I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 10:11
“I am the good shepherd” is the fourth of seven “I am” statements Jesus makes about Himself in the gospel of John.
He uses terminology and symbolism that would have been familiar to His audience. In this case, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the Jewish people.
Not only were shepherds common in Jesus’ day and throughout the Old Testament, but the term was often used to describe leaders.
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David were all shepherds. And Moses and David were also shepherd-leaders of Israel. Now it was the Pharisees and other religious leaders who acted as Israel’s shepherds.
When Jesus spoke to the Pharisees about the sheep-shepherd analogy, they considered themselves to be the true sheep of God as well as good shepherds for their flock (the Jewish people under their care).
Interestingly, Jesus was about to turn their thinking upside down.
Why does Jesus call Himself the good shepherd? And what does this mean for us today?
Let’s find out.
Table of Contents
Why Does Jesus Call Himself the Good Shepherd?
Jesus calls Himself the good shepherd because He is uniquely good and cares for and protects His “sheep.” His “sheep” are all those who hear His voice and follow Him. He laid down His life for them, gives them eternal life, and won’t let anyone take them away. Jesus contrasts Himself with the religious leaders who didn’t have the “sheep’s” best interests in mind. But instead, they were more like false shepherds or hired hands who cared more about themselves.
The Morning Shepherding Scene – John 10:1-5
Jesus begins by describing a morning shepherding scene.
The shepherd would arrive at the sheep pen and enter by the gate. The gatekeeper would let him in because he knew the shepherd’s flock was inside.
The sheep pen was a walled enclosure made of stone with several flocks. Each flock had a different shepherd. So, when a shepherd showed up and called his sheep by name, they came to him.
He would lead them out to pasture, and they followed him because they recognized his voice. Knowing the shepherd’s voice is critical.
In other words, sheep will run away rather than follow a stranger because they don’t know their voice. The stranger could be anyone other than their shepherd.
The point Jesus is making here is how a shepherd gathers his flock.
In terms of people, Jesus is the shepherd who calls His sheep by name. Those who follow Him are part of His flock (see John 1:43; 8:12; 12:26; 21:19,22). Those who don’t believe are not His sheep (John 10:26).
The Sheep Out to Pasture – John 10:7-10
Once the shepherd had gathered his flock, he would lead them out to pasture. Nearby would be another enclosure for the sheep. The shepherd would take his place at the doorway and operate as the gate. The sheep could only go in or out as He allowed.
This system gave them a sense of security and freedom.
A good shepherd will let the sheep go out into the pasture or retreat to the safety of the enclosure if they are afraid.
Jesus says, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9).
The spiritual significance is that Jesus is the only way to the Father and all He offers. He is the only door through which people can enter into God’s provision for them.
John 14:6 I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
What Makes Jesus the Uniquely Good Shepherd? – John 10:11-18, 28-30
Jesus began by naming one thing that makes Him a good shepherd. Next, He contrasts Himself with false shepherds who don’t honestly care about the sheep. He doesn’t name the Pharisees but has them in mind.
The Pharisees may have believed they had the best interests of the people (their sheep) at heart, but Jesus compares them to bad shepherds or hired hands who cared more about themselves (John 10:12-13).
Additionally, Jesus gives six ways that set Him apart from other shepherds. He says:
I Laid Down My Life for You – John 10:11,15, 17-18
The first thing we learn about Jesus as the good shepherd is His willingness to die for us.
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
Jesus was not only willing, but He actually died for us on the cross. And we weren’t even His friends. Jesus died for us while we were still sinners and had no love for Him whatsoever.
John 19:17-18a They took Jesus therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him…
John 10:17b-18 …I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from the Father.
1 John 3:16a We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us…
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
I Care About You Perfectly and as a Good Shepherd Would – John 10:14-15
In contrast to the hired hand, Jesus knows His sheep intimately, like the Father knows Jesus.
And the relationship is reciprocal. Jesus’ sheep (His followers) have a close relationship with Him just as He does with the Father.
This mutual relationship is based on eleven truths we see about our good shepherd in Psalm 23:
- He provides for your needs – “I shall not want” v.1
- He gives you contentment – “He makes me lie down in green pastures” v.2
- He leads you to refreshment – “He leads me beside quiet waters” v.2
- He restores you – “He restores my soul” v.3
- He guides you rightly – “He guides me in the paths of righteousness” v.3
- He protects you – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil” v.4
- He is always present – “For Thou art with me” v.4
- He comforts you – “Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me” v.4
- He makes you feel safe and loved – “Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou hast anointed my head with oil, my cup overflows” v.5
- His goodness and mercy follow after you – “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life” v.6
- He promises eternal life – “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” v.6
We, in return, love, obey and trust Him because we know we are loved, protected, well cared for, and at peace.
RELATED > > > > > Why Give Thanks to the Lord? – Psalm 23
I Bring in Other Sheep – John 10:16
When Jesus said he had other sheep not yet in the flock, it was because it was still in the future.
After Jesus returned to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit, He made salvation available to everyone.
In one sense, Jesus is talking about all future believers, but specifically, He meant the Gentiles. Together, they would form one flock or what we call the Church and the body of Christ (Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 12:27).
I Give You Eternal Life – John 10:28
Eternal life is a gift from God. It happens in the future in a place we call heaven and involves living forever with Him. There will be no more pain, sadness, sickness, or sin. We will have new bodies that can never die or decay.
We like to imagine a utopia. Well, that’s what eternal life will be. We will live forever in perfection with God.
To receive this gift of eternal life, one must recognize they have sinned and are separated from a holy God. They must also believe that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and made the only way possible for them to be reconciled to God.
RELATED > > > > > Will Everyone Go to Heaven? – What the Bible Says
No One Can Take You Away – John 10:28-29
Once you belong to Jesus’ flock, you are His sheep, and He says in verse 28, “and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand,” and again in verse 29, “no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
The Bible Knowledge Commentary says:
The security of the sheep is found in the ability of the Shepherd to defend and preserve His flock. Such security does not depend on the ability of the frail sheep.
These two verses speak clearly of the eternal security of the believer. Those who believe in Jesus for salvation will never be lost.
I Am Equal to the Father – John 10:30
When Jesus says, “I and the Father are one,” He is not saying they are the same person. He is saying that He, the Son, and the Father are two Persons in the Trinity.
The Ryrie Study Bible (1978) says:
The Father and Son are in perfect unity in their natures and actions, but the neuter form of “one” rules out the meaning that they are one person.
In other words, Jesus and the Father (plus the Holy Spirit) are God. God is three divine persons in one.
I Am the Good Shepherd
Final Thoughts
I hope you have enjoyed reading about why Jesus calls Himself the good shepherd.
We learn many things about a good shepherd in Psalm 23, but John 10 adds more truths that make Jesus uniquely the good shepherd.
Jesus is the one who brings the sheep into the fold when they hear His voice and follow Him. He died so they could have eternal life. And once they become part of the flock, no one can snatch them out of His or the Father’s hand.
Having Jesus as your shepherd and being part of His flock is about being saved and receiving eternal life.
Jesus’ sheep are the ones who follow Him by trusting in what He did for them. By grace you are saved through faith; it is a gift from God. You, as the sheep, can do nothing to merit salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). You wholly depend on your shepherd.
If, after reading, you still have questions about how to be saved, reading about the first convert in Philippi may help.