Within Christian circles there is much talk of “laying down your life” for others. We talk about it in the contexts of marriage and leadership in particular.
Though most people likely have some idea from where the idea comes—the Bible—they may not know specifically the passage.
In John 10, Jesus is speaking to the crowds. He has just healed a man that was blind since he was born (John 9). It is an extraordinary event (read more about it here). Jesus goes on to teach following this event and creates a “division” among the Jews. And though the Jewish leaders suggest Jesus’ words in John 10 about the “good shepherd” are coming from a demon-possessed man, the people respond, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind (Jn 10:21)?”
The words Jesus gives to the crowds are hard words, but particularly hard for leaders in their cultural context. Whereas leaders in that time “lorded it over” their subordinates—as Jesus says in Matthew 20:25—he was calling leaders (and others) to be willing to die in the care of subordinates. This is not too far off as a description of leadership even today.
Studies continually show that a large percentage of employees struggle with a toxic boss or manager.
Kusy, Mitchell, and Holloway, Elizabeth, Toxic Workplace!: Managing Toxic Personalities and Their Systems of Power, 1st Edition (2009)
In John 10:7 Jesus begins to speak figuratively of a shepherd who cares for his sheep. He draws a distinction between a hired hand and the sheep-owning shepherd. This shepherd is not just a paid employee of the owner, but the owner of the sheep himself. The sheep understand this shepherd— “They hear his voice” —and they follow him. They trust him. They know he wants their good.
No Running Away
The good shepherd doesn’t run off when things get tough. He doesn’t leave his sheep unprotected, even when there is danger afoot.
He also draws a distinction between a “thief” who comes to “steal and destroy” and the good shepherd who gives life to the sheep. He provides good pasture and protection from the wolves and the sheep’s own stupidity. While sheep are always “looking for ways to die,” as one sheep rancher told some visitors, the good shepherd looks out for them.
This analogy points to Jesus Christ, who is the only really Good Shepherd. We can’t forget that.
If we lead others . . .
But it also challenges those who lead to be like Jesus. We are being continually conformed to the image of Jesus and this is a part of that. If we lead others, we need to—
- Know our sheep that they might know us.
- Be trustworthy that they may trust us.
- Be respectful that they may respect us.
- Look out for their good, though we may be put in very uncomfortable positions.
- For example, standing up for them that, when we do, others look upon us with disfavor because we are associating with and supporting those people.
- As Paul challenged the Philippian church, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:3-7
Is this the kind of leader you are?
What would Jesus do?
“The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. . . No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.”
Lay down your life.