We have seen how Jesus was such a great leader because he knew who he reported to, and he made sure he fulfilled his boss’s expectations. Also, he knew what his mission was, he stayed focused, and he didn’t try to jump through the expectation hoops of others. Jesus was always ready to celebrate, and that made him a great leader. Then one thing I really love about Jesus is he always had time for little people—every individual was important to him no matter his/her age, status, or position.
Now, let’s look at some additional examples of what made Jesus such a great leader.
Jesus was a great leader because he was willing to look foolish to others.
Do you realize great leaders throughout history have been willing to take risks with their public image, and they didn’t spend their time worrying about what people would think of them? Anytime a person is primarily focused on what others think, they are handicapped because they lose the freedom to do what they think is the right and best thing to do.
How do you think Noah looked when he started building the ark? Pretty foolish and stupid, don’t you imagine? And when Moses told Pharoah to let his people go, he had to look like an insane person, approaching Pharoah with his threats. The great prophet Elijah had to ask a poor widow for food, which some would have considered very demeaning. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was willing not only to look foolish, but also to lose her good reputation in order to bear the Son of God. Had any of these people been primarily concerned with what the neighbors would say, none would have accomplished their God-given purpose.
Jesus was not concerned about what people would think. For example, he cried over a city that was not repentant—a grown man crying. But he didn’t care what people thought. His heart broke for those people. He rode a donkey in a parade, a lowly beast. Most leaders would have demanded more appropriate transportation, but he sought out a simple donkey to ride on.
And, of course, the ultimate example was he was willing to go through a shameful trial and die on a cursed cross, enduring the scorn and abuse of his enemies, to accomplish God’s plan.
We need to consider this as we approach our jobs and duties. Are you overly concerned with what people will say or think? If so, you may miss the opportunities and blessings God has for you. It’s impossible to please everyone anyway, but when we focus on pleasing God, we will please more people as well.
Jesus was a great leader because he was willing to do the difficult work.
Do you remember the time Jesus determined to go to Jerusalem for Passover? His disciples did not want him to go there because they knew there were people plotting to kill him, just waiting for him to arrive. They wanted to spare him that difficulty, but he knew he was supposed to be there, and he went.
Also, he was willing to say no to people when necessary, though I’m sure he didn’t enjoy disappointing people. Often the disciples wanted him to do one thing when he knew he should do another, and he would tell them “no.” He even said “no” to his mother and brothers who wanted to interrupt his teaching to speak to him.
Jesus also said “no” to himself. Satan tried to tempt him with very enticing promises, and he had the wisdom to say “no” to the easy way out. He knew he had to discipline himself to do what God wanted him to do.
Then there was Gethsemane, where Jesus came face to face with the most difficult thing he would ever do: Drink the cup of death and sin that was necessary to pay the price of redemption. None of us can even imagine how hard that was to do—to become sin for us even though he had never sinned. But he did the difficult thing because it was the right thing to do.
If you and I are ever going to be effective leaders, we must be willing to do the hardest and most difficult work. Often people see those in leadership as having it easy but from my experience, a true leader is one who is willing to do what no one else wants to do.
Someone has defined a professional as a person who does things even when she or he does not feel like doing them. That’s another way to define discipline. And believe me, effective leadership demands a disciplined life.
Jesus was a great leader because he respected and empowered women and allowed them to use their gifts and abilities.
In a culture which truly devalued women and their contributions, which saw them as servants of men or worse, possessions of men, Jesus went out of his way to show his respect for women. Let me give you just a few examples.
After his resurrection, Jesus first appeared to a woman and entrusted to her the important and prestigious responsibility of telling the disciples he was risen. The men were very skeptical about this word; one even demanded he put his fingers in Jesus’ wounds before he believed. But Mary Magdalene believed and gladly told everyone, “He’s alive!”
Before Jesus was born as a man, his Father entrusted to a young maiden the greatest responsibility and highest honor ever given to any woman—to bear in her body the Son of God, and she kept it to herself until the appropriate time.
We read in Luke 8, women followed Jesus and the disciples as they proclaimed the good news, right along with the twelve disciples. In fact, these women were helping to support Jesus and his group out of their own pockets.
Then we see how he treated the Samaritan woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, the woman who touched his garment for healing, the Syrophoenician woman who begged for his healing touch on her daughter. With great tenderness and respect, he responded to women with equality and care. And he accepted and enlisted their help in telling others about him.
Women are uniquely gifted by God in many areas, and to ignore or fail to enlist their help and energy is to make a big mistake. Pilot ignored his wife’s intuition about Jesus to his great harm. Jesus was a great leader because he used the gifts and enlisted the help of women without discrimination. He had created them equal, and he treated them as equals.
Another reason Jesus was a great leader was he trained his replacements.
How many organizations, companies, and churches can you think of who faltered and/or failed after a great leader left, died, or retired? The reason was the leader did not train his or her replacement, so when that person left the scene, the organization was at an extreme disadvantage.
Jesus was eager to and intent on training those who would carry on after he was gone. He was constantly teaching, telling, explaining, and preparing his disciples to do the job after him. In fact, he told them they would do even greater things than he had done.
Jesus didn’t have any problem with his ego. He wasn’t threatened by others nor fearful of putting someone on his team who had leadership skills. Just the opposite—he wanted those best qualified and capable of fulfilling his mission for the group, so he trained them well. And that small group went on to change the course of history by spreading the gospel.
If you’re a leader, have you thought about training your replacement? It’s another sign of a good and secure leader—like Jesus.
In closing this message on what made Jesus such a great leader, I want to remind you of how awesome Jesus was in dealing with people. He had the best people skills ever. Let me briefly point out just a few examples.
He was able to communicate a vision of what people could become. “Follow me,” he said to some poor fishermen, “and I will make you fishers of men.” He told his disciples they would do even greater things than he had done. He beautifully communicated the vision and importance of what he was asking people to do.He made the benefits and rewards very clear. “I came to give you abundant life,” he promised. “Great will be your reward in heaven,” he told them. “I’m going to prepare a place for you,” he said. He understood the importance of work-related benefits and rewards.He was willing to forgive them and give them second and third chances. He didn’t give up on someone just because they had failed. Think of Peter; he denied Jesus three times, but Jesus restored him to fellowship, and Peter became the rock of the early church.He had a servant attitude. He came to serve, not to be served, and he demonstrated this over and over again. Just imagine: The God-man coming to earth to serve mankind. Incredible but true. He was a servant.But mostly, Jesus was successful as a leader because he truly loved and cared for each individual and put their interest above his own. He loved so much he died. No wonder he changed the course of all history. Was there ever anyone like him? No never! But the incredible news is as believers, we have his Spirit in us and are being transformed into his image.Ask yourself, how are your people skills? Do you communicate a vision to people? Are you willing to reward those who earn it? Do you give people a second chance? Are you a servant leader? And do you truly care for others? Those are some of the attributes that made Jesus so special.
As believers, that should be true of us because we should have the same heart for people that Jesus did. Do you need better people skills? I know I do. Let’s make it a matter of daily prayer and ask God to make us more like Jesus in relating to the people in our lives.