Jesus the Good Shepherd

Study of John 10:11-21

“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so 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 My Father.”

A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?” Others were saying, “These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?” — John 10:11-21

After Jesus identified Himself as the door of the sheep (sheepfold), the third of His 'I AM' statements in the gospel of John, saying that anyone who enters through Him (the Door) will be saved, He now identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd (fourth I AM statement).

The adjective 'good' is to contrast against the bad shepherds of Israel, their religious leaders, who are only hirelings and does not really love and care for the sheep. The Jews are familiar with Old Testament metaphor of God being their Shepherd like for example Psalm 23 and Isaiah 40:11 and God appointing them shepherds after His own heart Jeremiah 3:15.

But Jesus is most probably alluding to Ezekiel 34 as background of His rebuke on Israel's bad shepherds and that God Himself will take care of His sheep because He could not rely on the hirelings. 

Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them. They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search or seek for them.”’” 

Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: “As I live,” declares the Lord God, “surely because My flock has become a prey, My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock; therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.”’” 

For thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord God. “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment.

— Ezekiel 34:1-16

Israel was trampled upon by their enemies, many killed, their temple, kingdom, and nation destroyed, and they were scattered in exile over the earth because their leaders, the bad shepherds, led them to horrible sins against God, broke their covenant with God, and therefore received the covenant curses as consequence.

But God, as the Shepherd of Israel, promised their restoration by sending them One Shepherd from the Davidic dynasty, the ultimate Son of David, Jesus, partially fulfilled today but complete fulfillment is still future upon Jesus' second coming.

“Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the Lord have spoken.  “I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing. Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. They will no longer be a prey to the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not devour them; but they will live securely, and no one will make them afraid. I will establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again be victims of famine in the land, and they will not endure the insults of the nations anymore. Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,” declares the Lord God. “As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God,” declares the Lord God.

— Ezekiel 34:23-31

And Jesus, the Good Shepherd, lays down His life willingly for His sheep, purchasing them with His blood and therefore He owns His sheep. 

All of us like sheep have gone astray,

Each of us has turned to his own way;

But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all

To fall on Him.

— Isaiah 53:6

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

— Acts 20:28

He calls His lost sheep, not only from Israel but also among the gentiles and they will listen to His voice and be gathered into one flock in the church.

I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.

— John 10:16

Jesus willingly laid down His life for He had authority both to lay it down and raise it up again. He is not a reluctant Savior but a zealous One. He is even more willing to save us than we are willing to be saved. And the Father loves that His Son is willing to save the people that the Father has given Him by laying down His life and be glorified in His resurrection.

The sheep enjoys the care of the Good Shepherd. Jesus loves His flock not only collectively but also individually and calls them by name (verse 3) as the Father knows Him and He knows the Father.

Who wouldn't want such a Good Shepherd as Jesus? Verse 20 reveals the reality of man's sick and wicked heart as they continue to reject Jesus and blaspheme Him saying He has a demon. A reminder for us that we cannot boast, for if not because of the Good Shepherd's laying down His life for us and calling us, and giving us abundant life, we would remain in our sins, lostness, and spiritual deadness.