Leadership and Compassion

After meeting with Moses and Elijah, Jesus came down the mountain and,

“...[w]hen they came back to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him” (Mark 9:14-15).

Immediately, he was confronted with the needs of the people. Ministry resumed—the movement continued to grow. What would happen next, especially at the upcoming feast? Let’s take a closer look.

Questions from your reading

• Go through this passage and list all the questions raised by different people. (There are nearly 20.)
• What different views are expressed about who Jesus is? (There are at least 12.)
• What do these responses reveal about the crowds?
• What do they reveal about Jesus?
• What leadership lessons emerge in this scene?
• What other questions still linger for you?

Reflecting on your reading

The Jewish holiday known as the Feast of Tabernacles was approaching (John 7:2). This seven-day, Old Testament–mandated celebration required all Jewish men to present themselves in Jerusalem each year (see Leviticus 23:33–36; Deuteronomy 16:13–17).

Jesus’ half-brothers—James, Joseph, Judas and Simon—were eager to make this yearly pilgrimage with him. Yet they were still wrestling with the idea that their older brother was not only the man they had grown up with but also the promised Messiah. “For even his own brothers did not believe in him” (John 7:5).

At some point, however, at least two of them—James and Judas—came to believe. We know this because the New Testament books of James and Jude bear their names. James eventually became the first senior leader of the church in Jerusalem and was known as “camel knees” because of his deep commitment to prayer. Perhaps what impacted him most from living alongside Jesus for thirty years was his brother’s prayer life.

In obedience to the Father, Jesus told his brothers to go ahead to the feast without him. This must have sounded strange to them—but they went. The Father clearly had other plans, sending Jesus later and in secret. Partway through the feast, Jesus arrived at the temple and began teaching publicly once again. He reminded the people of his identity—that he was born in Bethlehem, a son of David, but raised in Nazareth. Perhaps this was the moment his brothers came to believe—we can only speculate.

As Jesus spoke, arguments broke out among the crowd. His claims sparked division, revealing just how deeply entrenched the people’s assumptions about the Messiah had become. Amid the chaos, Jesus slipped away to the quiet of the Mount of Olives—his favourite place to pray while in Jerusalem.

Back at the temple, tensions remained high. Who should speak up for Jesus but Nicodemus—the man who had once visited him at night (John 3)? Nicodemus took a calculated risk by asking a pointed question, but instead of opening minds, he was mocked and ridiculed—accused of being from Galilee himself. He pulled back into the shadows, continuing as a secret believer—not yet a fully committed disciple.

Do you know any undercover Christians? The kind who say their faith is “private” and keep it hidden? Are you a secret follower?

Applying what you’ve read

The next morning, Jesus returned from the Mount of Olives—and was met with a trap. A woman caught in adultery was dragged before him. If the gathering was primarily men, what was she doing there? And where was the man involved? Adultery requires two—yet only she was brought forward. It reeks of manipulation.

The scribes and Pharisees, having heard that Jesus was a friend of sinners, saw their opportunity. They thrust the woman into the centre of the court, quoted Moses’ law, and asked Jesus, “What do you think needs to be done with her?”

It was a test. If Jesus agreed she should be stoned, he would gain credibility as a law keeper—but lose the trust of those who came to him for mercy. If he disagreed, he could be accused of breaking the law.

It's sobering that in Jesus’ day, prostitutes and sinners ran toward him—yet today, many feel they must run from the church. Why is that? Too often, they expect condemnation instead of compassion. What message are we sending?

Jesus, sensing the trap, knelt beside the woman and began writing in the dirt. What did he write? For centuries, speculation has ranged from a simple fish symbol to the Ten Commandments. Perhaps he was reminding them of Moses’ law—the very standard they were invoking. “Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law” (John 7:19).

Still, they pressed him. So Jesus stood and said, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). Then he knelt again—still beside her, still writing. Perhaps now he was listing their sins: deceit, gossip, vengeance, pride.

One by one, from the oldest to the youngest, the accusers slipped away. Only Jesus remained. He stood and said, “Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11).

“His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22–23).

This is what it means to lead like Jesus—to offer compassion while calling for change, to embody the Father’s heart in both truth and grace.

Talk with your disciples today about leadership with compassion.