Jesus - the Ultimate Youth Leader!

As we try and identify some of the qualities of a Youth Leader, what greater model could we have than Jesus, who took 12 young men (His youth group) and developed them into Nation Changers? Today there are many stereotypical images of a Youth Leader – but Jesus is surely the best Leader of all.

In Jesus time disciples (talmidim) were generally teenagers. In Capernaum a tax collector asked Peter, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” Having affirmed that He did, Jesus told Peter to catch a fish, open its mouth and there find a four-drachma coin to pay the tax (Matt 17:27). Two drachma temple tax was paid by all adults over the age of 20 years indicating that all Jesus disciples, except for Peter, were no different and were under the age of 20.

Through pictures and our own lack of understanding of Judaism, we so often see the disciples as much older, and therefore have lost the vision of Jesus as a “Youth Leader”. We see Him as training adults who sometimes are portrayed as looking even older than Him. Jesus championed young people – He led the way for youth work!

A Youth Leader will share their life so young people can imitate

First let’s start by looking at how he formed His group. In the time of Jesus, a rabbi had disciples / “youth group” (talmidim), who wanted to be like the rabbi. Today we so often focus on what our young people “know”, where as the emphasis for Jesus was on whom they would become. This was a high challenge and one that Paul continued to live out when he said: “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ” (1 Cor 11: 1).

For this to happen, both Jesus and Paul had to share their lives’; it had to be more than an hour a week to bring about such transformation. Jesus gave Himself to 12 young men and poured Himself into them so when His mission on earth was over they would continue to reflect Him just as He had shown them the Father through His own life.

He took these young men with Him, sharing with them intimately. It is time for Youth Leaders to not be so consumed with trying to emulate large ministries that the power of lifestyle individual discipleship is being forgotten. If Jesus took 12 and changed the world through 11 of them – then we need to follow after Him!

A Youth Leader looks for the unlikely to bring into their life

In Jesus day a 12 year old would find a rabbi and ask him, “Can I be like you?” If, the rabbi decided they were not up to standard, they would probably join the family business; but if he thought he could reproduce himself in them he would invite them to be his disciple. Jesus however reversed that and approached each of his disciples Himself. When Peter and Andrew were fishing, in their family business, they had presumably already established themselves as “failures”; but Jesus said, “Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matt 4: 19)

If we were looking for 12 teenagers who would continue the ministry after we left and multiply it all over the world – how many would make the same choices as Jesus? He saw beyond the educational standards of the time – He saw young men who would take on His work and his character. Today education dominates our young people’s lives. I believe it is time to look beyond, to see our teens through the eyes of Jesus and have vision for all that He can transform them to be. To believe in them, have vision for them and be their greatest cheer leaders. “He has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise” (1 Cor 1:27) Jesus took young, uneducated “failures” – bought them into His life and turned them into nation changers, most of whom would, like their rabbi, give their lives to a cruel death.
Having established that He would have been seen as a Youth Leader in our society – what were some of the methods and characteristics of His “work” that we can emulate?

A Youth Leader is Servant Hearted

Jesus was always on the look out for those who might need Him. He saw individuals in the midst of masses. A woman, who had been bleeding for 12 years, touched Jesus’ garment while He was surrounded by a crowd. While He was intent on going to a sick child He still had time to give her the attention she needed (Matt 9:20). Jesus modelled servant hood to His young teenagers bringing aspirations of greatness that were so contrary to the world. To be first was to be last. To live was to die to self. 7% of what we receive is from the spoken word, 93% is from the life that we see lived. Jesus gave His disciples a 100% message as He modelled kingdom greatness.

It is tempting to want to be a Leader who models and raises up leadership where greatness is seen as ministry through eloquent speaking and mass responses. Leadership that Jesus modelled is not generally acclaimed. It is time to return to serve our young people, serve the individual and disciple them to do the same.

A Youth Leader is a Facilitator

Jesus took risks with His “youth group”. He taught them through modelling, through experiential training, by bringing them right alongside Him, through sending them out and asking them to return and evaluate with Him. Though He had times of teaching - He set let them loose to live it.

He was THE Teacher of all time, but made His message applicable to the situation and to the lives of those who were listening. He so often taught according to the struggles and questions that his teenagers were grappling with. He did not follow a curriculum written by man, but followed His Father, listening to and watching these young men and responding to them. Jesus wanted them to shine and took risks with them, putting them in situations that they might fail in, but would learn from.

This model of leadership is one that takes risks, that allows them to make mistakes and picks them up to start again. Classroom learning is good – but unless the young people are taken into situations where it is modelled and they can live it out too, it falls short of the model Jesus left us! Jesus facilitated their growth and development; He led the way and then sent them to do the same – cheering them on as they went.

A Youth Leader spends quality time with the Father

Jesus spent quality time with the Father, not letting ministry detract from that even at the cost of giving up His sleep. I believe He did it because He was so focused on the One who He had spent eternity with and His devotion to hearing and doing only the things the Father said. He knew that this relationship was at the very core of who He was. It was one of the keys to raising up young men who would know His Father intimately. It was from this relationship that everything else pivoted.

Sadly DOING ministry can become more important than having a RELATIONSHIP. A Youth Leader is a person, a person that Jesus is preparing for His bride. We must never forget that pleasing the Father and receiving the passionate love of our Bridegroom King should be at the heart of who we are. We can then reach out to a generation who have the potential to complete the great commission by reaching the ends of the earth and making their own disciples for Jesus.

Jesus led the way in giving up His life. Most of His “youth group” emulated Him by giving up theirs!

http://christianresearchnetwork.info/2008/02/27/jesus-as-rabbi-6-bringing-up-talmidim/

The Wisdom and Wit of Rabbi Jesus by William E. Phipps