The most influential leader to ever walk this earth is Jesus Christ.
Jesus has affected the lives of billions of people over thousands of years. He continues to have as large an impact today, nearly 2,000 years after He left this earth, as ever.
The Bible only contains a portion of the remarkable things our Lord did (John 21:25), but it provides enough to show why He was influential, and why His influence was for good.
Some of the attributes that made Jesus a great leader are unique to Him as Deity and as the Messiah, but much of what made Him so influential is applicable to us if we want to lead others to salvation. Jesus “Practiced What He Preached”: Jesus not only taught the Father’s will, He showed us what it means to follow His will. After Jesus washed His disciples’ feet in John 13, He said “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (verse 15). Washing His disciples’ feet showed what meekness, humility, and selflessness is. He preached the importance of these principles often. In John 13, He “practiced what He preached” (cf. 1 Pet. 2:21).
One of the greatest hindrances to leading others to salvation is the hypocrisy of some who do not practice what they preach. People who “say, and do not” (Matt. 23:3) are harmful to seed that is sown among non-believers. We can’t control the actions of all who claim to be Christians, but we must control our own actions to ensure that we are truly leading by example, like Jesus did (cf. 1 Cor. 11:1).
Jesus Cared Deeply for Others: One of the best examples Jesus showed is how to love others (John 15:12-13). His care for our souls led Him to give His life, but He demonstrated care for others long before His death.
Jesus did not just “go through the motions” when He helped others. He had a caring, compassionate heart (cf. Matt. 14:14; 15:32; 20:34).
We should care deeply for others as well (Phil. 2:4-5). We must “hate sin, but love the sinner.” Jesus’ Doctrine is Divine: Another significant reason for Jesus’ influence is that His doctrine comes from above, just as He, as Deity, came to earth from above (cf. John 6:38; 7:16).
His doctrine did not originate with man, but with God.
Consider the impact He had on some Jewish officers who heard Him speak (John 7:46). Or the impact He had on those who heard His “Sermon on the Mount” (Matt. 7:28-29).
His words had a powerful effect, and a positive effect, partly because of the authority He was able to speak with, but also in large part because His doctrine is divine.
Divine doctrine is revealed to us today in His written Word. This truth has as much power today as ever.
God’s written Word is sharper than any two-edged sword, and convicts those who hear it with a sincere heart, just as the truth did in Jesus’ time.
Teaching the truth through word and deed has the power to lead others to salvation because God designed truth to work that way (Rom. 10:17). Like Jesus, we can lead others to truth and help save souls from death.
– Michael Hickox