Leadership Letters
Leadership Letters

Writings on Christian leadership and leader development by Malcolm Webber

May 2006
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Jesus’ Fellowship with His Father

Malcolm WebberMalcolm Webber

In our last Letter, we saw that the Son of God was in fellowship with His Father for all eternity. He was “toward” His Father, looking at Him, communing with Him in loving, joyful, spontaneous, abundant fellowship.

During His ministry on the earth, Jesus lived the same way that He had always lived – in fellowship with His Father. Jesus lived the same way He did before creation. The Word was “toward” God. The Word was beholding God, in joyful, loving, delighted fellowship with Him. This inward fellowship was the source of all His leadership.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus lived in continuous fellowship with His Father:

The one who sent me is with me… (John 8:29)

He was fully and inwardly submitted to His Father’s will:

For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. (John 6:38)

This inward, spiritual fellowship was the source of everything in His life and ministry.

It was the source of all His words:

The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?” Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me…” (John 7:15-16)

…what I have heard from him I tell the world…I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. (John 8:26-28)

For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. (John 3:34)

I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence…(I have) told you the truth that I heard from God… (John 8:38-40)

…These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. (John 14:24)

…I gave them the words you gave me… (John 17:8)

This was why Jesus could respond to complicated challenges with merely a few perfect words that silenced all His opposers (e.g., Matt. 22:29-32; Mark 12:16-17; John 8:7). This was why He could, with just one sentence, get right to the core of deep heart issues (e.g., Luke 18:22).

His inward fellowship with His Father was the source of all His works:

…(I) must do the work of him who sent me… (John 9:4)

It was the source of all His wisdom:

By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear… (John 5:30)

But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. (John 8:16)

It was the source of all His power:

…it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. (John 14:10)

It was the source of all Jesus’ abilities:

…the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. (John 5:19)

…everything you have given me comes from you. (John 17:7)

Thus Jesus revealed, not simply His own life, but the life and Person of His Father to the world:

If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him…Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father…(John 14:7-9)

No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known. (John 1:18)

…I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. (John 17:6)

This was how Jesus lived His life on the earth. He lived in continuous fellowship with His Father, and through that fellowship He drew from, and lived by, His Father’s life. His life was through His fellowship with His Father.

Thus, Jesus’ leadership came from His union with His Father.

In our next Letter, we will find that just as Jesus’ continuous inward fellowship with His Father was the source of everything in His life and ministry, so our inward fellowship with God is to be the source of everything in our lives and ministries!

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Comments 1
  • Tam
    Posted on

    Tam Tam

    Reply Author

    Thank you for wonderful letters.
    Is there a letter or article about a mean, contrlling, and combative Pastor to read?
    What do we do when we have such a Pastor? What do we say?

    Thank you
    Tam