What Does the Bible Say About Leadership? Power Redefined

Let’s be honest:

We don’t have a leadership problem.

We have a definition problem.

Because when most people think of leadership, they think:

Power. Control. Influence. Winning.

And if we’re not careful…

We start assuming that if someone has power, they must be a good leader.

So what does the Bible say about leadership?

Not what we’ve adopted. Not what we’ve normalized.

What Jesus actually said—and lived.

Here’s the tension:

We’ve learned to admire leaders who take control.

Jesus elevated leaders who gave it up.

Jesus put it this way:

“The rulers of this world love power…and even call themselves ‘benefactors.’ But you are not to be like that.” (Luke 22:25–26)

Not “try to be different.”

Not “do your best.” Not "the ends justify the means."

His followers are not to be like that.

Jesus said:

“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” (Matthew 20:26)

That’s not a leadership tip.

That’s a complete reversal.

And just in case we missed it…

Jesus didn’t just say it. He lived it.

He washed feet. (John 13:12–15)

Not metaphorically.

Literally.

The King of kings… kneeling with a towel.

And this is where it gets uncomfortable.

Because we’ve built a culture—inside and outside the Church—that rewards:

dominance... control... image... winning... at all costs

Even when it comes at the expense of people.

This doesn’t mean leadership should be weak…

…but Jesus never used strength to dominate people.

He used it to serve them.

What a nation shaped by Jesus would actually look like:

Leadership wouldn’t be about who can gain the most power.

It would be about who can be trusted with it.

Leaders wouldn’t ask, “How much authority do I have?”

They’d ask, “Who am I responsible for?”

Because Jesus didn’t just redefine leadership…

He made it personal.

After the resurrection, He asked Peter a simple question:

“Do you love me?”

And when Peter said yes, Jesus didn’t respond with,

“Then go lead.”

He said:

“Feed my sheep.” (John 21:17)

In other words:

If you love Jesus…you take care of people.

That’s leadership.

Because in a nation shaped by Jesus, success wouldn’t be measured by control…

…but by how people are treated under that control.

In a nation shaped by Jesus, character wouldn’t be optional.

It would be everything.

Leaders would be known not just for what they accomplish… …but for how they treat:

• the vulnerable

• their opponents

• the people who can’t offer them anything in return

Integrity wouldn’t be explained away.

Humility wouldn’t be seen as weakness.

And cruelty—no matter how effective—would never be mistaken for strength.

And here’s the part we don’t like to talk about:

Even outside of Scripture, the most trusted and effective leaders are consistently those who serve rather than dominate.

Not because it’s soft…

But because it builds something stronger than control ever could: Trust.

So again, we’re left with a question:

Why do we admire leadership qualities that Jesus clearly rejected?

And here’s the contrast we can’t ignore:

We’ve built a version of leadership that looks more like power…

…than like Jesus.

We celebrate leaders who win…

…even if people lose.

We defend behavior we wouldn’t tolerate in anyone else…

…as long as it benefits “our side.”

And we’ve gotten so used to it…

…we don’t even question it anymore.

This is where it hits home.

Because it’s easy to follow leaders who tell us what we want to hear.

It’s harder to follow leaders who call us to become something better.

But that’s the difference, isn’t it?

One builds loyalty.

The other builds transformation. One builds sheep. The other builds goats.

And before we get defensive…

This isn’t about politics.

It’s about posture.

Because somewhere along the way, we stopped asking:

“Does this leader reflect Jesus?”

And started asking:

“Is this leader on my team?”

Here’s the reality:

You can have influence…authority…and a platform…

…and still be completely out of alignment with Jesus.

Big Idea: If leadership isn’t shaped by service, it isn’t shaped by Jesus.

Final thought:

Maybe the issue isn’t that we don’t have strong leaders.

Maybe it’s that we’ve redefined strength into something Jesus never modeled.

Because at the end of the day…

Jesus didn’t come to seize power. He came to lay it down. ----

⬇️ Read more. Go deeper. Stay connected. 🔵 Facebook: Facebook.com/PastorBrandonAZ 🎙️ Podcast: The Disruptive Disciple — Subscribe for new episodes