Christmas tradition that you enjoy doing each year?
Character
Ask someone to read Matthew 20:20-28 aloud. Then, ask the following questions:
1. What words, images, or phrases stand out to you in this passage?
2. What does this passage reveal about the character of Jesus?
Consider
1. Pastor Jon discussed the traditional understanding of greatness as one of striving to be the best. How do you find yourself pursuing this traditional understanding of greatness in your life?
2. Jesus disrupts the disciples’ understanding of servanthood by coming to serve, not to be served. What opportunities are there for you to follow Jesus’s footsteps by serving this season?
3. Take a moment to reflect on how Jesus used His unlimited power and unlimited love for us on the cross. Does Jesus’s sacrificial leadership stir up a response in you?
Cover
Is anyone in the group in need of prayer for peace and renewed trust in Jesus this season? Pray for them and invite the peace of God to cover them.