A Test for Leadership

Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice...I am the gate for the sheep.

John 10:1-3, 7

In Jesus' day sheep were sometimes kept in pens made of stone walls with a single gate for access. Briers were sometimes put on top of the wall as a sort of makeshift, first-century barbed wire to keep intruders out. And a watchman was hired to sleep at the gate to guard the sheep. Jesus uses this well-known shepherding practice to give us a test for evaluating leaders in the church. 

In this context, there's only one reason anyone would climb into the pen over the wall and that's because he is a thief who “comes to steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). So whether or not a man enters by the gate tells you all you need to know about his relationship to the sheep. 

Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees about how they are preying on God’s people and leading them astray from the true Shepherd. These religious leaders are like thieves who are more interested in fleecing the sheep than caring for them. They look out only for their own interests, and you better believe people try to get in our churches to do the same. 

So, be careful who you choose to follow. Do they come in Jesus’ name? Are their teachings in keeping with His? Are they like Him? These are the most important questions you can ask of any leader! If they don’t measure up to this standard then don’t follow them! Remember, those who come in their own name or climb in over the wall are here to “steal, kill, or destroy.” So, don’t choose leaders based on anything other than their validation in Jesus. He alone is the test.  

It sounds simple, but we mess it up all the time. We choose a youth pastor based on his jeans, or his hair, or his skill with a guitar. We choose a Sunday School class based on the teacher’s speaking ability. We vote for someone to be a deacon based on their age (young or old). We give importance to all these things when the only thing that really matters is, "Are they coming through the gate?" And to those who are leaders in the church, watch yourself and be careful how you choose to lead. Make sure you always enter through the gate. Stay true to Jesus' life and teachings. Know that if you begin to lead His sheep astray, Jesus will protect His flock.