Have you ever seen the kind of leader that has to just say the word and people act on it right away? In John 1:35-40, John is hanging out with two of his followers. Once again, John spots Jesus and says out loud:
Look! There is the Lamb of God!”
When John’s two disciples heard what he had said, they began to follow Jesus. It doesn’t say that John went with them- just that these two men up and left John and followed Jesus. When Jesus noticed He was being followed, he invited these two to come with him on his journey, and they stayed with him the rest of the day.
One could speak to the faith of these two men, the first followers of Jesus, who just blindly up and tagged along. But even more so, how great must John have been as a leader for these men to take his word for it that this was the messiah- no proof, no signs and wonders (yet), nothing but the word of their leader to go on.
Three things stick out about good leadership qualities in this short passage:
The previous day, John declared that Jesus was the one they had been waiting on to save the world, and He did this in the confidence that he had heard the Lord correctly. Surely he must have faced some ridicule after making such a declaration. However, a day later, Jesus is walking by again, and John’s message remains the same- he was unwavering.
A good leader is consistent.
John’s disciples turned on a dime at John’s instruction. He told them that this Jesus was the man they had been waiting for, and without hesitation, they followed their new leader. John’s followers must have had the utmost confidence in him and in what he had to say, and must have proven himself to them over the course of time.
A good leader is trustworthy.
In the previous verses, John declares exactly who he is and who he is not. He fully admitted he was just the one preparing the way- that a greater leader was to follow. John must have known that by declaring who this greater leader was, his followers would probably leave him and follow Jesus. John’s ministry was beginning to phase out, and rather than trying to hold tightly to it, he used his platform to push his followers toward their savior. He wasn’t afraid of losing followers, he knew the part he had to play and was ok with it.
A good leader sees himself within the context of the bigger picture.
In light of the example John set for us, how do we measure up as leaders?
Are we consistent?
Have we proven ourselves to be trustworthy?
Do we see our role within the context of the bigger picture or are we more concerned about preserving our following and platform?
