Making Disciples – part 2
053 Making Disciples – part 2
Mark 9:30-50 (36-42)
July 5, 2026
James 3:13-18 “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
One certainly must wonder if James wrote that
With our current incident in mind.
· The disciples had just made the journey with Jesus from Caesarea Philippi
back to Capernaum.
· On the way they were in a dispute as to which one was the greatest.
· Jesus is in the process of correcting that arrogance.
I would point out the very end of our text where Jesus says (50b) “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
It is Jesus’ way of closing this particular discipleship session
By saying, “Now get along!”
And after the fact it is apparent that James learned what He meant.
· They were full of arrogance and selfish ambition.
· They argued about their status.
James could look back on that day and see that it was nothing short of pure evil.
· They were full of disorder, and every evil thing.
· They were earthly, natural, possibly even demonic in their thinking.
To be like Christ they needed to be corrected.
And that is what we are witnessing here in this text.
IT IS A DISCIPLESHIP COURSE FOR US.
ON ONE HAND we are being discipled
· For the issues the disciples face are issues that we face as well.
· We also need our stubbornness and arrogance checked.
ON THE OTHER HAND we are learning how Jesus disciples others.
· We confront stubbornness and a refusal to sacrifice.
· We confront arrogance and refusal to serve.
In this instance, Jesus addressed them right where they were
And corrected their faulty thinking.
If we want to obey the great commission and make disciples
WE MUST ALSO DO THIS.
· We must be willing to address sinful thought processes and actions even in our
brothers that we all might grow into the image of Christ.
As we said this morning, Jesus is here addressing 5 areas in the lives of the disciples that desperately need to be addressed if they are to be like Christ.
#1 STUBBORNNESS
Mark 9:30-32
Jesus again revealed that He is going to suffer, die, and rise.
· This time He revealed it as the sovereign plan of God.
But again, the disciples didn’t want to hear it.
· They weren’t interested in that conversation
· And refused to ask Him about it
· Because they were afraid of what He might say.
They much preferred to leave all that sacrificial talk behind them.
They were stubborn regarding the very heart of the Christian calling.
The calling to follow Jesus is a sacrificial calling.
· We are called to lose our lives for Christ.
· We are called to lay down our lives for our brothers.
The quicker we realize that we are called to sacrifice
The quicker we will look like Christ.
#2 ARROGANCE
Mark 9:33-37
It all began with a debate the disciples had on the road
Regarding which of them was the greatest.
But when Jesus confronted them for their debate
The shame clearly came out
As none of them wanted to own up to the details of the conversation.
That is when the discipleship lesson began.
(35) “Sitting down” (which is the posture of a Jewish teacher)
“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.”
Aspiring for a position of leadership is not a bad thing,
But aspiring for it for the wrong reasons is.
Jesus calls us to seek to be last.
This is done by becoming a “servant of all”
· Literally a deacon of all.
· The word means, “One who executes the commands of another.”
· That is a servant.
We position ourselves below or behind someone else
When we fulfill their requests and serve their desires.
The worldly response of “You’re not the boss of me”
Has no place in the Christian mindset.
WE SAW THAT THIS MORNING.
BUT JESUS ISN’T FINISHED.
After giving the command, next He chose to illustrate it.
(36-37) “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.”
I purposely wanted to wait until tonight to get into this illustration
Because it has such far-reaching implications.
Jesus uses a child here as an illustration about service.
But this is not the only time He uses this child as an example.
You’ll see it again down in verse 42
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea.”
You’ll see it again in chapter 10
Mark 10:13-16 “And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.”
This is an important illustration to Jesus.
Not only that, but so is the word “receives” here.
Jesus is going to make a big point about
Either receiving a lowly brother or hindering a lowly brother.
You’re going to get one of the two options.
· You are either going to put yourself in a position to serve and receive and encourage some lowly brother, like this child.
· Or you’re going to put yourself in a position to neglect, discourage, and potentially cause a lowly brother to stumble.
He wants His disciples to choose which one they are going to do.
THIS IS A BIG ILLUSTRATION FROM JESUS.
He is going to a lot of mileage out of this one.
So, as He addresses the arrogance of the 12
And calls for them to be a servant of all,
HE NOW MOVES INTO AN ILLUSTRATION.
(36-37) “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.”
First we read, “Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms…”
· Most assume this is one of Peter’s children, and that is probably accurate.
· If I had to guess I’d say it is one of Peter’s unruly and even distracting children.
CAN YOU IMAGINE
Jesus trying to talk to the 12
· And this one child is rolling around in the floor,
· Or trying to get Peter’s attention, or making noises?
And Peter has probably made eye contact with his wife as if to say,
“Honey, would you come do something with him?”
And in that moment Jesus grabs the child.
But He does more than grab the child.
We read “and taking him in his arms”.
It is a phrase unique to Mark.
(en-ok-a-LEED-zo-my)
“to embrace; to take into one’s arms”
Only Mark uses it, and he’ll use it again in that accompanying passage in Mark 10 where Jesus again calls for the children to come to Him.
THE POINT IS, Jesus doesn’t just grab the child,
He picks the child up and embraces the child.
He hugs the child.
He gives His attention to the child.
Here He was in a pivotal teaching moment with the 12,
· And in the middle of it, He picks up this child
· And gives just as much, if not more, attention to the child than anyone else is currently receiving.
He makes a point that this child
Is just as important as anyone else in the room.
AND THEN HE SAYS:
(37) “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”
Let’s look at the word “receives” there.
· Jesus uses it 4 times in the sentence.
(DECK-o-my)
“to receive or grant access to; not to refuse friendship”
Jesus used it to describe people who are open to your preaching of the gospel.
Matthew 10:14 “Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet.”
Luke used it to describe the Samaritans who would not welcome Jesus:
Luke 9:53 “But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem.”
Jesus used it to describe the desperate decision of the unrighteous steward:
Luke 16:4 “‘I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.’”
Stephen used it as a plea to Jesus to welcome him into heaven:
Acts 7:59 “They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”
Luke used it to describe how the Bereans treasured the word of God:
Acts 17:11 “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”
So you get the idea.
· Jesus welcomed this child.
· Jesus embraced this child.
· Jesus loved this child.
· Jesus valued this child.
And this child was the least important person in the room.
What a perfect illustration of what Jesus was just talking about!
These guys were busy arguing who was the greatest
And who should be served by others.
Jesus turned their arrogance on its head
By showing them that true greatness is found
In becoming the least through service.
AND WHEN YOU SERVE…
You serve everyone, even the least, even this child!
· Are you too important to stop and serve a child?
· Are you too important to stop and fulfill the request of a poor man?
· Are you too important to stop and fulfill the request of a lowly man?
Then you are missing the point of what Jesus came to do.
Jesus is the highest, greatest, most glorious there has ever been
And He humbled Himself to become a servant to you.
THAT IS THE CALLING.
BUT THAT’S STILL NOT ALL HE SAID.
He adds even more weight to it.
“Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me;”
Wait! What?
Jesus links this to basic Christianity.
Do you remember that famous sermon on the end when Jesus says:
Matthew 25:40 “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’”
· Jesus wasn’t speaking indiscriminately there of any and all lowly people.
· He clearly spoke of “these brothers of Mine” as in believers.
· That will be His point here, as you will see.
But if we can’t love and serve the lowest person in the room,
Then we can’t love and serve Jesus.
Jesus said, when you do it for them you’re doing it for Me.
AND THEN:
“and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”
Not only are you doing it for Me, but you’re also doing it for God!
Think for a moment to what John would say later in his epistle:
1 John 4:20-21 “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.”
· It’s not like you can wash God’s car for Him.
· It’s not like you can mow God’s lawn.
· It’s not like you can give God a ride to the doctor.
But you can give the lowliest of His children a ride,
And God credits that you did that for Him.
So you understand how the disciple’s mindset of greatness
Was in no way close to what they needed it to be.
They were ARROGANT and Jesus addressed that arrogance.
· Learn to humble yourself.
· Learn to serve others.
· Learn to serve the least.
· In doing so, not only will you be great, but you will be serving God.
Welcome the lowly and you are welcoming Christ.
What a great and convicting reminder to us.
· If you want to be like Christ then drop the arrogance.
· If you want to disciple others to be like Christ then confront the arrogance.
IT IS CLEAR DISCIPLESHIP.
So Jesus addresses their stubbornness and their arrogance.
#3 THEIR SNOBBERY
Mark 9:38-42
Here again we find the disciples under conviction.
· Jesus has taken this child into His lap while He is teaching
· And He has just made a massive point about welcoming believers not hindering them.
And it is clear that John was convicted.
He remembers a previous incident and he wonders if he got it wrong.
(38) “John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.”
What Jesus said got John to thinking about that time…
· There was a guy who was not part of the caravan following Jesus around.
· He wasn’t one of the 12.
· He had not been specially selected by Jesus.
· He wasn’t even in the crowed surrounding Jesus.
· But, he was “casting out demons in [Jesus] name.”
· And John tried to stop him.
Now, obviously we know nothing about this man.
It is possible that this man is not a believer.
· We know that in the end there will be those who claim to have cast out demons that are not saved.
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”
It is possible that this guy is a charlatan,
But that doesn’t seem to be the case.
I think it’s a fair assumption to say that this man is a believer.
Jesus is on the topic of our dealing with believers
What he is doing he is doing in Jesus’ name.
That is clearly what is bothering John.
Jesus just said, “Whoever receives one child like this in My name…”
And now John remember the time he didn’t.
It’s quite likely this is a brother in Christ.
It’s quite likely this man is a believer.
· Maybe he had once been delivered from a demon.
· Maybe he had seen a friend delivered.
· Maybe he just witnessed it firsthand.
· Maybe he saw one of the disciples do it.
We don’t know, but now he has taken it upon himself
To go in the power of Jesus’ name and deliver others as well.
But John and the rest of the 12 clearly didn’t want him doing it.
“he was not following us”
· He wasn’t in our group.
· He’s not a Baptist!
John said so “we tried to prevent him”
· I like the use of the word “tried” there because it sounds like that man was non-compliant.
But the 12 clearly did not like someone else casting out demons
Independent of the flow of command.
BUT NOW, after what Jesus has just said,
John is second-guessing their decision.
(39-40) “But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. “For he who is not against us is for us.”
The logic here is so obvious
One could wonder how we ever missed it.
Just think a moment about who Jesus is,
What He’s been doing, and what He intends to do.
· Jesus came on the scene and was announced as the Son of God.
· After going into the wilderness and taking the best shots the devil had to give
· Jesus came back and declared that the kingdom was at hand.
· He then marched into a synagogue and the first thing He did was cast out a demon.
In fact, Mark has been very focused on all the demons Jesus has cast out.
That has been the chief focus of all His miracles in Mark’s account.
So Jesus declared the kingdom here
And then went on the offensive against the devil.
He was casting out demons all over the place.
He has been on a liberation mission
To overthrow Satan’s kingdom and set captives free.
No one can argue about that.
And now you come across a man who is doing that very thing.
He is also casting out demons and setting captives free.
And the decision of the disciples was to do what?
TO STOP HIM?
How does that make sense?
IN WWII
· What if the Brits had told the Americans to stop attacking Germany because they weren’t British?
· What if the Russians had told the British to stop fighting Germany because they weren’t Russian?
· What if when America entered the war the British had stopped fighting Germany and started trying to sink our ships and down our planes so that we would not fight Germans?
That wouldn’t make much sense would it?
Well that is what John had been doing.
It sparks the question: “Whose side are you on?”
IT IS TRUE
We don’t know this guy who is casting out demons.
But we do know this:
(40) “For he who is not against us is for us.”
It really makes one want to approach the disciples
And ask if they even understand the mission at all?
Are you more concerned about those people who are being liberated from the demons or are you more concerned that you get the glory for it?
WHY ARE YOU EVEN DOING THIS?
And what an application to our day in America
Where churches act more like
We are in competition with each other than in cooperation.
· Now look, no one is here advocating that we compromise on truth or doctrine.
· No one is here advocating to just unify no matter the message being preached.
· Scripture is equally clear that false doctrine must be exposed and that false teachers must be silenced.
· This is NOT some universal call to unity and harmony at all cost.
BUT…
It is a call for us to examine our heart
Regarding why we are at odds with another person
Or maybe another church.
Am I opposed to them because they teach false doctrine
Or am I opposed to them because I am jealous of them?
WE DON’T KNOW this guy that was casting out demons
BUT WE DO KNOW he was casting out demons.
Is that really where you want to fight him?
AT THAT POINT DOES IT MATTER WHAT DENOMINATION?
· I don’t care if he is Methodist.
· I don’t care if he is Presbyterian.
· I don’t care if he is Assembly of God.
Did that sinner repent of his sin and trust in Christ?
Then what are you so angry about?
“For he who is not against us is for us.”
This world is going to present you with plenty of opposition
Without you trying to make enemies out of allies.
IF YOU WANT TO WAR,
War against Islam or Hinduism or Jehovah’s Witnesses
Or Mormonism or atheism or secularism.
But don’t be jealous
That God is using other believers to win people to Christ.
It was actually kind of absurd.
AND JESUS THEN goes a step further to make a point that is very convicting.
(41) “FOR whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.”
So maybe your frustration with that other ministry is not doctrinal.
Maybe it’s that they are too shallow.
· I disagree because they don’t do much.
· They are too shallow.
· All they do is give out cups of water in Jesus’ name.
· They are hardly winning the world to Christ.
They are just out there handing out water, seeking to give people a refreshing drink in the name of Jesus.
And what did Jesus say?
“he will not lose his reward”
God will reward them for that.
God sees them as an ally.
Quit being a snob.
Quit being jealous.
At the very least you can stop hindering them.
Don’t be jealous because the Lord is also using other people.
This mindset must be eradicated from disciples of Christ.
He is free to use all of His disciples for His glory, not just you.
SO JESUS ADDRESSES THEIR SNOBBERY.
And if you think it’s no big deal to violate this command,
THEN LOOK AT THIS:
(42) “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea.”
That verse is pretty well-known.
· In recent years I have seen it most used in regard to child trafficking and pedophilia, and certainly it has a potent application in such areas.
· Anyone who does such things certainly deserves such a severe judgment.
Jesus speaks of “a heavy millstone”.
He is referring to what they called a “donkey stone”.
· It was a large round rock that was fitted on the end of a beam so that it would roll and rotate.
· On the other end of the beam a donkey was tied, and there was a center pivot on the beam.
· As the donkey walked on one side, the stone rolled on the other crushing the grain.
The thought of having such a stone tied around the neck
And then you pushed off a boat into the sea of Galilee
Was a horrifying analogy.
It simply speaks to the intense anger of God
Which is directed at those
Who cause “one of these little ones” to stumble.
Now Certainly we see a reference there
To the child Jesus is presently embracing as He delivers this warning.
But in the context of the message
There is also a reference to the danger of preventing or hindering the ministry of one who is serving Christ.
The word “stumble” there is (skan-da-LEED-zo)
We get our word for “scandle” or “scandalize” here.
It comes from the root word (SKAN-da-lon).
Which was the word for the trigger in a trap.
· Think about a trap that is set by a trapper.
· Think about the stick that is set as the trigger.
· When someone kicks the stick, it releases the trap to spring on the prey.
That trigger stick was called a SKANDALON
What Jesus refers to here is someone who sets a trap or a trigger
That causes someone else to stumble.
He is speaking of causing someone
To stumble away from the faith all together.
Now listen to what Jesus is saying.
In His arms He is holding a child.
· This child represented the least of this,
· The virtually unimportant so far as it related to ministry.
He just finished answering John’s question
· About another virtually unimportant person who was casting out demons,
· But he had no value to John because he wasn’t with us.
· John deliberately tried to stop that man.
AND THEN JESUS WARNS
About causing “little ones” or insignificant ones to stumble.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT HE MEANS?
JOHN,
· What if you had caused that man to abandon the faith altogether?
· What if you had so discouraged that man that He decided to no longer believe?
· What if you had treated this child with such contempt that he grew to hate
Christianity instead of embracing it?
Their snobbery ran the risk of doing those very things.
If you run around with your nose in the air refusing to associate with or recognize people less important than you…
You had better hope you don’t so discourage them as to cause them to fall away from the faith.
That would be a crime so heinous
That it would deserve having a millstone hung around your neck
And you dropped into the sea.
It paints a vivid picture for us of the danger of snobbery or elitism or favoritism doesn’t it?
LISTEN TO PAUL:
Romans 14:13 “Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.”
Romans 14:15 “For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.”
Romans 14:21 “It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.”
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.”
1 Corinthians 8:13 “Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.”
1 Corinthians 11:20-22 “Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.”
The very last thing we want to do is work against the kingdom.
We strive for the salvation of men, not the damnation of men.
· We want to encourage those who work for the kingdom, not discourage them.
· We want to recognize even the most menial task, for God does.
· We want to associate with the lowliest, for they are precious to Christ.
And if we struggle in any of those areas, as the disciples clearly did,
Then we are in need of discipleship training.
For what lowly person did Jesus neglect?
What insignificant person did Jesus overlook?
What smelly sinner did Jesus refuse to encourage?
YOU GET THE IDEA.
SNOBBERY MUST GO.
If I see it in my life, then I need to be discipled.
· I need to be confronted and corrected and warned.
If I see it in your life, then I need to disciple you.
· I need to confront and correct and warn you.
This is how disciples are made, and this is what we are called to do.
Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
And here He is showing us how it is done.
He is addressing the stubbornness, arrogance, and snobbery of the disciples.
There are two more things He is still going to address and we will talk about those next time.