Lesson 3: Leading Like Jesus

By the end of this lesson, the student should:

(1) Recognize the qualities that made Jesus a great leader.

(2) Allow his God-given mission and calling to determine his daily priorities.

(3) Develop a process for training future leaders and for building a ministry team.

(4) Appreciate his role as a servant of the people he leads.

Leaders are most like Jesus when they are serving others.

Leadership is a word that stirs strong feelings. When worldly-minded people think of leadership, they think of power and position. To be the leader is to be the “boss.” Ambitious leaders want to get higher positions and win the highest title. Even pastors can take on this mindset. They can focus their attention on getting bigger churches, higher positions, and greater respect.

In response to this worldly mindset, some Christians react against the term leadership. A pastor once said, “I don’t want to be a leader in my church. I just want to serve.” However, although his statement sounded humble, it left his church with no sense of direction or purpose. All organizations, even churches, need leaders.

Pastors must remember that the root meaning of the word pastor is “shepherd.” A shepherd does not have a very impressive job! A shepherd spends his days with smelly sheep. His work includes boring duties: finding food and water, chasing lambs that wander away, and caring for injured sheep.

A shepherd has an important role. A shepherd does many lowly jobs, but a shepherd also carries the heavy responsibility of leading the flock in safety. The flock depends on a shepherd who is a leader.

Jesus provides the ideal model of a true leader. He was a shepherd who served humbly but with a deep sense of purpose. He was strong but full of compassion. He did not seek position, but he was confident in his mission. Jesus provides the model for servant-leaders.

► Think of the most successful leader you have known personally. List three or four characteristics that made this person a good leader. Are these characteristics seen in Jesus’ ministry? Are these characteristics seen in your ministry?

Jesus shows that true leadership involves humble service. Humility does not mean weakness or indecisiveness; Jesus was strong. Repeatedly, the Gospels demonstrate Jesus’ authority.[1] However, Jesus’ gained authority not by demanding respect, but by serving. When his disciples argued about positions in the kingdom, Jesus said:

"The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves" (Luke 22:25-27).

In this lesson, we will look at characteristics that made Jesus a great leader. We will learn how to be more effective leaders by following Jesus’ example.

[1] Matthew 7:28-29, Mark 1:22-28, Luke 4:32-36, Luke 20:1-8

A great leader has a clear mission and focuses with single-minded intensity on that mission. Jesus knew his mission. Jesus’ mission is summed up in Mark 10:45: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

In his first public sermon, Jesus told his listeners that he had come to accomplish the mission prophesied by Isaiah:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor" (Luke 4:18-19, quoting Isaiah 61:1-3).

Jesus’ mission guided his daily decisions. As he traveled from Judea to Galilee, his mission guided Jesus’ route. Jewish rabbis often traveled on the east side of the Jordan River to avoid defilement from the Samaritans. Jesus’ route, however, was guided by his mission to share God’s mercy with a Samaritan woman. Because of this, he had to pass through Samaria (John 4:4). As a Christian leader, your mission must guide your daily decisions.

As a leader, there is more to do than you can ever accomplish. How do you determine your priorities? You cannot do everything, and you should not do everything. You must evaluate opportunities by your mission. Every leader should have two lists: a “To-Do” list and a “Not-To-Do” list. The To-Do list includes the things you must accomplish. The Not-To-Do list includes things that distract you from your mission. Someone else may be called to do those things, but you are not. Your mission must guide your daily priorities.

The apostle Paul is an example of a leader who knew his mission. Paul was called to plant churches in key cities of the Roman Empire. He did not want to build on someone else’s foundation, but to take the gospel to those who had not yet heard (Romans 15:20). This mission guided where Paul traveled, how long he stayed in each location, and even the message he preached. Paul’s mission guided every decision.

► Discuss these questions:

• What is the mission God has given you? Summarize your mission in a few words.
• Have you communicated your mission to those who join you in ministry?
• Does your mission guide your daily decisions?

From the beginning of his ministry, Jesus carefully chose and trained a group of disciples who would carry on his ministry after he returned to the Father. These disciples studied from him, spent time with him, ministered with him, and spread his message around the world. Jesus stamped these disciples with his image and then used them to build his church.

Luke wrote about the pressure of ministry. “In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first” (Luke 12:1). Jesus could not be distracted from his ministry to the disciples, even though ministry to thousands might be more exciting. He knew that to establish the kingdom, he must train his disciples to lead the church.[1] By training disciples, we prepare the leaders for the next generation.

Paul followed this same pattern. He preached to crowds, but he focused his attention on training a few leaders in each city. This provides a model for leaders today. Paul called pastors to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12). The pastor is not responsible to do all the work of the church; the pastor is responsible to train and equip the members for the work of the church. Effective leaders train other leaders.

[1]“Jesus never wrote any books. Instead, he wrote his message on men, the apostles.”
- William Barclay

A Mentor Must Carefully Choose Disciples[1]

► Read John 1:35-51, John 2:1-11, Matthew 4:18-22, Luke 5:1-11, and Luke 6:12-16.

As you read these verses, do you notice the process? During his first week of public ministry, Jesus invited Andrew and John to follow him. Andrew brought Simon Peter to Jesus. Jesus called Philip, who found Nathanael (John 1:35-51). This was the first step in their call. They acknowledged Jesus, but did not yet become permanent followers. This was a call to follow Jesus. Later, Jesus would call them to full-time discipleship.

John 2 is an important step in this process. At the marriage of Cana, Jesus revealed his glory to the disciples. The other guests did not know about the miracle; this sign was for the disciples. Jesus revealed himself to his followers so that they would put their trust in him. And his disciples believed in him (John 2:11).

Matthew 4:18-22 takes place after Jesus moved from Nazareth to Capernaum and began preaching (Matthew 4:12-17). Walking by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus called Simon, Andrew, James, and John to follow. “Immediately they left their nets and followed him” (Matthew 4:20). After the initial call in John 1, these disciples continued their jobs as fishermen. Now, Jesus called them to service: “From now on you will be catching men” (Luke 5:10).

The next stage in this process was Jesus’ selection of the twelve apostles. From many followers (called “disciples” in John 6), Jesus selected twelve who would become his closest associates.

Jesus did not hurry when selecting the twelve apostles. It appears that the process took several months. This gave time for Jesus to spend time with each one of them. Too often, a leader is quick to select a successor without spending the time to know the person. A wise leader assigns tasks that give opportunities to evaluate a person’s leadership ability.

A Mentor Must Spend Time with His Disciples

► Which is more exciting, reaching many or mentoring a few? Which is more important for the long-term? Why did Jesus put so much effort into twelve men?

Jesus devoted much of his time to the twelve apostles. “He appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons” (Mark 3:14-15). First, they would spend time with him to learn his methods. Only then were they ready to be sent out for ministry.

Mark recorded one of Jesus’ trips through Galilee: “And he did not want anyone to know [that he was there], for he was teaching his disciples” (Mark 9:30-31). Jesus’ primary concern was not developing a program to reach the multitudes, but developing men who would lead the church.

Jesus preached to thousands, but his greatest priority was training a few people for future ministry. Jesus knew that training is more effective if it is concentrated on a small group. Robert Coleman warns, “The more your ministry grows, the more difficult it will be to carve out time to disciple individuals. But the more your ministry grows, the more important it will be to carve out time to disciple individuals.”

As you read through the Gospels, you find that Jesus rarely ministered without at least three disciples near him. Jesus and his disciples often retreated into deserted areas for training sessions. Near the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, he spent even more time with the disciples. During the last week in Jerusalem, Jesus kept the disciples with him most of the time. Training these men was one of his most important tasks.

A Jewish proverb said, “A disciple is one who eats his master’s dust.” A disciple walked so close to the master that he swallowed the dust stirred up by the master’s feet. A disciple ate what the master ate; a disciple went where the master went; a disciple was committed to the master’s teaching and example. Jesus’ followers spent time with him until they took on the character of their teacher. Later, they would become known as “Christians;” they had become like their teacher.

In the same way, Paul always had followers like Timothy, Titus, Luke, or Tychicus with him. Paul trained them for ministry by spending time with them.

Again, this provides a model for us today. As you do your ministry, you can encourage younger team members to follow you, so they learn to minister. One successful church leader said, “I never make a ministry trip without taking a younger minister with me. Training future church leaders is as important to me as the ministry I am doing.” This pastor understands that effective leaders train other leaders.

A Mentor Must Model Ministry for His Disciples

After washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus said, “I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:15). Jesus taught by example. He knew that it is not enough to say, “Do this.” We must demonstrate how to do it. Jesus did not ask his disciples to do anything until he had demonstrated it.

The disciples saw Jesus pray and then asked, “Lord teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Jesus did not simply give a lesson on prayer. He prayed. As they watched him pray, the disciples became hungry to understand prayer. When students are hungry to learn, they learn better!

The disciples heard Jesus use scripture in his preaching. Jesus referred to the Old Testament frequently. He modeled Bible preaching. Did the disciples learn this lesson? Absolutely! When Peter preached in Acts 2, he referred to Joel, Psalm 16, and Psalm 110. Peter learned from Jesus to build his preaching on scripture. Every sermon in Acts refers to the Old Testament.

Paul followed this same approach. Repeatedly he wrote, “You have seen my example. Follow my model.”[2] Paul taught by example. Disciples like Titus and Timothy learned to pastor by following the example of their mentor, Paul.

Today, we should model ministry to those we train. They see our successes and failures. Most of all they observe our character as we admit mistakes and learn. Disciples learn the reality of ministry by watching our example.

A Mentor Must Delegate Responsibility to His Disciples

► Read Matthew 10:5-11:1.

From the beginning, Jesus’ purpose was to prepare the disciples for ministry. He called them to follow so that he could make them fishers of men (Matthew 4:19).

During most of their first year with Jesus, the disciples observed his ministry. They learned from his example. After they had observed, Jesus sent the disciples out to minister. Matthew 10 shows how Jesus delegated responsibility to the disciples.

He gave them authority (Matthew 10:1).

Before sending them out, Jesus gave the disciples authority to do the mission he was assigning them. Sometimes leaders are afraid to trust their helpers with authority. However, responsibility without authority disables those you are training. We must not give our helpers responsibility unless we give them sufficient authority to meet the responsibility.

He gave them clear instructions (Matthew 10:5-42).

Jesus gave his disciples a clear message: preach the kingdom. Their assignment was clear. They knew exactly what Jesus expected them to do.

Jesus told his disciples where they should minister: to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Later, the apostles would preach to the Gentiles, but as they were learning to minister, Jesus told them to start close to home. We should do everything possible to help our students succeed. Start with a task that is easy to accomplish. Jesus set reasonable goals.

Jesus gave his disciples instruction about persecution. Persecution would come not because the disciples failed in their ministry, but because the call to obey Jesus brings division between his followers and those who reject him.

He sent them in teams (Mark 6:7).

Jesus showed the importance of teams in ministry. He sent the disciples in teams of two. A few months later, Jesus sent out 72 of his followers in teams of two (Luke 10:1). This became the model for ministry in the early church. Peter and John ministered together. Barnabas and Saul traveled together. Paul and Silas ministered together.

A Mentor Must Supervise His Disciples

After the disciples returned from ministry, they reported to Jesus (Mark 6:30). Follow-up was an important part of Jesus’ training of his disciples. It is not enough to delegate responsibility; an effective leader will evaluate the disciple’s performance. Delegation without evaluation results in poor performance.         

► Read Matthew 17:14-21.

Howard Hendricks taught that failure is an important part of the learning process. The disciples asked, “Why could we not cast the demon out of this boy?” Jesus answered by teaching them about faith. It was much better to fail at this early stage of ministry than after Jesus had returned to heaven!

Effective supervision of a disciple must include evaluation. When a disciple fails at a task, he is not expelled from the team. Instead, we must examine the reason for the failure and plan for future improvement.

Jesus shows this pattern in Luke 9:

• In 9:1-6, Jesus sent out the twelve disciples.
• In 9:10, they reported to him about their trip.
• In 9:37-43, the disciples failed to cast out a demon.
• In 9:46-48, Jesus taught them about greatness in God’s kingdom.
• In 9:49-50, Jesus rebuked John for a bad ministry decision.
• In 9:52, Jesus sent out disciples to prepare for a visit to a village in Samaria.
• In 9:54-55, Jesus rebuked James and John for another bad ministry decision.
• In 10:1, Jesus sent out a larger group to minister.

Jesus alternated between teaching, delegation, and evaluation. He did not give up on the disciples, even when they failed. Instead, he used failure as a teaching opportunity.

Paul later followed the same pattern. He appointed Titus to lead the church on the island of Crete, and Timothy to pastor at Ephesus. He then wrote letters to give them further training. After planting churches during the first missionary journey, Paul returned on the second journey to give supervision to the churches (Acts 15:36).

This pattern for training is still effective today. Many leaders send out a young minister with no continuing supervision or accountability—and are surprised when the minister fails. We must not think, “I taught the lesson, so they will do it right.” Instead, supervision is a continuing process. If you want to train leaders, you must invest time in supervision.

Howard Hendricks listed four stages in training new workers:

1. Telling: Teach them the content. Jesus preached the message of the kingdom to his disciples.
2. Showing: Provide a model of the ministry. Jesus demonstrated ministry to the disciples.
3. Practicing: Ministry under direct supervision. Jesus sent the disciples out to minister and then evaluated their experience.
4. Doing: Ministry without direct supervision. After Pentecost, the disciples ministered without Jesus’ supervision.

► What are you doing to train disciples for leadership? Of the steps we have studied, which do you do effectively? Which steps need improvement? As a group, discuss how you can be more effective in mentoring future leaders. This discussion should continue until you have a plan for developing leaders in your ministry setting.

Our Disciples Must Reproduce Other Disciples

Jesus said to his disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide…” (John 15:16). Jesus trained his disciples to produce more disciples.

► Read Matthew 13:31-32.

Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed showed that the kingdom of God would grow far beyond its original size. Just as a tiny mustard seed could grow into a plant far beyond its expected size, the church would grow far beyond what anyone might expect. In the Old Testament, birds lodging in a tree represented a great kingdom including many nations (Daniel 4:12 and Ezekiel 31:6). Jesus promised that as the disciples reproduced, the church would grow far out of proportion to its original size and would reach all nations.

Dr. Robert Coleman wrote that the ultimate evaluation of our ministry is in reproduction. “Here finally all of us must evaluate how our life is being multiplied. Will those persons providentially entrusted to us catch the vision of the Great Commission, and will they in turn impart it to faithful servants who will teach others also? The time will come all too soon when our ministry will be in their hands.”[3]

[1] Adapted from Robert Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1963)

[2] Examples include 1 Corinthians 11:1, Philippians 3:17, Philippians 4:9.

[3] Robert Coleman, “The Jesus Way to Win the World: Living the Great Commission Every Day.” Evangelical Theological Society, 2003.

The middle section of Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer is focused on his disciples (John 17:6-19). This prayer teaches valuable lessons about Jesus’ method of mentoring disciples.[1]

(1) At first, we protect those we mentor.

Jesus prayed, “While I was with them, I kept them.” 20 times in the Gospels, Jesus told his disciples to beware of danger. He guarded them from error. As we train disciples, we must protect them from the dangers of their world. Our training must be practical.

► What are dangers young ministers face in your culture? As a mentor, how will you prepare them for these dangers?

(2) As they mature, we trust those we mentor.

Jesus prayed, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). Jesus knew that the disciples would face temptations, but he had confidence in those he had trained. We must learn to trust the young leaders we train. This requires us to surrender an authoritarian approach to leadership and to trust others with important decisions.

Ajith Fernando writes that there are two ways leaders can view their followers.

• Weak leaders focus on the weaknesses of their followers.
• Effective leaders focus on their followers’ strengths while continuing to work on weaknesses. Effective leaders see others “through eyes of hope.”

(3) After they have been trained, we send our disciples out to serve the world.

Jesus prayed, “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world” (John 17:18). After Pentecost, the disciples began the great mission for which Jesus had prepared them. We mentor disciples so they, in turn, can bring the gospel to a needy world.

Jesus said, “I am glorified in them” (John 17:10). As we send out those we train, we must make sure that Jesus receives the glory. We can be tempted to take glory from those we have trained. We can be tempted to receive glory from our ability to disciple others. Instead, we must make sure that the glory goes to God alone.

[1] Adapted from Ajith Fernando, Jesus Driven Ministry (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2002), 172-173

Jesus’ example shows the importance of teams in ministry. Team ministry involves both mentoring younger coworkers and building relationships with fellow pastors. We were created for relationship with other people. Why are teams so important?

Teams Provide Balance

Jesus chose people from many different backgrounds. Peter and John were constant rivals. Matthew worked for Rome, while Simon the Zealot wanted to drive the Romans out of Judea. These men were opposites. In choosing his disciples, Jesus chose a diverse group of people.

Although we often see the difficulties of having such opposing people on a team, we should not ignore the benefits of these differing personalities. An apostle like Peter was quick to make big proclamations. He was balanced by cautious apostles like Thomas and Andrew. The early church benefited from having different personalities in leadership.

Wise leaders find team members from differing backgrounds. A strong team brings varying strengths to the church leadership. One team member may have a better understanding of financial issues; another may be strong in personal relationships; another may find deep biblical insights. All come together to provide balanced leadership for the church.

Teams Provide Wise Counsel

As he trained the disciples, Jesus knew that he was laying the foundation for the church. After Pentecost, there would be many difficult decisions facing the early church. Jesus knew that the disciples needed each other as they made these decisions.

One of the early decisions faced by the church was, “How do Gentile believers become part of the church? Are they required to follow all aspects of the Jewish law?” Although this might seem simple to us, it was a difficult decision. This was not a matter of personal preference; the food and circumcision laws were based on the Old Testament itself. This decision had long-lasting consequences. Today, you and I are affected by this decision; if the Jerusalem Council had decided differently, Gentile Christians today would be required to abide by Jewish laws.

Acts 15 shows how the early church settled this important issue. After hearing different views, they arrived at a decision. In their letter to the Gentile church, the apostles used a beautiful phrase to describe the decision, “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us” (Acts 15:28). The Spirit led by bringing church leaders together, allowing them to share their opinions, and then guiding the group to the right decision.

The writer of Proverbs emphasizes the value of multiple viewpoints when making a decision.

• The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice (Proverbs 12:15).
• In the abundance of counselors there is safety (Proverbs 11:14).
• By wise guidance, you can wage a war and in the abundance of counselors, there is victory (Proverbs 24:6).

This is an important principle for church leaders. If you are unwilling to listen to others, Proverbs says that you are not wise. A fool always thinks he is right, but a wise person is willing to listen to others.

If the purpose of a team is to give wise counsel, we need people who think differently than we do. We must make sure that in choosing a team we do not look for copies of ourselves. We do not need people who always quickly agree with us.

Teams Provide Encouragement

Ecclesiastes describes the benefit of a team. “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

When the church faced opposition, the apostles encouraged one another. Luke used the phrase “in one accord” to describe the mutual support between the early church members.

The great missionary Hudson Taylor illustrates this principle. Taylor went to China with a passion for ministry, but he soon grew discouraged. Some of his supporters quit sending financial help. Established missionaries were critical of him. Even the British government opposed his work. His fiancée wrote him from England to say she was uncertain about marrying a missionary. Taylor was discouraged and ready to return home.

During this time, an older Scottish missionary named William Burns spent seven months with Hudson Taylor on an evangelistic trip to the Chinese inland. The two men traveled together, prayed together, and preached together. During that trip, Taylor regained his vision for China. John Pollock wrote, “William Burns saved Hudson Taylor from himself.”

Hudson Taylor later established the China Inland Mission and is known as one of the greatest missionaries of the modern age; William Burns is almost unknown. However, William Burns deserves some of the credit for the thousands of converts won through the China Inland Mission. Burns encouraged Hudson Taylor at a crucial moment. Teams provide encouragement.

Teams Provide Accountability

Each of us has blind spots—characteristics that we do not see in ourselves. We bring into our ministry weaknesses that come from our family background, from our life before we were a Christian, and from our personality. Those things affect our ministry.

We may not see these weaknesses in ourselves, but other team members can warn us of these areas that could destroy our ministry. The writer of Hebrews called Christians to stir up one another to good works (Hebrews 10:24). The original Greek term behind “stir up” has the idea of prodding or poking someone. At times, this is disagreeable. None of us like to be prodded, but accountability is valuable. Every Christian leader needs at least one person who can say, “This action is unwise. You should reconsider it.”

From the monasteries of the Middle Ages and the class meetings of the Wesleys to modern groups such as Promise Keepers, Christian leaders have a long tradition of accountability. Church leaders today benefit from weekly accountability. This can be done one on one, in small groups, or even by phone. This accountability can warn us of spiritual danger before we drift too far.

Good accountability requires complete honesty from each partner and total confidentiality between the partners. You can find many examples of accountability questions. One list includes these questions:

• This week, have you spent time with God on a regular basis?
• This week, have you compromised your integrity in any way?
• This week, has your thought life been pure?
• This week, have you committed any sexual sin?
• This week, what significant thing have you done for your wife (or husband)?
• This week, have you shared your faith with an unbeliever?
• Have you been truthful in each of these answers?

The accountability of a team is important in times of temptation. Writing to a young pastor, Paul gave counsel on how to build a lasting ministry. Paul warned Timothy to “flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22). Paul understood that Timothy’s spiritual life would benefit from joining with other God-followers who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

► If you are part of a ministry team, share some of the benefits you gain from your team. What are some of the challenges of being part of a ministry team?

Working with a Team

Jesus molded a group of very different personalities into a unified team. Jesus took their differences and created a team who could lead the early church. The church needed Peter’s bold leadership, and it needed Philip’s quiet spirit. One of the great challenges for a leader is molding a group of followers into a team.

Ajith Fernando, a church leader from Sri Lanka, understands well the challenges of building a team. He writes:

"Perhaps the tragedy with the evangelical church is that feelings overcome theology very often in determining the way we decide and act. The biblical Christian says, 'Whatever my feelings are about this person, I will accept him because God wants me to do so. And I will ask God to give me the grace to work harmoniously with him.' Our theology says that this effort at working with this person will succeed, even though our feelings may give another message. Our theology drives us to work hard at this relationship. We pray for the person and about our relationship with him. We meet him regularly. We seek to show Christian love to him and do all that we can for his personal welfare. We develop dreams for what this person could achieve through the team."[1]

1 Corinthians 12:12-25 teaches that in the body of Christ, we do not have the right to reject people simply because we do not like them. If you build a church, you will have members that you may not enjoy. As a Christian leader, you must say, “Whatever my personal feelings, I will accept this person because God has put him in my care. I will ask God for grace to work with him, and I will ask God to bless him and prosper him in ministry.”

[1] Ajith Fernando, Jesus Driven Ministry (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2002), 133

Someone once asked a future pastor, “Why do you want to be a pastor?” The young man replied, “At the airport, I saw someone carrying the suitcase of his pastor. I want someone to carry my suitcase!”

Jesus’ perspective was much different! This young man wanted to be served; Jesus wanted to serve. “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). Jesus shows us that true leadership involves service. Jesus humbled himself, taking the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7).

► Read John 13:1-20.

There are many places in the Gospels where we can study Jesus’ model of servant-leadership, but one of the most powerful examples is the story of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. In this scene, Jesus shows what it means to be a servant.

Some churches hold a foot-washing service to reenact Jesus’ actions at the Last Supper. This can be a beautiful service, but it may be more powerful to realize that Jesus did not perform a special ceremony. Instead, he simply did a job that needed to be done.

Because of the dusty streets of Jerusalem, it was customary for a hired servant to wash the feet of the guests at a formal dinner. This was a humble duty assigned to the lowest servants. As Jesus joined his disciples for the Passover celebration, there was no servant in the room. None of the disciples would volunteer to do this duty; they were hoping for high positions in Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus knelt and began to do the work of the lowest servant.

This scene shows Jesus’ understanding of leadership. Other people sought leadership for position and power. Their goal was to get to the top of an organization. Jesus was already at the top; he was the disciples’ Master. But he willingly took the lowest position.

This is what it means to be a Christlike leader. A Christlike leader takes the jobs that no one wants. A Christlike leader inspires others not through his ability to shout orders, but through his example of humble service.[1]

Someone once said, “The test of a servant spirit is ‘How do I act when I am treated like a servant?’” A leader who follows the example of Jesus is not offended to be treated like a servant. Do not forget that Jesus washed Judas’ feet along with the other disciples. Can you imagine humbly washing the feet of the man who has already decided to betray you?

When he was done washing the feet of the disciples, Jesus told these position-seeking men, “I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:15). Thirty years later, Simon Peter may have remembered Jesus’ humility when he wrote, “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another” (1 Peter 5:5). Just as Jesus wrapped the towel around himself to serve the disciples, we are to wrap humility around ourselves to serve others.

As Christian leaders, we can be tempted to seek position rather than opportunities for service. Jesus showed that Christian leadership is service.

[1]“Head tables have replaced the towel and washbasin as symbols of leadership among God’s people… It is time to bring back the towel.”
- C. Gene Wilkes

At the end of your life, your impact as a mentor of other Christian workers may be the greatest legacy of your ministry. If you mentor only 12 other Christian workers during your ministry, your impact will be multiplied by those 12 plus the workers they mentor.

Sadly, although most Christian leaders know the importance of mentoring, few leaders invest the time required to mentor others. Why do we neglect this aspect of ministry?

One reason is the cost of mentoring. Mentoring takes valuable time. We often believe that time spent mentoring young leaders could be better spent ministering to large groups.

Another reason is the disappointment that accompanies mentoring. It sounds glamorous to say, “I am training the next generation of leaders.” The reality is often less exciting.

Many times, Jesus must have felt disappointment in the slow progress of his disciples. After three years with Jesus, Philip asked, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us” (John 14:8). A few weeks after Jesus fed 5,000, the disciples faced a crowd of 4,000. They asked, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” (Mark 8:4)

The apostle Paul experienced much of the same disappointment. John Mark quit during the first missionary journey (Acts 13:13). After months of training Demas, Paul wrote from a lonely prison cell, “Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me” (2 Timothy 4:10).

Mentoring is costly and can be disappointing, but it is an important part of the leader’s work. Every mature Christian leader should be mentoring future leaders. At the same time, every Christian leader needs a mentor who provides support in times of struggle.

Howard Hendricks said that every man needs three people in his life:

1. Every man needs a Paul, a mentor who challenges you to continuing growth.
2. Every man needs a Barnabas, a friend who loves you enough to be honest with you about your weaknesses.
3. Every man needs a Timothy, a younger person to disciple and mentor in ministry.

► End this lesson by asking:     

• “Who is my Paul?”
• “Who is my Barnabas?”
• “Who is my Timothy?”

(1) List four examples when the disciples observed Jesus’ ministry. Notice what the disciples learned from observing Jesus.

Example

Account: Jesus healing a boy with a demon
Scripture: Matthew 17:14-21
Lesson for the disciples: the power of faith

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(2) List two or three people you could mentor for future ministry. Write a short paragraph in which you answer two questions:

• What qualifications do I want to see in a person I mentor?
• What do I want to see God accomplish in the person I mentor? (Be specific.)

Begin to take steps to mentor the people you name. Ask God to show you how you can prepare them for ministry opportunities.