Leadership

John 10:41-42: "Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true. And in that place many believed in Jesus."

This is a great passage for leaders today. In John 3:30, John the Baptist had a very successful ministry; however, when Jesus arrived on the scene, John did not take offense to Jesus being on his turf. Instead, John said that Jesus must "increase" while he must "decrease." This revealed a spirit of humility and respect for the true Lord. John recognized that his ministry and his leadership was not about his attainment of personal power; rather, John's purpose was to bring glory to the coming Messiah. John recognized that God the Father had "placed everything into Jesus' hands (John 3:35)," and therefore John was called to surrender himself and his ministry to the Lord.

Since John's focus was not upon his own aggrandizement but Jesus' glory, Jesus Himself applauded John's attitude toward leadership. Specifically, Jesus said about John that "among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist . . . . For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come (Matt. 11:11-14)."

The irony with the high regard that Jesus had for John is found in John 10:41, where of John it is said that he "never performed a miraculous sign." John was effective because the Spirit of God worked though him. He was not a flashy, miracle-ladened preacher, but simply preached repentance so that the hearts of men might be prepared for the coming Savior. He didn't need to be the center of attention and receive praise and honor for his accomplishments; for John knew that everything that he said and everything that he did was done to praise the Lord. This humility of John and the subsequent honor given to Him by Jesus reminds me of the passage found in James 4:10: "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."