Peter Drucker once said that a leader needs to define reality. It is one thing to be a cheerleader and another thing to be a realist in this world. Part of leadership is a steely eyed examination of the facts and then the ability to vision a preferred future and get others to work towards that future. Whether it is accomplished or not depends upon the difficulty of enterprise and the number of “side swipes” or seeming failures that develop. It always amazes me that everything that Jesus did in the eyes of the world was a failure. Even His miracles at the end were claimed to be frauds – “he saved others, let Him save Himself if He is the Christ if God”. He lost most of His disciples when He spoke about eating His flesh, and at the end almost all abandoned Him. Yet as Scripture says, “It was God’s will, (plan), to crush Him” (Isaiah 53:10). The foolishness of the Cross is our hope for the preferred future prepared for us by Christ. Jesus speaks in John 16 –
25 “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. 28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”
29 His disciples said to Him, “See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! 30 Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God.”
31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will[a] have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
