THE GREATEST LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST

INTRODUCTION
Principle is the most fundamental one in leadership, because principle shapes the whole
leadership functions. To be the best and most effective leaders of the kingdom of God, we must
know the greatest leadership principle of Jesus Christ and practice it in our ministry. Unless we
may not know the distinguish features of Christian leaders from worldly or secular leaders.
THE GREATEST LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE
Nowadays, some Christian leaders are reading secular books written about leadership and
applying the teaching of secular books uncritically in their ministry. Much secular leadership
theories may appear sound, yet some of secular leadership theories produce the ideas contrary to
the Scripturesi because there is no room for God in secular leadership principles. Secular
leadership and Christian leadership have many points of similarity, but there are great differences
in fundamental principles. For instance, while secular leadership theories encourage having selfconfidence, Jesus directs His disciples to put their confidence in God. Whereas earthly rulers
seek power and control, Jesus trained His disciples to seek the glorification of God. Although
secular leaders exercise leadership for their own gratification, the aim of Christian leadership is
to satisfy the Lord. Hence, Jesus leadership principle is different from that of secular leadership
and Jesus wants his disciples to know the distinguish features of the two. Therefore, Christian
leaders who rely only on secular leadership theories may experience some degree of success,
but they will not be true spiritual leaders of the kingdom of God.ii
That is why, our churches need leaders who understand the leadership principles of Jesus
and who know how to exercise it in the kingdom ministry effectively. The greatest leadership
principle of Jesus Christ is Not to Be Served but to Serve (Mark 10:45). It indicates that
service is the tenet to legitimate leadership. Thus, according to Jesus, a leader is not a master but
a servant in the kingdom ministry. With regard to this basis, every Christian leader must keep in
mind that to lead is to serve and to serve is to leadiii.
Most of the children or young people want to be military generals, managers, doctors,
nurses, teachers, lawyers, engineers, presidents, footballers, etc. But, no one wants to be a slave
or a servant when he or she grows up. The point is clear and emphatic that the desire of human
being is power, authority, and position. However, Jesus desire for every Christian is to be a
slave or a servant.iv
Mark 10:35-45v significantly portrays about the contrast between the idea of secular
leadership and that of Jesus Christ. In this episode of Mark 10:35-45, James and John, the sons of
Zebedee, had requested Jesus to grant them the most significant positions in the Kingdom. They
said to Jesus, Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in
Your glory. They tried to get the positions of highest honor in the messianic Kingdom. What
they want to be is not merely to rule with Jesus; but also to enjoy the most exalted positions of
importance, first and second in the Kingdom, on His right and left hand.vi That is their selfish

ambition to seek personal reward and personal distinction. Therefore, Jesus rebukes their desire
for pre-eminence, because such attitude is totally different from that of the attitude of the
children of God.vii
Jesus himself teaches his disciples to learn the important concept of leading as a servant.
Nevertheless, they reverse the teaching of Jesus and focus only on their personal distinction and
reward. They understand greatness in the kingdom of God in a secular sense. In secular system,
the greatness is measured by distinct levels of rank. They, thus, desire to get the highest position
in the kingdom. Jesus, however, encourages them to turn their thinking upside-down. Jesus
explains to the disciples that the Kingdom of God is different from the Gentile world, and the
way of Gods children must be radically different from the way of this world. viii Jesus explicitly
instructs that, Rulers of the heathen have power over them, and the leaders have complete
authority. This, however, is not the way it is among you. If one of you wants to be great, you must
be the servant of the rest; and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of all. (Mark
10:43-44). In this instruction, Jesus gives fundamental lessons that greatness comes only by way
of servanthood.
The fact is that, according to Jesus Christ, the key to greatness in the Kingdom God is not a
matter of rank or birth or favor; it is a matter of service. The greatness in His Kingdom cannot be
inherited; it must be received through service. It cannot be bestowed as a favor; it must be won
by service.ix
In the worlds system, the characteristic feature of the great man is that he has multitudes of
people waiting upon him and going to serve him, but the characteristic feature of the great man
in the kingdom of God is that he himself is everybodys minister and servant. There is no mark
of external rank and power in Jesus Himself in terms of the worlds system. He had no servants
to serve Him. Instead, He was just in the midst of men, and served the needy and the sick.
In Matthew 23, Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites because they are wrong in
their principles of leadership and in wrong motive of leading as well. They exercise leadership as
authority over other people and use their authority to control upon others. Therefore Jesus has
rejected the leadership image of Pharisees. Here, the crucial message of Matthew 23 has also
indicated that, in the kingdom of God, leaders are not the masters but the servants. In other
words, leadership in the kingdom ministry is an act of service.
Contemporary leaders of some churches measure their ability of leadership in terms of
position, numbers of church member, money, buildings, and possessions. Actually such kind of
measurement is totally different from that of Jesus. According to Jesus, the measurement of
leadership is service and sacrifice, not position, numbers of church member, money, building,
and possessions. J.O Sander rightly says that the term servant speaks everywhere of low
prestige, low respect, low honor. When Jesus used the term, however, it was a synonym for
greatness.x Therefore, according to Jesus, those who serve humbly like a servant and a slave are
the greatest in the kingdom of God
Conclusion

In the community of the kingdom of God, every member serves each other by love. The
Christian leader is the one who is called to follow the role model of Jesus and has the same
attitude as Jesus who has a servant heart. In whatever responsibility the leaders take in the
ministry of the kingdom of God, they must have a servant heart. The servant image is the most
essential image of the Christian leadership.
Lets keep the greatest leadership principle of Jesus Christ in our mind, and serve
humbly like a servant and a slave in the kingdom ministry. To God be the Glory!

Rev. Dr. Lahphai Awng Li

Henry & Richard Blackaby, Spiritual Leadership (Philippines: Church Strengthening Ministry, 2001), x,

ii

Ibid..
Girao, William B. Exercising Leadership in the Local Church. (Manila, Philippines: OMF literature,

xi.
iii

1995),.5.
iv

Carol J. Ruvolo, God With Us Light from the Gospels: Exalted Through Humility (Philipsburg-New
Jersey: P&R Publishing, 1998), 111-112.
v
:35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus. Teacher, they said, there is something
we want you to do for us.:36What is it? Jesus asked them. :37 They answered, When you sit on your throne in
your glorious kingdom, we want you to let us sit with you, one at your right and one at your left. :38 Jesus said to
them, you dont know what you are asking for. Can you drink the cup of suffering that I must drink? Can you be
baptized in the way I must be baptized?:39 We can, they answered. Jesus said to them, you will indeed drink the
cup I must drink and be baptized in the way I must be baptized. :40 But I do not have the right to choose who will sit
at my right and my left. It is God who will give these places to those for whom he has prepared them. :41 When the
other ten disciples heard about it, they became angry with James and John. :42 So Jesus called them all together to
him and said, you know that those who are considered rulers of the heathen have power over them, and the leaders
have complete authority. :43 This, however, is not the way it is among you. If one of you wants to be great, you
must be the servant of the rest; :44 and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of all. :45 For even the
Son of Man did not come to be served; he came to serve and to give his life to redeem many people.
vi
Word Bible Commentary (Nelson CD, 2000).
vii
Frank E. Gaebelein (ed), The Expositors Bible Commentary.Vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Zondervan Press, 1991), 719.
viii
Gerald Rowlands, Further Principles of Church Growth. Module III (Singapore: International Christia
Mission, 1994), 23.
ix
Jones, J.D, Commentary On Mark (Grand Rapid, Michigan: Kregel Publication, 1992), 382
x
J. Oswald Sander, Spiritual Leadership (Manila, Philippines: OMF Literature INC, 2003),.21.