Steve Auld
Every Christian leader must pursue greatness. But every Christian leader must pursue greatness as Jesus defines it.
The pursuit of greatness is something our world takes very seriously. In February 1964, before a world title fight with Sonny Liston, Muhammad Ali gave a famous speech where he declared to the world, “I am the greatest!” He was claiming greatness because he had knocked out every opponent who stood before him. How did Ali define greatness? As being the first, being the best, being at the top of the pecking order.
Likewise, politicians sometimes speak of aspiring to make their countries “great.” This appeal to greatness often taps into the deep desires of the population. But how do they define “greatness”? As having more economic power, prosperity, and prestige.
Greatness according to our secular world is self-focused. It means having success, prosperity, power, and influence. It means being the best.
But what is greatness according to Jesus Christ?
Table of contents
Greatness according to Jesus
The answer to this question is found in the ninth chapter of Mark’s Gospel (and its synoptic parallels), where we find the disciples having a debate over which of them will be the greatest. Jesus challenged their thinking, breaking into their discussion and saying, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).1 Jesus was saying that if you want to be truly great, you must become the servant of all.
Jesus gave this important lesson to those men who would become the first leaders of the early church. Jesus wanted his leaders to be servant-leaders. He called them to pursue greatness as he defined it: the greatness of being a servant to all.
This is a lesson we need to relearn today—and in every generation. If we want to make our churches great, we must strive to make them places of service.
If we want to make our churches great we must strive to make them places of service.
Servant-leadership according to Jesus
Jesus taught his disciples the principles of servant-leadership on several occasions. But for our purposes, we will focus on just two. Afterwards, we’ll also consider a passage from the book of Isaiah that frames Jesus whole ministry as that of a servant. Finally, we’ll reflect on the wider teaching of the New Testament to see how each passage shapes our understanding of Jesus’s ministry as one of servant-leadership.
1. Not like the rulers of the Gentiles (Mark 10:42–45)
In Mark 10:42 Jesus said, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.” Jesus was saying that in the secular world, leadership is about having power over others. Leadership affords position and privilege and prestige. It brings you into a position where others serve you and do what you tell them.
But in just eight words, Jesus shows that leadership in his church should be radically different: “But it shall not be so among you” (10:43). He continues, “But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.” Jesus is saying that Christian leadership is unlike the leadership patterns of this world. Christian leadership is about humbling yourself to serve and lift up others. It’s viewing every act of leadership as a way to serve others and build them up. It is not self-focused; it is self-forgetting.
Perhaps the most significant thing to observe about this lesson on leadership is the context in which Jesus gave it. Jesus taught this vision of true greatness while on his way to the cross. He was saying that his example should shape the disciples’ understanding of greatness towards servant-hearted leadership: “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 is saying that you are to take up your cross and follow his lead: Practice self-sacrificial leadership, where you die to self for the good of others.
The self-sacrificing death of Jesus Christ on the cross stands as the greatest expression of servant-leadership. Jesus not only taught the principle of servant-leadership; he embodied it in every way. We see this servant-hearted leadership on display throughout Jesus’s life, as presented in the Gospels.
2. I have given you an example (John 13:1–20)
Perhaps one of the clearest lessons on servant-leadership in the Bible appears in John 13, when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. After performing an act that fell to the lowliest servants, Jesus turned to his disciples and said,
You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. (John 13:13–15)
As Jesus points out, one usually understands the titles “Lord” and “Teacher” to imply positions of privilege and prestige. Lords and teachers don’t wash feet. They would never stoop so low. It’s beneath their station. But Jesus says we must never set ourselves above others so that we view them as beneath us. We are to love others by lowering ourselves and serving them.
Once again, Jesus carried out this act and lesson in the shadow of his cross. His foot washing stands as a parable of what he would soon do by his death.2 He would take the place of a servant and bring himself low to cleanse not dirt from our feet, but sin from our hearts.
3. The ministry of a suffering servant (Isa 52:12–53:12)
Lest we think this understanding of Jesus’s servant-leadership is only something introduced in the New Testament, it’s worth stepping back to consider the language of Isaiah 52–53, since this passage framed the entire ministry of the coming Messiah.
In Isaiah 52:13, God refers to his Messiah as “my servant” and proceeds to describe what this servant will do to atone for the sins of his people. The servant will be lowered before being exalted; he will suffer, bear sin, and make “the many to be accounted righteous” (Isa 53:11).
We could say much about this passage and the other Servant Songs in Isaiah’s great prophecy, but the key point to observe is this: The entire ministry of Jesus—his incarnation, life, death, and resurrection—is to be viewed as the work of a servant, God’s Servant. The whole ministry of Jesus from start to finish was service for the eternal good of others.
4. Our service in light of his (Phil 2:1–11)
Perhaps the clearest passage in the Bible showing how Jesus’s servant-hearted leadership should shape our own is Philippians 2:1–11. In this text, the Apostle Paul explains how the gospel should be the primary factor shaping how we serve one another in the church. We are to look at Jesus, who didn’t just consider his own interests, but considered the interests of others. He did not just stay in the comfort of heaven, but let it go to accomplish our salvation. He took the humble place of a servant—he went low to lift us up.
In this passage, Paul tells us very clearly what servant-leadership is—and what it’s not. Servant-leadership is not marked by “selfish ambition or conceit” (v. 3). It is not self-focused, self-serving, or self-glorifying. Instead, it is marked by humility, viewing others as “more significant than yourselves” (v. 3), and desiring to look “not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (v. 4). Paul shows us that this is exactly what Jesus did in his incarnation, throughout his life, and especially in his sin-defeating death and resurrection.
We see a beautiful example of this in Mark 6:30–44. After an intense period of ministry, Jesus and the disciples sought rest in a quiet place. But when they arrived at their resting place, they found a needy crowd awaiting them. Rather than expressing frustration—as many of us might have done—Jesus responded with compassion: “When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things” (Mark 6:34). What an example of what it means to prioritize the interest of others over one’s own! What a beautiful embodiment of servant-leadership!
Find passages on servant-leadership with Logos’s Smart Search in Bible.
So what is servant-leadership? What does it involve?
At this point, it may be helpful to summarize servant-leadership in light of what we’ve seen: Servant-leadership is not self-focused, self-serving, or self-glorifying; rather, it is a selfless and humble willingness to serve and act for the eternal spiritual good of others. Jesus modeled this perfectly and taught that we are to follow his example in our own leadership.
What would this kind of leadership look like in our local churches or the ministries where we serve?
1. It begins with an inner conviction in the Christian leader
The Christian leader must continually remind themselves, preach to themselves, that this leadership is not about power, prestige, or privilege: It is about embodying a humble willingness to serve and act for the eternal, spiritual good of others.
2. This inner conviction should become the leader’s underlying motivation in all he or she does
If preparing to teach or preach, the servant-leader will not make their aim to impress others with their skill. Instead, they will labor in view of serving the eternal spiritual good of their listeners. When setting vision or leading a church or organization, the leader’s goal is not to build a little personal empire. It is to serve others, including staff and volunteers.
3. This kind of leadership will be inherently practical
Servant-leadership identifies a need and seeks to do something about it. We don’t merely theorize about the correct way to approach washing feet. We actually get down and do what is needed!
What is it like to experience servant-leadership?
How will this form of leadership be experienced by those under it?
Volunteers or staff under such leaders should sense, “This leadership genuinely wants what is best for my eternal spiritual good.” There should be an atmosphere of love and care—a culture marked by authenticity and approachability. In such churches and ministries, the gospel is not only preached but also embodied.
Just as Christ washed his disciples’ feet, so too servant-leaders metaphorically wash the feet of their people for their eternal, spiritual good.
- Sermon preparation becomes a kind of footwashing. When a pastor spends long hours in study, wrestling with the text, assembling an outline, crafting illustrations, and thinking of relevant applications, that leader serves the needs of his people.
- Serving in kids’ ministry is footwashing.
- Serving as an elder or deacon is footwashing.
- Attending long, tiring meetings is footwashing.
- Setting vision is footwashing.
- Rightfully administering the ordinances/sacraments is footwashing.
- Even serving coffee on a Sunday morning is a way to wash feet.
When servant-leadership is both taught and embodied in a local church or ministry, people will notice. This countercultural view of leadership will shine with gospel grace—and it will be attractive to a world longing for leaders who genuinely have their interests at heart.
Servant-leaders metaphorically wash the feet of their people for their eternal, spiritual good.
How can we pursue servant-leadership in our churches ?
As long as our understanding of greatness is shaped by the world, we will continue to see unhealthy leadership patterns in our churches and ministries. We’ve all heard stories of high-profile Christian leaders whose shoddy character was in some way excused because of their high level of gifting. This has to stop.
When we recognize that the Bible’s approach to leadership emphasizes both competence and character, we gain a more rounded view of what we are to look for in our leaders.
So what practical steps can we take to recover this vision of servant-leadership?
1. Teach servant-leadership from Scripture
Let’s work hard to ensure that our churches and ministries are clear on and committed to this model of leadership. We want the gospel to shape everything we do. That means looking to the example of Jesus—and striving to lead as he led.
2. Actively cultivate a culture of servanthood
We must seek to model servant-leadership and build a culture of it in our churches and ministries.
Our leadership is something we offer for the eternal good of others. While there are different roles and responsibilities in every church or ministry, all of us are called to embody servant-leadership in everything we do.
3. Guard against unhealthy forms of leadership
We must put appropriate structures in place to protect our churches and ministries from leaders who adopt unhealthy views or practices of leadership. This may include establishing a plurality of elders in a local church, appointing a board in a ministry organization, and maintaining clear policies that prevent too much power and authority from resting in one person.
4. Emphasize the importance of character for our leaders
Let us continually emphasize the importance of character and servant-heartedness in Christian leadership.
The eighteenth-century English Particular Baptist pastor Andrew Fuller (1754–1815) said, “eminent spirituality is usually attended with eminent usefulness in a pastor.”3 By this he meant that a leader’s close walk with God and his Christ-like character are what make him particularly useful in God’s kingdom-work.
This emphasis on character in ministry is something we need to rediscover in our own day. Our leaders should exemplify a healthy balance of conviction, competence, and character. These are the three legs of the leadership stool that provide a structure strong enough to support faithful ministry.
Conclusion
Every Christian leader must pursue greatness—but greatness as Jesus defines it. If we want to see our churches thrive, we must make servant-leadership great in the eyes of all Christians. Leaders must understand, embody, and teach this kind of leadership in their churches and organizations.
We must all learn from Jesus who both taught and embodied this vision of servant-leadership perfectly. Let us not abandon the pursuit of greatness but instead “bend our definition of greatness to the one Jesus gives us.”4
Suggested resources for further study
The Imperfect Pastor: Discovering Joy in Our Limitations through a Daily Apprenticeship with Jesus
Regular price: $13.99
The Cross and Christian Ministry: Leadership Lessons from 1 Corinthians
Regular price: $15.99
Shepherds After My Own Heart: Pastoral Traditions and Leadership in the Bible (New Studies in Biblical Theology, vol. 20 | NSBT)
Regular price: $19.99
The Christian Ministry, with an Inquiry into the Causes of Its Inefficiency, Vols. I & II
Regular price: $12.49
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- How Can We Serve as Jesus Served?
- An Exercise in Biblical Theology: Shepherding and Leadership in Scripture
- All quotations of Scripture are from the English Standard Version.
- As textual evidence of this interpretation, John uses the same verb in John 13:4 to describe Jesus laying aside his garments as he does elsewhere for Jesus laying down his life (e.g., John 10:11, 15, 17–18; see also 13:37–38), where, in the immediate context, its used to refer to submitting oneself to death. This insight was pointed out to me by Kirk E. Miller.
- Andrew Fuller, “The Qualifications and Encouragement of a Faithful Minister,” in The Works of Andrew Fuller, ed. Andrew Gunton Fuller (The Banner of Truth Trust, 2007), 1:143.
- Zack Eswine, The Imperfect Pastor: Discovering Joy in Our Limitations Through a Daily Apprenticeship with Jesus (Crossway, 2015), 29.
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