Jesus, the Ultimate Leader: An Easter Reflection on Leadership, Sacrifice, and Redemption

Leadership books fill the shelves. We’ve got frameworks, formulas, and TED Talks telling us what it takes to lead. But no leadership model—no business guru, battlefield general, or best-selling author—has ever matched the example set by Jesus Christ.

And it’s at Easter that His leadership shines the brightest.

He Led by Laying Down His Life

In a world obsessed with power, Jesus knelt and washed feet.

He didn’t demand a throne. He carried a cross.

As leaders today—whether in business, ministry, or the marketplace—we often equate success with visibility, authority, or influence. But Jesus shows us that true leadership is measured in self-sacrifice, not status.

He knew what was coming: the betrayal, the mockery, the lashes, the nails. And still, He walked into Jerusalem not with an army—but on a donkey.

Real leaders don’t run from the hard road. They walk it—for the sake of others.

He Stayed Mission-Focused Through the Pain

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus wrestled with the weight of the mission. “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

That is the heart of leadership. It’s not about the absence of struggle. It’s about obedience in the face of it.

When the mission costs more than you expected, when critics are loud and allies are few—lead anyway. Jesus did. And because He did, everything changed.

He Built a Kingdom, Not an Empire

Empires rise through dominance. Kingdoms are birthed in surrender.

Jesus didn’t overthrow Caesar. He didn’t build a palace. He built people.

Twelve disciples. A handful of outcasts. And through them, He launched a movement that is still alive today.

True leadership multiplies itself in others. It empowers, equips, and releases.

So What Does This Mean for Us?

Easter reminds us that the path to resurrection always passes through the cross.

If you’re feeling crushed in your calling or weary in your leadership, let Easter renew your vision. Jesus didn’t just die—He rose. And that same resurrection power lives in you.

Lead like Jesus.

Lead with humility, with courage, with purpose—and when necessary, with scars.

Because the world doesn’t need more flashy leaders. It needs more faithful ones.

And if you’ve never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, there’s no better time than now. The same love that led Him to the cross is reaching out to you today.

Lee Miller is the author of Entrepreneurship God’s Way: Building Faith-Driven Success in Business, available now on Amazon.
He speaks on leadership, faith, and business across the country and helps entrepreneurs lead with Kingdom impact.

Learn more at msgresources.com
Invite Lee to speak to your group or leadership conference.