Behold, the Revolutionary Man

Jesus is the Radical Root of Great Commission Movements, Part 1

Real leaders understand that whenever they sacrifice their principles for pressure, both they and the system take another step toward slow death. They are willing to accept the necessary risk because it is the right thing to do. They care enough to risk dying for the organization, which would kill them for caring. Organizations, in order to survive, need leaders who take risks and care enough to die for the organization which seeks to kill them for caring that much.

~Robert Quinn, Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within

The ever so stunning account in the Gospel of John, chapter 19, tells a revolutionary tale:

Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; and they began to come up to Him and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slaps in the face. Pilate came out again and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.” Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the Man!” So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God (vv. 1-7, NASB).

“Behold, the Man,” presented Pontius Pilate with a full voice that carried over the distance of the crowd . . . and echoes into eternity.

Surprisingly true yet today, we ought to do just that—stop and stare. Behold, oh-so intently, CHRIST. STANDING. ALONE. Look and see whom Pilot points toward, while raising his voice above the restless mob, “Behold, THE MAN!”

Recorded for us under the inspiration of the Spirit, this truly revolutionary tale features this powerful, three-word phrase. Now and forever appearing as Gospel truth, this prominent inclusion of this small phrase raises a big question: Why?

So that we, too, could hear Pilate present Jesus and overhear these words in such a staggering context. So that we, too, could catch the echo of these words still today. So that we, too, could look straight through these words to their meaning for all people and for all time. So that we, too, could behold Jesus looking straight back at us; looking straight through us just as He did the hostile crowd that He originally stood before. In much the same way, He stands before us!

Behold, the Man . . . the revolutionary Man!

Pilate did not fully grasp all he was saying. The perfect man and fullness of God stood right beside him. Jesus, who showed mankind what it looks like to “man up”; what a real man was always intended to be like . . . like Christ!

radix /ˈrādiks,ˈradiks/ noun: a source or origin of something (from Latin, literally ‘root’).

Christ is the radix of Christianity. Christ is the root of Christian theology. Christ is the radical root of Christian movements.

Pilate did not grasp that “the Man” standing before him was the radical root of a revolutionary, great-commissional movement soon to take root.

But how ‘bout the most respected religious leaders of Christ’s day? Did they grasp it? Quite the opposite. The “chief priests and the officers” actually had it backwards. Jesus is not just a man who “made Himself out to be the Son of God.” Jesus IS the Son of God who made Himself out to be a man . . . “the Man” to behold.

In a sense, these religious leaders did “behold.“ They “saw.” They were in the ”know,” yet led the crowd and the entire religious community astray. Their false narratives to push their agenda will be met with stricter judgement. They actually delivered Jesus over to Pilot, therefore they had committed the greater sin.

Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.

~John‬ ‭19:8-11, NASB

Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will “Lit. receive greater judgement”—be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly].

‭~‭James‬ ‭3:1‬, AMP‬‬

A denominational director, officer or board member, as well as a pastor or church leader, are just not above “pushing“ an agenda using false narratives. To be like Christ, church and network leaders must “push back” by standing . . . alone, if necessary, in Christlike fashion.

I’ve recently had board members and pastors, referring to some organizational trajectory or church momentum they “know” is being driven by false narratives, yet they’d say things like, “There’s a boulder coming down the hill and I don’t want to be the only one standing in front of it. If someone else would stand with me, then I might reconsider.”

Standing before the bloodthirsty priests and officers, as well as the hostile throng, did Jesus wait for someone to come stand with Him? Stand kinda off to the side somewhat near him? Even just voice support from a distance? To be like Christ sometimes means standing alone, even getting run over by “a boulder” that has momentum.

How ‘bout a Missouri farm fact to illustrate what happens with organizational dynamics more than you think. Did you know chickens can be mesmerized; kind of put in a trance? Catch a chicken and hold it’s beak down to a line drawn on the ground until it becomes spellbound. The chicken remains frozen or immobilized in that position until the farmer comes along and gives ‘em a kick in the backside to wake ‘em up from their hypnotic stupor caused by staring at the line drawn in front of them.

That’s much like the mesmerizing effect caused when a line is drawn by an organizational head. Institutionalized leadership cultures of conformity can result in docile adherence from members to toe the line. This stifles appropriate dissent that would otherwise uphold values and puts a lid on imagining needed change. Unfortunately, there’s something in tradition or inherited methodology that tends to keep collective noses down on the line. Ones rarely break free to do something that challenges the prevailing status quo.

Every now and again ones may need a proverbial kick in the backside to break inertia and get things moving again. Being confronted with core values could result in the renewal or rebirth of a movement—or, if mishandled, the beginnings of an organization’s demise.

Leadership guru, Max De Pree, famously noted that the first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. This places a theological responsibility on elderships and boards to ensure consistently following Jesus where He is leading. We must recognize that Jesus gets the privilege of decisively defining reality. Is this not especially true in defining moments that require courage for accurate recalibration beyond the prevailing status quo?

Reversing momentum perpetuated by false narratives is a very challenging situation. Be under no illusion that appeals or frank talk will dislodge predominant understandings or stop a misguided trajectory in its tracks. Yet, a principled stand or prophetic voice exemplifies Jesus, and should us, too.

Are you sacrificing any principles due to peer pressure? Is the system you’re a part of seemingly taking steps toward a slow death? Are you willing to accept a necessary risk just because it’s the right thing to do? Do you care enough to die for your organization which may seek to kill you for caring that much?

He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.

~Lord Wilson of Rievaulx, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Challenge yourself as a leader. Faith beholds the opportunities, but fear beholds the dangers. As the proverbial expression goes, are you a man or a mouse? Behold, are you more of a revolutionary man or a dead man walking?

“The time (kairos) has come," Jesus said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent” (literally, think differently afterwards). ~Mark 1:15

kairos – time as opportunity ("opportune time") is derived from kara ("head") referring to things "coming to a head" to take full-advantage of; the right moment!

Behold, the Man . . . the Man of the kingdom of God . . . THE Man and THE King!

The Man-King Jesus stands before you. Behold, oh-so intently, CHRIST. STANDING. ALONE. He is looking straight back at you; looking straight through you. The kingdom of God has come near. A kairos moment has come. How will you respond?!

Bonus Poem:

Dead Man’s Shoes

Ye see these work shoes here, young man? They’ll probably fit ye now, my son.

They’re a gift from the ordination board, why don't you try them on?

It would do board members good to see you walking in these shoes one day,

And take your place among the men who walk up on the church stage.

These dead man's shoes, though they're old and curled,

When a Pastor needs a salary and a place in the world,

And it's time for a man to put down roots,

And walk to the stage in ordination boots.

An old Director said, "I'm nearly done. So do one final thing for me.

Ye dream that, in a denomination, a leader you could be.

To keep your ordination, you must first defend your roots.

Just one foot then the other, settle into old-man boots.

These dead man's shoes know their way down the aisle,

They could walk there themselves, and they probably will.

There's a place on the stage, once you defend your roots,

And take a walk down the aisle in ordination boots.

I said, "Now, why would I do that? And why would I agree?

A man publicly maligned and defrocked, I can’t help but remember.

It's not as if they’d spoiled him with their kindness up to then, ye see.

A mere January tweet left him accused, and now we’re past December.

These dead man's shoes know their way down the aisle.

They can walk there themselves, and they probably will.

Well, in planting new churches, I’ve seen other routes,

So they’ll never see me walking in their dead man’s boots.

What was it made them think, I'd be happy ending up like them?

When “new wine” is rarely served in that boardroom that they meet in.

They wanted this same thing for me, was that their final wish?

They said, “Whatcha gonna do, young man?” I said, "Certainly not this!"

These dead man's shoes know their way down the aisle,

They can walk there themselves, and they probably will.

But they won't trip me up, just imagine Christ’s way.

How ‘bout a prophetic voice? I'm gonna have my say.

Brotherhood core values merely a plaque on the wall?

Then I’ll want nothing from them, want nothing at all.

Not even ordination, when board meetings are through.

Dissolve “investigative process,” and now Articles, too?

IF after one lone Director, there'll be no more disputes,

THEN they’ll die before they see me in their dead man’s boots.