CHAPTER 19
THE ULTIMATE LEADER
The Bible is our source of inspiration. It is our guide and in it we find all the examples we need to inspire us. But the Bible is more than a set of guidelines it is the Word:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John1:1)
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John1:14)
The Word is Jesus Christ, our Guide and Inspiration. Let us therefore look to the greatest Leader of all time, the one true Leader to teach us how we should lead. He is the reason for all that we do so let Him be our example as we look to be the best that we can:
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (Gal. 4:4)
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (Gal. 5:1)
God sent His son Jesus Christ to lead us to freedom. It is God who places in authority. He decides on leadership and He sustains it.
Whereas Peter became a leader by stepping off his fishing boat and leaving a life of obscurity behind to follow and be trained by Jesus, Jesus Himself was born to lead. From the early age of twelve, He knew exactly what He had to do:
And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? (Luke 2:49)
He never once deviated from His course. Motivated from an early age, He knew what He was about, never allowing His status to overwhelm Him or His mission. He was always willing to learn and grow:
And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. (Luke 2:51-52)
The ultimate Leader never allowed Himself to dominate those around Him, always allowing them to decide for themselves whether to follow Him or not:
But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. (John 6:64-66)
As Leader, He was always transparent, letting each and every one of His followers know exactly where they were headed, and not only on their ministry travels around the country, but also spiritually and physically, even if it was to lead to death. Jesus never kept any secrets from them:
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
(John 15:13-15)
Secure enough to call His disciple’s friends, Jesus was never afraid to announce His goals and vision, which He did in the synagogue of Nazareth, even though it led to confrontation and almost caused His death.
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.
And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
But he passing through the midst of them went his way, (Luke 4:16-30)
At all times His followers and His detractors knew exactly what His purpose was and not once could they accuse Him of arrogance or self-importance. His eyes were firmly fixed on His vision, namely, the establishment of His Father’s kingdom and the undoing of Satan’s work. His was a life of servitude to His people and no task was beneath Him. His followers knew He was their leader and they were secure in that knowledge.
Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;
Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. (John 13:1-17)
Leadership for Jesus Christ was not telling people what to do or where to go, it was doing and leading from the front, living the vision, demonstrating its impact on all aspects of life. His leadership spoke of a disciplined physical and spiritual life, discipline attained in the wilderness of Judea, of being hungry and thirsty, of being tempted, yet never allowing the flesh to have sway over Him.
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. (Matt. 4:1-11)
The discipline of forty hungry and thirsty days and nights in the wilderness was maintained throughout His ministry here on earth. Often we read of Jesus praying throughout the night:
And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. (Luke 6:12)
Discipline was also learnt in His childhood days when He was obedient to those in authority over Him. It is difficult to see or understand that Jesus was subject to others, but while growing up He placed Himself in the care of Joseph and Mary and did what they asked of Him:
And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. (Luke 2:51)
Jesus was thoroughly secure in who He was, knew exactly where He was going, and how He was going to get there, and as a result He was not afraid to empower others –
After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
(Luke 10:1, 17)
But He always led from the front –
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:11-15)
Jesus was willing to die for the cause, to do all that He could to see the kingdom of heaven gain a foothold on earth, but He would not tolerate any kind of resistance to His authority, dealing swiftly with any opposition to the cause, even if it came from His closest ally.
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. (Matt. 16:23)
With His eyes set on the cross, the tomb and the resurrection, Jesus led an exemplary life, a life dedicated to leading all men to freedom, a life we can follow, a life worth living , a life that reminds each of us –
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
(Rev. 1:5-6)
Marching through life with one Voice leading Him on, one Voice guiding Him, one Voice showing Him the way:
Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
(John 5:19-23)
Not once did Jesus deviate once from that call. Many are called, few are chosen (Matt. 22:14) and so it was with Jesus. Many came to Him, heeding the call but few stayed, of the 5000+ fed with the two fishes and five loaves, only 120 were left on Pentecost. The rest could not stay the course. So it will happen with many a leader, many will come to get their share, but when the chips are down many will desert the cause. You, however, must stay the course; finish the race - that is the mark of a true leader. Believe in that which you are doing.
Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. (John 4:34)
Nothing, not even food must get in your way. There are so many things that can divert one’s attention, but Jesus never allowed fame or the promise of power to direct His footsteps.
When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. (John 6:15)
This unauthorized and untimely act would have jeopardized His mission. It would have brought Him into conflict with the authorities, with the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin, and with the Roman Empire, the result probably being His execution before He had done that which He set out to do.
No, Jesus set the standard by which He would minister and He maintained it to the end –
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. (Matt. 23:8-11)
Although He was teacher, provider, leader, He was servant to all who followed Him.
His commitment was never in doubt. The night He was betrayed He went to Gethsemane knowing what lay ahead.
Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.
(Matt. 26:36-46)
The disciples slept, He was alone, He could so easily have walked away, simply slipped away into the darkness, fled to Egypt, or boarded a ship for some other destination, with His intelligence and knowledge He would easily have been successful elsewhere, but He chose to stay – committed to that which He set out to do.
Arrested, He was brought before the High Priest and before Pontius Pilate, where He could have so easily outwitted them all, providing all the right answers to their questions but in true leadership style, knowing that the success of His mission rested on His shoulders, He accepted His fate as Isaiah describes it.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. (Isa. 53:7)
He is our Leader, let Him lead.