Leading by Example
By Rev. Heidi L. Barham | January 11, 2026
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Read: Matthew 3:13 – 17 (NIV)
This past Tuesday was a special day... yes, it was Jeff Angle’s birthday... but of even more significance in the life of the wider church... January 6th was the day that is recognized as the Epiphany of the Lord.
Now there may be some who may not be familiar with Epiphany... but in a nutshell, it is the celebration within the church that recalls how the three kings, often referred to as the Magi, came to visit the baby Jesus after his birth in Bethlehem.
The word Epiphany is derived from the Greek and means “revelation or manifestation.” So, it is essentially a time of celebration of the manifestation of Christ’s divinity that was revealed during his baptism by John the Baptist.
That is why our New Testament lesson for today (or one of the companion texts found in Mark 1 or Luke 3) is typically read on Epiphany Sunday. It affords us the opportunity to reflect on Jesus’ desire to participate in the cleansing and renewing act of baptism in fulfillment of all righteousness.
Now, if we were to back up just a couple of verses before this morning’s text... we would read about John the Baptist baptizing people from throughout the region of Jordan. John explained that he was baptizing them with water... while at the same time telling them about the One who was coming who was more powerful than he was.
John further explained that he was not worthy of carrying the sandals of the One who was to come... and also explained that when the One he was speaking of did come... He would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matt. 3:11).
Now, knowing what John the Baptist knew and had publicly declared about the One who was to come... is it any wonder that he would have been hesitant to baptize Jesus?
And yet, Jesus was persistent in His desire for John to baptize Him. And eventually, John relented... and that is the point where the scriptures tell us that:
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:16-17).This text is a clear demonstration of Jesus LEADING BY EXAMPLE... and this text also serves as a word of encouragement for us to do as Jesus did by doing what pleases God... and let me suggest that it is about more than just the Sacrament of Baptism.
Do you remember when it was not at all uncommon to look around and see bumper stickers, T-shirts, bracelets, coffee mugs, etc. with the initials WWJD emblazoned on them?
As you are probably aware... WWJD was an acronym made popular in the 1990s that stands for, “What Would Jesus Do?”
The various items bearing those letters were designed as reminders to Christians to stop and think before acting... and ask themselves the question, “What would Jesus do?” all with the presumption that they would do just that... because for all intents and purposes Jesus was LEADING BY EXAMPLE.
Now, several years ago, in preparing for a sermon, I learned that the saying, “What would Jesus do” was actually found in a 19th century novel written by a gentleman named Charles Sheldon entitled, “In His Steps.”
In the novel, a minister by the name of Rev. Henry Maxwell, encountered a homeless man who questioned why so many so-called Christians ignored the poor. A question that still has relevance today...
However, in the novel, the homeless man talked about sitting outside of the church one night and listening to the people singing about Jesus.
Then he said:
“It seems to me there's an awful lot of trouble in the world that somehow wouldn't exist if all the people who sing such songs went and lived them out. I suppose I don't understand. But what would Jesus do? Is that what you mean by following His steps?”When we think about the question, “What would Jesus do?” What He was doing was LEADING BY EXAMPLE... loving and serving people.
People from all walks of life... people with disabilities (like the blind beggar and the lame man and the woman with the issue of blood)
...people with less than stellar backgrounds (like the woman at the well and Mary Magdalene and Matthew, the tax collector)
...and even people with impure hearts who had a desire to cause Him harm (like Judas Iscariot).
And what else would Jesus do?
He would take care of the hurt, the hungry and the homeless... He would show kindness and compassion toward women and children... and He would offer hope to the people who were living on the margins... the ones we often refer to simply as the last, the least and the lost.
Now because Jesus was LEADING BY EXAMPLE... He commanded us to go and do likewise. In Matthew 25 we read about Jesus talking to His disciples about the day when the Son of Man will come and separate people just as a shepherd separates Sheep and Goats.
And Jesus used this illustration of sheep and goats and told them:
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:Jesus went on to say:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’ (Matthew 25:34 – 36, MSG).
Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:37 – 40)Thankfully, Jesus had no problem LEADING BY EXAMPLE... and by doing so, He helps us to see that the world is filled with opportunities for us to do what He did... to show love to one another... and extend kindness and compassion to others... especially those who find themselves in need.
And we actually have a visual representation of that right here in front of us... of how we can do what Jesus did... and that is by making donations to Church World Service for blankets to help families who have been left homeless in the aftermath of a tornado or hurricane or other natural disaster... these blankets will also be used by shelters and other agencies to help provide warmth to people who have no place to call home.
We also have the bin out in the narthex for the collection of non-perishable food items and other products that are donated to the Geauga Hunger Cupboard for distribution to those who are in need.
And yet, there is still more that Jesus did that we can do as well.
Jesus brought peace and light into dark and desolate places. And the fact of the matter is that the world, as we know it, can be very dark and desolate at times. All we need to do is look at the local news or scan the Internet to see that is true.
This world is in desperate need of light and peace... and Jesus has been LEADING BY EXAMPLE... giving us the Holy Spirit so that we can be that light and peace wherever we go... just as He is light and peace everywhere He goes.
In Matthew 5 (9) we find the Beatitudes which Jesus spoke during the Sermon on the Mount. It is there that we read, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” And just a few verses later (5:14) we read, “You are the light of the world.”
Jesus is LEADING BY EXAMPLE so that we will show love to one another... be kind and compassionate to one another... and be light and peace in a dark and desolate world. That is what Jesus did and what He desires for us to do as well.
Listen to these words from John 14 (15-17) as they are found in the Message Paraphrase:
If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!Jesus has been LEADING BY EXAMPLE... loving us from the very beginning... and giving us the gift of the Holy Spirit... to be with us forever.
And the way that we show our love for Jesus in return is by following His command to love God with all of who we are... and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
And even when that is not the easiest thing to do... when our neighbors make it hard to love them... and it feels like the world has turned against us... we are still called to love as challenging as that may be... but the good news is that Jesus promised that we would not have the face the challenges alone.
It is truly a gift to know that we have God’s Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, with us and in us... which means we have the blessed assurance that we are not in this battle alone... because we have a Friend who will be with us... always
And all we have to do is open the door and invite Him in. It is in Revelation 3:20, that we find these words of Jesus, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
There was an artist by the name of Warner Sallman who painted a picture called “Christ at Heart’s Door,” which depicts Jesus standing outside a door knocking. Now, the interesting thing about this painting is that there is no handle or knob on the outside of the door where the Lord is standing.
What this painting symbolizes is the fact that the Lord does not bulldoze His way into our hearts... He waits for us to extend the invitation for Him to come in... and when we open our hearts, it leads us to new life and new hope in Christ... and from that moment on our lives will never be the same.
Now, Jesus is always LEADING BY EXAMPLE... showing us how to be patient as we let others know about God’s love for them... not breaking down doors and forcing our beliefs or anything else on them... but graciously demonstrating love in action... LEADING BY EXAMPLE ourselves... doing to others as we would have them do to us.
Looking at Luke 6 (31 – 36) in the Message Paraphrase, we read:
Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.
I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.
We are LEADING BY EXAMPLE when we are generous, gracious and kind to one another... just as God has been generous, gracious, and kind to us.
God has provided us with the consummate example of the right way... the best way... for us to live and to love... by giving us Jesus as our Savior... and now it is up to us to follow His lead.
And if that is your desire today, then won’t you stand now and join in singing our Hymn of Discipleship: Where He Leads Me #346.
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