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Objective

In this lesson we’ll see that Christ is our greatest example of a leader who serves others, showing us how true leadership flows from a heart committed to meeting the needs of those we lead.

Key Verse

Mark 10:45: For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

Introduction

Leadership often brings to mind images of power, authority, and being served by others. But Jesus completely transformed our understanding of what it means to be a leader. When we look at Christ’s life and teaching, we discover that the greatest leaders are those who serve. This type of leadership is often called “servant leadership,” and Jesus is our greatest example.

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus consistently demonstrated that authentic leadership isn’t about position or privilege. It’s about laying down your life for others. He didn’t just teach this truth with words; He lived it out in His daily interactions with people. From washing the feet of His disciples to ultimately giving His life on the cross, Jesus showed us what servant leadership looks like in practice.

In this lesson, we’ll explore two main areas that reveal how Jesus modeled perfect servant leadership:

• How Jesus taught the principles of servant leadership
• How Jesus demonstrated servant leadership through His actions

How Jesus Taught Service

Jesus was a master teacher who used everyday situations to communicate profound spiritual truths. When it came to teaching about leadership and service, He often used the most unexpected examples to make His point clear.

One day Jesus was teaching when some people brought their children to Him for a blessing. The disciples, thinking they were protecting Jesus from interruption, tried to send the children away. But Jesus used this moment to teach a powerful lesson about true greatness in God’s kingdom.

Mark 10:13-16: People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

Children in that culture held no social status or power. They were completely dependent on others for their needs. Yet Jesus pointed to them as examples of the heart attitude required for God’s kingdom. This teaches us that servant leadership begins with humility—recognizing our complete dependence on God and our calling to serve others rather than demanding to be served.

Another powerful teaching moment came when James and John approached Jesus asking for positions of honor in His kingdom, which made the other disciples angry with them (Mark 10:35-45). Instead of being impressed by their ambition, Jesus used this conflict as an opportunity to completely redefine greatness. He explained that worldly rulers “lord it over” their subjects and “exercise authority over them,” but His followers must follow a completely different pattern.

Mark 10:43-44: Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.

Notice how Jesus contrasts worldly leadership with kingdom leadership. The rulers of this world “lord it over” their subjects and “exercise authority” over them. But Jesus calls His followers to a completely different model. True greatness comes through serving others, and the highest position is achieved by becoming the slave of all.

(Notebook Moment: Think about the leaders who have most influenced your life. Were they people who demanded to be served, or were they people who served others? What does this tell you about the kind of leader God wants you to be?)

How Jesus Demonstrated Service

Jesus didn’t just teach about servant leadership. He lived it out perfectly every day of His earthly ministry. Perhaps the most powerful demonstration of this truth came during His final meal with the disciples before His crucifixion.

John 13:3-5: Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

This scene is remarkable when we understand its context. Foot washing was the job of the lowest servant in the household. No self-respecting person would volunteer for this task. Yet here was Jesus—the Son of God, the Creator of the universe—kneeling down to wash the dirty, smelly feet of His disciples.

Through this simple act of service, Jesus gave us a living definition of what it means to be a servant leader. Let’s look at the specific elements of servant leadership that Jesus demonstrated.

First, a servant leader lays aside personal interests and desires. The text tells us that Jesus “got up from the meal” and “took off his outer clothing.” He interrupted His own comfort to meet the needs of others.

John 13:4: So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.

Romans 12:10: Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

This is the starting point of all servant leadership. We must be willing to set aside our own agenda, our own comfort, and our own desires in order to serve those we lead. This doesn’t mean we become doormats, but it does mean that the welfare of others becomes more important than our personal convenience.

Second, a servant leader humbles himself before others. In order to wash the disciples’ feet, Jesus had to kneel down before them. The One who deserved all honor chose to take the lowest position.

Philippians 2:3-8: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

True leadership requires genuine humility. This doesn’t mean thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less. It means we’re willing to take the lower position, to defer to others, and to lift others up rather than constantly promoting ourselves.

Luke 14:10-11: But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Third, a servant leader actively meets the needs of others. Jesus didn’t just kneel down—He actually washed their feet. He took action to meet a genuine need.

John 13:5: After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Romans 15:1-3: We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”

Servant leadership is not passive. It actively looks for ways to help, support, and strengthen others. This might involve practical assistance, emotional support, spiritual encouragement, or simply being present during difficult times.

Fourth, a servant leader completes the tasks he commits to do. Jesus didn’t stop halfway through the job. He washed all the disciples’ feet, dried them properly, and then put His clothes back on before returning to His place at the table.

John 13:12: When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.

This careful attention to completing the task shows us Jesus’ commitment to finishing the work His Father gave Him to do. On the cross, He declared, “It is finished,” showing that He had completed the ultimate act of service—giving His life for our salvation.

Hebrews 1:3: The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Hebrews 10:12: But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.

After demonstrating servant leadership through His actions, Jesus made sure the disciples understood the spiritual significance of what He had done.

John 13:12-17: When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “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. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

Jesus wanted them to understand that this wasn’t just a nice gesture—it was a pattern for all their future relationships. If the Son of God could serve in such a humble way, how much more should His followers be willing to serve one another!

(Notebook Moment: Jesus asked His disciples, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” If He asked you that same question today, how would you answer? How has understanding Christ’s servant leadership changed the way you relate to others?)

Beyond the foot washing, Jesus demonstrated servant leadership throughout His entire ministry in several key ways:

First, He ministered God’s gifts to people. Jesus was filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, and He used that power not for His own benefit but to serve others.

Luke 4:14-18: Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Acts 10:38: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

Second, He interceded for others through prayer. Jesus regularly spent time in prayer, and much of that prayer was focused on the needs of others, especially His disciples.

Mark 1:35: Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Luke 22:32: But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.

John 17:9-11: I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.

Even now, Jesus continues to intercede for us before the Father. This is one of the ongoing ways He serves His people.

Romans 8:34: Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Hebrews 7:25: Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Finally, and most importantly, He laid down His life. This was Jesus’ ultimate act of servant leadership—giving up His very life so that we might live.

John 10:11: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Philippians 2:8: And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Titus 2:14: Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

This sacrificial death fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah about the Suffering Servant who would bear the sins of many.

Isaiah 53:5-6: But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

(Notebook Moment: How does knowing that Jesus laid down His life for you change your understanding of what it means to serve others? What would it look like for you to “lay down your life” in practical ways for those in your sphere of influence?)

Conclusion

We need to return again to the question Jesus asked His disciples after He washed their feet: “Do you understand what I have done for you?” This question echoes through the centuries and reaches us today.

Our desire should be to grow in understanding what Christ has done for us and then to live in the truth of that knowledge. When we truly grasp that the Son of God knelt down to wash dirty feet, when we comprehend that the Creator of the universe gave His life for our salvation, it should transform how we approach every relationship and every opportunity to lead others.

Jesus’ example of servant leadership challenges every worldly notion of power and authority. He shows us that true greatness is measured not by how many people serve us, but by how many people we serve. Real leadership flows from a heart that is willing to sacrifice for others rather than demanding that others sacrifice for us.

As you conclude this course in Biblical Character, remember that servant leadership isn’t just for pastors or those in official leadership positions. Every follower of Christ is called to lead through serving—in our families, workplaces, communities, and churches. Whether you’re a parent, employee, neighbor, or friend, you have opportunities every day to demonstrate the servant leadership that Jesus modeled for us.

2 Peter 3:18: But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

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