Leading Like Jesus

Introduction: Think of someone that you consider a leader. Think of words to describe them. Up on the screens, I have some pictures of who Google considers as “great leaders”.

Great Military Leaders: George Washington, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan

Great Business Leaders: Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, Warren Buffett

Great World Leaders: Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln

Each of these people are considered great leaders. We have military leaders, business leaders, even world leaders pictured. Whether they were good or just leaders is to be debated, but they commanded great influence and a following. By the world’s standard, they are great leaders. In fact, many people have look to these leaders as models for their leadership styles. But none of them are perfect. None of them are without sin. Only one man has walked this earth without sin, the greatest leader, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords: Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Jesus taught His disciples how to be leaders. They were the leaders of the early church. Jesus commissioned them out with His authority in Matthew 28:18-20. He told them to go, to make disciples of all nations, to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to teach them to obey all that Jesus had commanded of them. This commission didn’t stop at the disciples. It continued through the line of believers and still continues. It includes everyone who claims the name of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, including you. That makes you a leader, whether you have ever thought of yourself as one or not. But when we think of leaders, do we think of leaders as the world describes leaders? Because that is not what Christ taught.

We Shouldn’t Lead Like the World

Mk 10:35-45

James and John try to ask Jesus for a place of honor in the coming kingdom. In Matthew’s telling of this event, the brothers’ request comes at the prompting of their mother. What mother doesn’t want success for her children? That should be a good thing, right? But they don’t seek this position for a righteous reason. They seek to elevate themselves. They have ambition and want authority and responsibility. The other disciples don’t appreciate the brothers’ attempt to claim authority. All of them are focused on what it means to lead from a worldly perspective.

Jesus is quick to correct His disciples’ grumblings. He teaches the disciples that leading in the kingdom of Heaven is not about status and glory. Rather it is about servanthood. Jesus tells them that even He came not to be served, but to served.

When we look at our leaders, do they reflect Christ in this? Are they leading to serve or are they leading for self? When we lead, are we leading to serve in humility? Or are we leading out of ambition? We shouldn’t expect the world to fall into the Christian view of anything, much less leadership. But we absolutely as leaders need to reflect the kingdom of God, and not the world.

So what does that look like?

We Should Lead in Service and Humility

Jn 13:1-20

Washing someone’s feet is something in today’s society is viewed as a little weird at best. But in the early 1st century Judea, it was a job left to the lowest ranking slaves of a household. One’s feet would be filthy from all of the walking done from the day. There is no telling what someone could have stepped in or where they would have walked. In this situation, each disciple would have just washed his own feet. But Jesus takes this opportunity to model what humility looks like to His disciples. He set aside His outer garments, wrapped a towel around His waist, and washed the nasty, disgusting feet of these men.

Peter is outspoken against this initially. He is the disciple bold enough to try to prevent Jesus from this task that is far beneath the worldly view of a leader such as the Messiah. In Peter’s mind, Jesus should never be put in so lowly of a position. But that is exactly the point Jesus is trying to make! He tells the disciples that they should do just as He had done for them.

But in this moment, the disciples miss the greatest display of humility in Jesus’ actions. Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would betray Christ in just a few hours, also received the washing. It is one thing for Jesus to humble Himself and serve those who love Him, but to wash the feet of His betrayer, His enemy? How many of us would serve this way? Our own pride and egos are already hard enough to contend with, but in our humility, we are called to not just love our enemies, but to serve them as well. We should love and serve those who disagree with us, those who hate us, and those who persecute us.

In this day and age, washing feet is not common practice. So the next question should be, “How can I apply this to my life?”

We Should Lead with Our Actions

Mt 25:31-46

Jesus clearly lays out what is expected of those who follow Him. He separates those who actually follow Him, and those who don’t. What actions show this? Jesus lists some:

Feed the hungry

Give water to the thirsty

Welcome the stranger

Clothe the naked

Take care of the sick

Visit those who are imprisoned

Jesus gives this teaching to His disciples. Those that do this to the least go to His right as sheep into eternal life. Those that don’t, go to His left as goats into eternal punishment. These deeds are not the cause of salvation. Scripture doesn’t contradict itself. Salvation comes through faith alone in Jesus Christ and all who call upon His name will be saved (Rom 10:10). Paul sums it up in Ephesian 2:8-10 very clearly, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Jesus is teaching that these actions will be the outward expression of faith, which Paul affirmed. Jesus tells us that a tree is known by its fruit in Mt 12:33, and in that instance He is talking about the words that come out, based upon the thoughts we put in. But here, Jesus focuses on action. The works don’t provide salvation, but they are the evidence of it. James, the brother of Jesus, teaches on this point as well. (Jm 2:14-26).

As disciples, as followers of Christ, we are leaders in this mortal world for the time that we are here. By our faith, our words, and our actions we are called to lead others to Christ and make them disciples. This commission (Mt 28:18-20) is given to all of us, not just those called to pastor and preach. The commission is a call to action for all believer, to lead by following. As we follow Jesus, that means we also must lead like Him. Jesus lead through serving others. He led through following His spiritual habits. Jesus prayed often. Jesus knew the scriptures, God’s holy word. Jesus lived a simple life. Jesus recognized the importance of a community. He led His disciples in these habits and led them as a servant. So if we are to truly follow, if we truly want to reflect Jesus to those we lead, then the only way to do so, is to follow as Jesus led.