Biblical Character Analysis
Abstract

Leadership in the New Testament is best exemplified by Christ, Who embodies various leadership styles, but especially transformative leadership and servant leadership. He also embraces authentic leadership, as He leads by example. He presents a vision of what He wants His followers to become, and He serves their interests by supporting them, giving them the courage they need, and even getting out of the way so they can become leaders.

Jesus Christ is the central leader and figure in the New Testament and thus serves as a good example of leadership. Christ faced various issues during His public life. These included: 1) being questioned by the Pharisees about His true nature; 2) resisting the temptation to submit to Satan; 3) convincing His skeptical followers that He was the Messiah by performing various miracles, such as calming the storm, walking on water, the miracles of the loaves and fishes, the miracle of the bursting nets, the transfiguration, raising of Lazarus and so on; and 4) the issue of doing God’s will and fulfilling His purpose through death on the cross. This paper will show how Christ faced these issues when dealing with various publics, the manner in which these issues were handled, and the consequences of the choices made.

When Christ was questioned by the Pharisees, they wanted to know how He could call Himself God since He appeared poor, ate with sinners, and was so unlike what they had expected in a Messiah. Christ did not fit their pre-conceived notion of what a savior would be. They anticipated a worldly savior who would restore the Jews to what they believed to be their rightful position as kings of the earth. Christ preached a heavenly kingdom, and they were not satisfied with this message (Levine, 2016). Christ did not cave to the pressure they put on Him. Rather, he challenged them right back. They accused Him of casting out devils by Beelzebub, and He said to them that if He cast out devils by Beelzebub then by whom did their children cast them out? When they accused Him of pretending to be God by forgiving sins, He asked them which was easier, to heal a man of sickness or to forgive his sins? He whipped the money changers out of the temple to show that it was the place of God and not a den of thieves, and when one of them named Nicodemus had legitimately genuine questions Christ went to him at night so as not to bring scandal to Nicodemus but to ensure that Nicodemus received the answers he sought. In this manner, Christ responded to those around Him with firmness and strength, never flailing or doubting Himself. Christ responded to the challenges both publicly and privately. With the Pharisees who were of ill will, Christ responded publicly. With Nicodemus, who was of good will and wanted to learn more of what Christ had to teach but wanted to do so away from prying eyes, Christ was sympathetic and met with him at night when no one was watching. Christ answered the prayers of those who had faith in Him and neglected to respond to...…the mission that was given Him. It was a horrible mission of pain and suffering and humiliation. But He did not attempt to get away from it. Instead, He embraced it all the way through to its conclusion. He handled it with courage, grace, and charity. He never lashed out at anyone, and He continued giving support to others along the way. He even asked for forgiveness for those who persecuted Him. He was the perfect example of charity at every step. He converted many people in this manner: for example, He healed the ear of the soldier when Peter cut it off; He brought the good thief with Him to Heaven when the thief asked to be remembered; He gave John to His Mother and ensured that they would have each other. He neglected no one and performed His duties of ministering to the world all the way up to His final breath. It was an inspiration and the consequence of this level of devotion to duty was that His legacy has been the most enduring of any leader to have ever lived. No other leader on earth has had the legacy that Christ has enjoyed.

In conclusion, Jesus Christ is an example of a leader who stands out as the epitome of leadership in the New Testament. He gives a vision of holiness through His tireless examples of fasting and praying, resisting temptation, answering the Pharisees, developing His followers, and doing His duty. There is never a moment in His public life where He fails to give all to those around Him.