Discussion Guide: A Journey Misunderstood

PRAYER

Our goal today is to grow in relationship and learn how to walk with one another in all God has called us to be and do. Let’s begin by praying for each other.

Does anyone have prayer requests or stories of how God has been moving in your life that we can celebrate together?

THE JOURNEY TOPICS

PACK YOUR BAGS :: INTERRUPTED JOURNEY :: MISUNDERSTOOD JOURNEY

THIS WEEK

We’re in a series through the Gospel of Matthew, tracing Jesus’ journey to the cross and what it reveals about our own. As Easter approaches, we’re not just watching where He goes, but paying attention to what He does, what He says, and how it reshapes the way we live.

In When the Journey Gets Misunderstood, Bria walks us into a moment where those closest to Jesus thought they understood what was happening… and didn’t. Not because they didn’t care, but because they saw it through their own expectations. And if we’re honest, we do the same. This week creates space to slow down and take a real look at what’s shaping our direction, our assumptions, and even our faith.

To help us start our time together, consider these questions (CHOOSE ONE, and don’t feel obliged to use any or all of them):

If you had front-row access to anything (concert, game, event, etc.), what would it be and why?

What’s something about you people wouldn’t guess right away?

Share one high from your week and one low… then add one random or funny moment you didn’t expect.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

SCRIPTURE

Have someone read Matthew 20:17-28 aloud. As you listen, notice any words or phrases that stand out, and ask the Holy Spirit to highlight something for you.

Matthew 20:17-28

Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time
17 Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 

18 “We are going up to Jerusalem,and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 

19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”

A Mother’s Request
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

21 “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.”

22 “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.

23 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.”

24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 

25 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. 

26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 

27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 

28 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.”

The journey to greatness begins with the Cross

In Matthew 20:17–19, Jesus pulls His disciples aside and tells them for a third time about what’s coming—betrayal, suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection. It’s clear, direct, and not what they expected. The road ahead isn’t about rising up, but laying things down.

That’s where everything shifts. In God’s Kingdom, greatness doesn’t start with status, it starts with the Cross. It’s not a detour, it’s the way. It reshapes what we expect and what it means to follow Jesus.

If we miss that, we’ll chase a version of greatness Jesus never promised. But if we start here, we begin to see that true greatness is found in surrender and trust, even when life doesn’t make sense.

Leader Note:
The Cross reorients what we expect from following Jesus. The Cross redefines what faithfulness truly looks like. The Cross calls us to daily surrender, not occasional sacrifice. The Cross anchors us when the road ahead doesn’t make sense. Jesus reveals the road: the journey to greatness begins with the Cross.

What stands out to you about how Jesus describes the road ahead?

Where do you feel resistance to the idea that the Cross is the way?

When life gets hard, where do you tend to turn first?

Who in your life might need to hear that following Jesus doesn’t mean an easier life, but a meaningful one?

But even after Jesus makes the road clear, the disciples still don’t quite get it.

The journey to greatness is often misguided by our own ambition.

Right after this, in Matthew 17:20-24, James and John ask for places of honor. It sounds sincere, but it reveals something deeper. They want the outcome of greatness without understanding the cost.

Jesus doesn’t shut them down, but He slows them down. In His Kingdom, greatness isn’t about status or recognition, it’s about walking His road, even when it includes suffering.

If we’re honest, we can do the same. Our desires can sound good, wanting impact or purpose, but underneath, we may still be chasing recognition more than surrender.

So the question becomes: are we following Jesus, or asking Him to follow us?

Leader Note:
Sometimes we dress up worldly ambition in spiritual language. Where has your own ambition shaped your faith more than surrender?  We don’t mind following Jesus, as long as it takes us where we already wanted to go. But if this is where you knew it was going, would you still follow?

What do you notice about James and John’s request?

Where do you see the desire for recognition show up in your own life?

Why do we often want the results of following Jesus, but not the cost?

Who around you might be chasing success but missing purpose, and how could you step into that conversation?

And that’s where Jesus steps in and redefines everything.

The journey to greatness is marked by service.  

Jesus gathers them and flips their definition of greatness. The world says greatness is power and control. Jesus says it’s service.

If you want to be great, become a servant. Not climb higher, but go lower. Not be seen, but be faithful.

And He doesn’t just say it, He lives it. He gives His life for others. That’s what greatness looks like in His Kingdom.

So now the question shifts from what we want… to how we live.

What stands out to you about how Jesus defines greatness?

Where do you feel the pull toward recognition instead of serving?

Why can serving others feel difficult or costly?

Who is one person you can intentionally serve this week, and what would that look like, where we live, work, and play?

CLOSING THOUGHT

Jesus makes the road clear in Matthew 17 that the journey of life, when we surrender to Him, leads to the Cross. Not around it. Not past it. Through it.

But if we’re honest, we don’t naturally choose that road. Like the disciples, we want meaning and impact, just without the cost. Still, Jesus keeps bringing us back. The way up is down. The way to life is a humble surrender. And Jesus doesn’t just point the way, He walks it. All the way to the Cross. Then He turns and invites us to come with Him.

So the question isn’t just what kind of life do you want. It’s which road are you actually willing to take. Why? Because the journey to the Cross is the journey to greatness.

CLOSING PRAYER: Jesus, thank You for showing us the way, even when it’s not easy to accept, when we often want the results without the cost, and when we drift toward our own definition of greatness. We confess our sin, humbly asking for forgiveness, and the presence and power of your Spirit to slow us down and trust You. Teach us to choose surrender over control, service over recognition, and faithfulness over being seen. Give us the courage to follow You on the road You’re actually on, shaping our hearts along the way. Amen.