Made For Mission: Mission through Education

Last week, we looked at how Jesus revealed Himself alive after His resurrection to His followers. We thought about what it means to be sent out on mission by Him. Have you accepted God’s mission to go into the world with the good news of Jesus?

This week, we’ll look at the unique way Jesus valued children and see how investing in children and even approaching life with a childlike faith can further God’s mission. 

How to Use This Guide 

Thank you for taking the time to do this Bible study. When we dig deeper into God’s word, He promises to bless us. We follow in the footsteps of King David, who wrote in Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

This guide will provide a weekly framework for spiritual conversations with friends or family. We encourage you to reach out to a friend or two, pick a time to get together each week, and work through this guide together. This Bible study can also be a good tool for families, perhaps coordinated with mealtimes.

What does the Bible say?

Read Matthew 18:1-7.

Matthew 18:1 sets the stage and provides the reason for an illustration that will follow. What were the disciples thinking about in this verse? What was their question to Jesus? 

With their query, the disciples revealed that they did not fully understand what Jesus had in mind when He taught about the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is a main theme of Matthew’s Gospel. In the famous Lord’s Prayer which Matthew records in chapter 6, verses 9-13, Jesus tells His followers to pray that God’s kingdom will come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus teaches about what this kingdom that is coming on earth looks like. For example, in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12, Jesus taught about who would receive the kingdom of heaven. What kind of person does Jesus describe in Matthew 5:3 and 10? In Matthew 13, Jesus also tells parables that describe what the kingdom of heaven is like. In these parables, the kingdom begins with something small and insignificant that grows, or it can also be something precious and valuable that was once hidden but then found. 

But, even after hearing Jesus teach on the subject of the kingdom of heaven, His followers still did not understand what He meant. The Jewish people lived under Roman rule at the time when Jesus walked the earth. Matthew, the writer of this gospel, was a Jew, but also a tax-collector who worked for the Roman government. The people of Israel longed for a king who would usher in a kingdom where they would live freely in their land. But, Jesus, though He was and is Israel’s true King, did something unexpected, even scandalous. He inaugurated His Kingdom by dying on a cross. This was confusing at best for His followers and the ones who observed it. 

If we skip ahead to the beginning of the book of Acts, we read that when Jesus was about to ascend into heaven, He taught about the kingdom of God for 40 days (see Acts 1:3). He affirmed that His followers should expect the Holy Spirit to come upon them very soon. But, even though they had heard Him teach about the kingdom of heaven, the ones who were with Him asked again in Acts 1:6, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus answered by pointing them to the Holy Spirit who was soon to come (Acts 1:7-8). This is the last time that the disciples misunderstood what Jesus meant by His kingdom. After receiving the Holy Spirit and throughout the rest of Acts, they proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God, which they now understood as the whole of Jesus’ teaching and the reality of His earthly life, death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. The Spirit taught them what this kingdom was all about by reminding them of what Jesus had said and affirming the truth in their hearts. 

The Apostle Paul spoke of this kingdom as righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). It is a kingdom of power and not mere talk (1 Corinthians 4:20). God’s kingdom is pure (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:21; Ephesians 2:2, 5:5) and the people who live in this kingdom of light are holy (Colossians 1:12-13). This kingdom cannot be shaken even though those who are citizens of it may suffer (Hebrews 12:28). It is God’s kingdom that comes with power and salvation and the ultimate defeat of anyone who comes against it (Revelation 12:10). 

Now, let’s look at the disciple’s question in Matthew 18:1 and Jesus’ answer in Matthew 18:2-7. What does it mean to be great in God’s kingdom? What does Jesus do to illustrate His point in Matthew 18:2-7? There was a child in the group and Jesus called him or her over. What did Jesus do with the child in Matthew 18:2? What action did He advise for the ones who surrounded the child in verse 3? This is given as a condition. Unless His listeners changed and became like little children, they would never enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus continues talking about what kind of change He meant. What position should those who follow Him take and what would be the result in verse 4? How does Jesus then press His point in verse 5? This is a strong statement where Jesus associates Himself with the humble position of a child. 

In Matthew 18:6, what warning does Jesus give to His listeners? The word we have as “stumble” can mean causing a person to sin or to be brought to a downfall. Jesus views this as a terrible offense and marks it with a graphic punishment. 

We see that the disciples’ original question about who will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven reveals that their true heart of pride was keeping them from understanding Jesus’ teaching. The little child understands naturally because they represent a heart that is pure and has faith in Jesus. Pride will always result in a hardening of our hearts, while humility will always lead us to a soft and believing heart that reflects Jesus. If we take advantage of the trust of a person who believes in Jesus, then we would be better off not living. 

How can we apply Jesus’ teaching? We can notice that Jesus values children. The little one came to Him when He called and was confident in His presence. The trust of a child is a gift that shouldn’t be quenched or taken advantage of. Jesus shows us that children have a lot to teach to adults who think they know what is important. Just by being who they are, they remind us of what is important. Every child should be introduced to Jesus and led to His side. Who are the children in your life? How can you make sure they know about Jesus? If you know little ones who are followers of Jesus, what actions can you take to ensure that they are kept safe from those who would cause them to stumble? Would you pray and ask God if you should volunteer in Northland’s Children’s Ministry. For more information, check this out from our website.

Prayer: Jesus, You are our King and we are citizens of Your heavenly kingdom. May we be good representatives of You, King Jesus, a people who have humble hearts and child-like faith in You. We pray that Your kingdom would come, and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. May we do our part in how Your kingdom grows and makes its impact in our culture today. Amen.

Discussion Questions for Small Groups

1. Discuss why you think the disciples would ask Jesus about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Name a leader outside of the Bible that you admire. What makes them great in your opinion? Do you think these same qualities are important in the kingdom of heaven? Why?

2. Matthew 6:9-13 shows us that we can pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. This is sometimes called the inbreaking of God’s kingdom. When you think of the kingdom in heaven, what kinds of qualities do you think could transfer into our earthly lives? Do you think people can be too heavenly-minded and not do much earthly good? Can you think of a time when you brought a touch of heaven into your world that made a difference?

     3.How important is education to the mission of God? Who are the children in your life? How do you invest in their education?

4. How can you use your use your position, proximity, and power to further God’s mission to redeem a people from all people in all spheres of life?