When Jesus comes off the mountain, he finds a world in disarray. When he brings his majesty to bear by healing a young boy, people marvel—but then he says this majesty will take him to a cross. Throughout the passage, we see ourselves in the disciples as they struggle to following Jesus. The message they need—the gospel that moves toward suffering to bring healing—is the same message we need to follow Jesus in our own lives.

1. How does it encourage you that Jesus moves from the mountaintop into the mess of people's lives?
2. The disciples find themselves moving toward self-sufficiency, status, and worldly security. How do you find those things at work in your own life?
3. How does the gospel free you from those things to find your sufficiency, status, and security in Christ?