Jesus' Example of Leadership

Throughout Jesus' life on Earth, He taught us how to lead like He did through His actions and words. He was considered a servant leader-different from the world's view of leadership. In the worldly sense, people are selfish and greedy when it comes to power and materialism and having things done for them. Jesus is the total opposite. He is the most unselfish being who ever existed yet is rejected and is the most humble being to ever live.

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus said, "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

The washing of the disciples' feet is a good example of this. He teaches that we should wash one another's feet in the form of serving them in love and compassion. 

The main example of being a servant leader is when Jesus laid down His life for us-and it was prophesized in the Old Testament. He was the One who bore all of our sins and took the punishment. 

"He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows...surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:3-6).

In all four Gospels, it is recorded that Jesus was rejected, beaten, mocked, nailed to a cross, and killed. He then rose from the grave to give us the gift of eternal life and confirm that He is the Messiah.

Jesus is also a humble being. He even had words for the Pharisees because of their human traditions and showing off.

"And he said to them, 'Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men. And he said to them, 'You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!'" (Mark 7:6-9). 

"They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others" (Matthew 23: 5-7).

Jesus tells the Pharisees and scribes that their pride is getting in the way of true devotion to God. They care about their own reputation and their power in society more than the sincerity of the their actions. He shows this when the poor widow gave everything she had as well.

"And he called his disciples to him and said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on'” (Mark 12:43-44).

In other words, Jesus wants us to love God, love others, and serve others. He teaches us to make sacrifices for God and others and care for the needs of others instead of ourselves. He said that followers of Him would be persecuted, just as He was in His earthly life. Followers of Jesus have to stand strong for what they believe in and keep the faith-even if it means it laying one's life down for a friend.