Conflict management can take on many forms. Read John 8:48-59.

As His public ministry was nearing an end, the conflicts between Jesus and the Pharisees became more frequent and more divisive. In today’s scriptures the words exchanged between Jesus and the Pharisees were very pointed as Jesus stood toe-to-toe with those who desired to discredit Him.

Knowing which alliances to make and which to stay away from will have a tremendous impact on a leader’s success. Read John 7:14-32.

Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the religious feasts held each year to commemorate a great work of God. As Jesus was teaching in the temple the religious leaders were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?” Jesus’ answer indicated He received His knowledge from God and that set off a firestorm that ended with people trying to seize Him and arrest Him. Jesus knew which alliances to build and which to oppose. He consistently gathered around Him sinners whose hearts were ready to change and consistently stood against the legalistic practices of the religious leaders.

Leaders must have the commitment of their team if they hope to succeed. Read John 6:41-65.

Often Jesus had large crowds that followed Him. Many of them hung on His every word. However, when He said, “I am the bread that comes down from heaven,” many in the crowd began to grumble and said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can He now say, ‘I came down from heaven?’” The issues got even deeper when Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” “On hearing it, many of His disciples said, ‘this is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’” The result according to verse 66, “From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.” Jesus clarified the level of commitment He expected from His followers.

The wise leader understands that learning is a process. Read John 6:25-59.

In John 6:1-15 Jesus demonstrated His miraculous power by multiplying a few loaves of bread and some small fish to feed around 5,000 people. Through this miracle Jesus created a learning environment for His disciples to understand an even deeper truth about His mission. A note in The Leadership Bible by Zondervon puts it this way:

“Jesus knew that His followers would have trouble grasping the significance of His divine nature and His life-changing message. The miracle of the feeding of the five thousand and others demonstrated His supernatural power and comprised the disciples’ first loop of learning. The next day He helped them process the message behind the miracle with the second loop when He said, “I am the bread of life.” As the five loves and two small fish provided life for those who had eaten them, so Jesus would give eternal life to all who would receive Him.”

Ultimately a leader’s credibility comes from results. Read John 5:1-14.

As a Jewish man Jesus obeyed the established requirements of the faith to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate specific feasts. On one such trip He went to a pool near the Sheep Gate where people who were blind, lame and paralyzed came to be healed. While talking to the crowd Jesus encountered a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. Jesus healed him and sent him home. Because Jesus healed this man on the Sabbath, a day set aside for rest, the religious leaders were angry with Jesus. Normally the religious leaders could have discredited Jesus but because Jesus got results. He continued to gain credibility and His influence grew as God’s anointed leader.