The Path of Leadership
“… though [Jesus] was in the form of God, [he] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. … he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11).
What attributes make someone a leader? Is it someone with charisma and charm? What about creative talent and a sharp mind? How important is power and authority? To you, what does it mean to be a leader?
Images come to mind of the clean-cut power suits and the freshly shined shoes of those who have climbed that corporate ladder and made it to the top. It’s interesting how many of our leadership descriptions have to do with our location in relation to others. We say things like, top of the food chain, higher up the ladder, higher up the chain of command. In our minds, leaders are the ones who have navigated the winding path that kept going up and up to more and more success. Today, however, in John 13 we have reached a fork in the road. While other roads lead higher and higher, this path of leadership begins a rapid descent. It isn’t a path that leads upward in power, but downward in service. It is a path of servant leadership. It’s at the very essence of Jesus’ invitation to “Come, follow me!”
In John 13, the disciples followed Jesus into the “upper” room. As the Passover drew near, great joy and great tension filled the room, for his time had finally come. After three years of public ministry, now all the preparations were made and now it was time to show his disciples the full extent of his love! As the evening meal began to be served, all eyes turned to the quiet face of Jesus who seemed to be deep in thought, a thought that John records for us, for “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God…” (13:3). Jesus knew that he had all power, authority, and leadership. He knew where he had come from and where he was going, but now the question remained, “What would he do with that power and authority?” It continues, “he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist…poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet” (13:4-5).
Yet again in his ministry, Jesus took the downward leading path of service, placing others higher than himself. He began to wash his disciples feet. And when he finished he asked, “Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” (13:12b-14).
I can confidently say that not even one of them understood the full extent of what Jesus had just done. Certainly, there were some who learned a valuable lesson of humbly serving another. Certainly, some of the disciples were moved by what they had just seen their Lord do, but none of them and I mean none of them could have seen what was yet to come. You can almost sense the full weight of that question, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” “Do you understand the path that I now take—a path that doesn’t rise steadily higher to a seat of power and prestige. No, the path I take through the foothills of Jerusalem doesn’t lead to a triumphant welcomed by all. The path that I now take leads downward in a steady march to death. It is a path of service and sacrifice, for all my power and all my authority is worthless without those whom I have been entrusted to serve.” Jesus knew exactly where the path that lay before him led. He also knew that the Father had given him the power over all things. It was what he did with that power that was unique. He used that power to lay down his life in service to others. As Jesus said earlier, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again” (10:18). That night in which he was betrayed, our Lord laid before us both the path and the power that we need to follow Him. He laid down a path of service to others that he invited us to follow, but more importantly he laid before us the power of His transforming grace, the only thing that can rescue us from hopelessly trying to climb our way to heaven. And so we praise Him for the depths of His love.
In Christ, Pastor Kurt Ebert
