JEHOVAH APPOINTS A PERFECT LEADER

15. (a) How did the prophets indicate that a unique leader was coming? (b) Who was the prophesied leader?

¹⁵ For centuries, Jehovah prophesied that he would appoint a uniquely qualified leader for his people. “Jehovah your God will raise up for you from among your brothers a prophet like me,” Moses told the Israelites. “You must listen to him.” (Deut. 18:15) Isaiah foretold that this One would become “a leader and commander.” (Isa. 55:4) And Daniel was inspired to write about the coming of “Messiah the Leader.” (Dan. 9:25) Finally, Jesus Christ identified himself as “the Leader” of God’s people. (Read Matthew 23:10.) Jesus’ disciples followed him willingly, and they affirmed that he was Jehovah’s choice. (John 6:68, 69) What convinced them that Jesus Christ was the one through whom Jehovah was leading his people?

16. What proved that Jesus was empowered by holy spirit?

¹⁶ Holy spirit empowered Jesus. At Jesus’ baptism, John the Baptizer saw “the heavens being parted and, like a dove, the spirit coming down upon him.” Thereafter, “the spirit impelled him to go into the wilderness.” (Mark 1:10-12) For the rest of Jesus’ earthly ministry, God’s holy spirit empowered Jesus to perform miracles and to speak with divine authority. (Acts 10:38) In addition, holy spirit produced in Jesus perfect fruitage, including love, joy, and stalwart faith. (John 15:9; Heb. 12:2) No other leader provided such convincing evidence. Jesus was Jehovah’s choice.

17. What did angels do to assist Jesus?

¹⁷ Angels assisted Jesus. Shortly after Jesus was baptized, “angels came and began to minister to him.” (Matt. 4:11) Hours before his death, “an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.” (Luke 22:43) Jesus was confident that Jehovah would send angelic help whenever he needed it to accomplish God’s will.​—Matt. 26:53.

18, 19. How did God’s Word guide Jesus’ life and teaching?

¹⁸ God’s Word guided Jesus. From the beginning of his ministry, Jesus allowed the Scriptures to direct him. (Matt. 4:4) In fact, his obedience to God’s Word went as far as submitting to death on a torture stake. Even his final words before he died included quotations of Messianic prophecies. (Matt. 27:46; Luke 23:46) In contrast, the religious leaders of that time disregarded God’s Word whenever it contradicted their own traditions. Quoting Jehovah’s words through the prophet Isaiah, Jesus said about them: “This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep worshipping me, for they teach commands of men as doctrines.” (Matt. 15:7-9) Could Jehovah really choose any of those men to lead his people?

¹⁹ Jesus allowed God’s Word to guide not only his actions but also his teaching. When confronted with religious controversies, he appealed neither to his vast wisdom nor to his unparalleled experience. Instead, he held up the Scriptures as the final authority. (Matt. 22:33-40) And rather than regale his listeners with personal stories about life in heaven or the creation of the universe, “he opened up their minds fully to grasp the meaning of the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:32, 45) Jesus loved God’s Word, and he was eager to share it with others.

20. (a) How did Jesus acknowledge his submission to God? (b) What does the contrast between Jesus and Herod Agrippa I teach us about Jehovah’s choice of a leader?

²⁰ Although Jesus amazed his listeners with “gracious words,” he gave credit to his Teacher, Jehovah. (Luke 4:22) When a rich man tried to glorify Jesus with the title “Good Teacher,” Jesus modestly replied: “Why do you call me good? Nobody is good except one, God.” (Mark 10:17, 18) What a contrast to Herod Agrippa I, who became king, or leader, of Judea about eight years later! At a diplomatic function, Herod clothed himself “with royal raiment.” His adoring crowd shouted: “A god’s voice, and not a man’s!” Herod evidently basked in the praise. What happened next? “Instantly the angel of Jehovah struck him, because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten up with worms and died.” (Acts 12:21-23) Surely, no objective observer could conclude that Herod was chosen by Jehovah to be leader. Jesus, on the other hand, gave convincing evidence of being appointed by God, and he constantly glorified Jehovah as the Supreme Leader of his people.

21. What will we discuss in the next article?

²¹ Jesus’ leadership was not meant to last only a few years. “All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth,” he declared after his resurrection. “And look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.” (Matt. 28:18-20) But as an invisible spirit in heaven, how would Jesus lead God’s people on earth? Whom would Jehovah use to work under Christ’s leadership and take the lead among His people? And how would Christians be able to recognize his representatives? The next article will consider the answers to those questions.

1, 2. After Jesus’ ascension to heaven, what might his apostles have wondered?

JESUS’ apostles stood on the Mount of Olives, gazing at the sky. They had just seen their master and friend, Jesus, lifted up and obscured by a cloud. (Acts 1:9, 10) For some two years, Jesus had taught, encouraged, and led them. Now he was gone. What would they do?

² Jesus had given his followers a commission: “You will be witnesses of me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) How could they possibly complete that assignment? True, Jesus had assured them that they would soon receive holy spirit. (Acts 1:5) Still, an international preaching campaign required direction and organization. To direct and organize his people in ancient times, Jehovah used visible representatives. Hence, the apostles might have wondered, ‘Will Jehovah now appoint a new leader?’

3. (a) After Jesus’ ascension to heaven, what important decision did the faithful apostles make? (b) What will we consider in this article?

³ Less than two weeks later, Jesus’ disciples consulted the Scriptures, prayed for divine direction, and chose Matthias to replace Judas Iscariot as the 12th apostle. (Acts 1:15-26) Why was this selection so important to them and to Jehovah? Matthias filled a vital organizational need.a Jesus had selected his apostles not merely to accompany him in his ministry but to play a crucial role among God’s people. What was that role, and how did Jehovah through Jesus equip them to fill it? What similar arrangement exists among God’s people today? And how can we “remember those who are taking the lead” among us, especially those who make up “the faithful and discreet slave”?​—Heb. 13:7; Matt. 24:45.

A VISIBLE BODY UNDER AN INVISIBLE LEADER

4. What role did the apostles and other elders in Jerusalem play in the first century?

⁴ At Pentecost 33 C.E., the apostles began to take the lead in the Christian congregation. On that occasion, “Peter stood up with the Eleven” and shared lifesaving truths with a large crowd of Jews and proselytes. (Acts 2:14, 15) Many of them became believers. Thereafter, these new Christians “continued devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles.” (Acts 2:42) The apostles managed the financial resources of the congregation. (Acts 4:34, 35) They cared for the spiritual needs of God’s people, stating: “We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:4) And they assigned experienced Christians to advance the evangelizing work in new territories. (Acts 8:14, 15) In time, other anointed elders joined the apostles in administering the affairs of the congregations. As a governing body, they gave direction to all the congregations.​—Acts 15:2.

5, 6. (a) How did holy spirit empower the governing body? (See opening image.) (b) How did angels assist the governing body? (c) How did God’s Word guide the governing body?

⁵ Christians in the first century recognized that the governing body was directed by Jehovah God through their Leader, Jesus. How could they be sure of this? First, holy spirit empowered the governing body. (John 16:13) Holy spirit was poured out on all anointed Christians, but it specifically enabled the apostles and other elders in Jerusalem to fulfill their role as overseers. For example, in 49 C.E., holy spirit guided the governing body to make a decision regarding the issue of circumcision. The congregations followed their direction and “continued to be made firm in the faith and to increase in number day by day.” (Acts 16:4, 5) The letter conveying that decision also reveals that the governing body manifested the fruitage of God’s spirit, including love and faith.​—Acts 15:11, 25-29; Gal. 5:22, 23.

⁶ Second, angels assisted the governing body. Before Cornelius was baptized as the first uncircumcised Gentile Christian, an angel directed him to send for the apostle Peter. After Peter preached to Cornelius and his relatives, holy spirit was poured out on them, although the men had not been circumcised. This prompted the apostles and other brothers to submit to God’s will and accept uncircumcised Gentiles into the Christian congregation. (Acts 11:13-18) Moreover, angels actively promoted and accelerated the preaching work that the governing body was overseeing. (Acts 5:19, 20) Third, God’s Word guided the governing body. Whether they were settling doctrinal issues or they were giving organizational direction, those spirit-anointed elders were led by the Scriptures.​—Acts 1:20-22; 15:15-20.

7. Why can we say that Jesus led the early Christians?

⁷ Although that governing body had authority in the early congregation, they acknowledged that their Leader was Jesus. “He [Christ] gave some as apostles,” wrote the apostle Paul. “Let us by love grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ.” (Eph. 4:11, 15) Instead of naming themselves after a prominent apostle, “the disciples were by divine providence called Christians.” (Acts 11:26) True, Paul acknowledged the importance of “holding fast the traditions,” or Scripturally based practices, given by the apostles and other men who took the lead. Nevertheless, he added: “But I want you to know that the head of every man [including every member of the governing body] is the Christ; . . . in turn, the head of the Christ is God.” (1 Cor. 11:2, 3) Yes, under his Head, Jehovah God, the invisible and glorified Christ Jesus was leading the congregation.