36 The Good Shepherd (John 10:1–21)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them. So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 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?” (10:1–21)

The Bible refers to Jesus Christ by many titles. He is called the Amen (Rev. 3:14; cf. 2 Cor. 1:20), the Alpha and the Omega (Rev. 22:13), the Advocate (1 John 2:1), the Apostle (Heb. 3:1), the Author and Perfecter of faith (Heb. 12:2), the Author of salvation (Heb. 2:10), the Beginning (source, origin) of the creation of God (Rev. 3:14), the Branch (Jer. 23:5), the Bread of Life (John 6:35), the Cornerstone (Eph. 2:20), the Consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25), the Counselor (Isa. 9:6), the Deliverer (Rom. 11:26), the Door of the sheep (John 10:7), Eternal Father (Isa. 9:6), the Faithful witness (Rev. 1:5), the First and the Last (Rev. 1:17), the Firstborn (Preeminent One) of the dead (Rev. 1:5) and over all creation (Col. 1:15), the Forerunner (Heb. 6:20), the Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14), God blessed forever (Rom. 9:5), the Guardian of souls (1 Peter 2:25), the Head of the church (Col. 1:18), the Holy One of God (John 6:69), I AM (John 8:58), Immanuel (Isa. 7:14), the King of Israel (John 1:49; cf. Zech. 9:9), King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Tim. 6:15), the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45), the Lamb of God (John 1:29), the Light of the World (John 8:12), the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5), Lord (John 13:13), the Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8), the Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5), the Messenger of the covenant (Mal. 3:1), the Messiah (John 1:41; 4:25–26), the Mighty God (Isa. 9:6), the Morning Star (Rev. 22:16), the Only Begotten (Unique One) from the Father (John 1:14), our Passover (1 Cor. 5:7), the Prince of life (Acts 3:15), the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6), the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), the Righteous One (Acts 7:52), the Rock (1 Cor. 10:4), the Root and Descendant of David (Rev. 22:16), the Root of Jesse (Isa. 11:10), the Ruler in Israel (Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:6), the Ruler of the kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5), Savior (Luke 2:11; Titus 1:4), the Servant (Isa. 42:1), Shiloh (Gen. 49:10), the Son of the Blessed One (Mark 14:61), the Son of David (Matt. 12:23; 21:9), the Son of God (Luke 1:35), the Son of Man (John 5:27); the Son of the Most High (Luke 1:32), the Sun of Righteousness (Mal. 4:2), the Sunrise from on high (Luke 1:78), the True God (1 John 5:20), the True Vine (John 15:1), the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6), the Word (John 1:1, 14), the Word of God (Rev. 19:13), and the Word of Life (1 John 1:1).

But perhaps His most endearing and intimate title is that of Shepherd. Centuries before the Messiah came, the Old Testament had predicted that He would shepherd His people. In Ezekiel 34:23 God said, “Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David [a reference to the Messiah, David’s descendant], and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd” (cf. 37:24). Micah prophesied that the Messiah would “arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God” (Mic. 5:4). Predicting Messiah’s death, Zechariah 13:7 says, “’Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man, My Associate,’ declares the Lord of hosts. ‘Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; and I will turn My hand against the little ones.’”

The New Testament also depicts Christ as Shepherd. When asked by Herod where the Messiah would be born, the chief priests and scribes quoted Micah 5:2: “And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel” (Matt. 2:6). Predicting that the disciples would desert Him when He was arrested, Jesus quoted Zechariah 13:7: “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike down the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered’” (Matt. 26:31). The apostle Peter described Jesus as the Shepherd of believers’ souls (1 Peter 2:25), and later as the Chief Shepherd of the church (5:4). The writer of Hebrews closed his epistle with the benediction, “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (Heb. 13:20–21). Even beyond this life, Jesus will continue to shepherd His people for all eternity in heaven; “the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Rev. 7:17).

Nowhere in all of Scripture is Jesus Christ more clearly portrayed as the Shepherd of His people than in the tenth chapter of John’s gospel. This discourse in which He presents Himself as the Good Shepherd flows directly from the events of the preceding chapter; there is no time gap or break in thought between chapters 9 and 10 (cf. 10:21). The Lord continued to speak to the same people—His disciples, the formerly blind beggar, the hostile Pharisees, and the others in the ever-present crowd.

This opening section of chapter 10 presents four distinctives of the Good Shepherd’s pastoral work. It is a shepherding ministry marked by contrast to false shepherds, by concern for the flock, by compliance to the Father, and by controversy in a fallen world.

A MINISTRY MARKED BY CONTRAST TO FALSE SHEPHERDS

Throughout Israel’s history, shepherding had always been a familiar part of everyday agrarian life. And the people all knew that sheep are the most helpless, defenseless, straying, and dirty of animals. They require constant oversight, leading, rescue, and cleaning or they will die. Being a shepherd was good training for leading people. In fact, the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had been shepherds (Gen. 13:1–11; 26:12–14; 46:32; 47:3), as were Israel’s greatest leaders: Moses (Ex. 3:1) and David (1 Sam. 16:11; 17:28, 34; 2 Sam. 7:8). It is not surprising, then, that the Old Testament writers frequently used shepherding imagery, depicting Israel as God’s flock (Pss. 74:1; 77:20; 78:52; 79:13; 80:1; 95:7; 100:3; Ezek. 34:12–16), God as her Shepherd (Gen. 48:15; 49:24; Pss. 23:1; 28:9; 80:1; Isa. 40:11; Jer. 23:3; Ezek. 34:11–12; Mic. 7:14), and her leaders as God’s undershepherds (Num. 27:16–17; 2 Sam. 5:2; 1 Chron. 17:6; Ps. 78:70–72; Jer. 3:15; 23:4). The New Testament writers also used that same familiar terminology to describe the church (Acts 20:28–29; 1 Peter 5:2–3).

But while the metaphor of a shepherd suggests tender care, it can also depict harsh, abusive, autocratic rule. As will be seen in the discussion of verse 1 below, the Bible refers to false spiritual leaders, as well as true ones, as shepherds. In verses 1–10 Jesus contrasted Himself with Israel’s false shepherds by using two images: He is the true Shepherd of the sheep, and He is the only door to the sheepfold.

JESUS IS THE TRUE SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP

As noted earlier in this volume (cf. the discussion of 8:34 in chapter 30), the phrase amen, amen (truly, truly) introduces a statement of notable importance. Jesus began this discourse by identifying Himself as the true Shepherd, in sharp contrast to all false shepherds. Each village in the sheepherding regions of Palestine had a fold where sheep were kept at night. The shepherds would graze their flocks in the surrounding countryside during the day, and then lead them back to the communal sheepfold in the evening. There the shepherds would stop each sheep at the entrance with their rods and carefully inspect it before allowing it to enter the fold (cf. Ezek. 20:37–38). Once in the fold, the sheep were in the care of the doorkeeper (a hired undershepherd; v. 12), who would keep watch over them during the night. He would give only the shepherds access to the sheepfold; therefore anyone who could not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbed up some other way, was a thief and a robber. Since the doorkeeper obviously would not let strangers in, would-be rustlers had to climb the wall of the sheepfold to get at the sheep. Only the one who entered by the door was a shepherd of the sheep.

Each of those common elements of everyday life had a symbolic meaning in the Lord’s metaphor. Though some argue that the sheepfold represents the church or heaven, the context (cf. v. 16) indicates that it represents Israel. In addition, it is hard to see how thieves could break into either the church or heaven and steal sheep (cf. vv. 27–29). The door is Jesus Himself (vv. 7, 9), who alone has the authority to lead out of Israel’s fold His own elect sheep. The thieves and robbers represent the self-appointed (cf. Matt. 23:2) Jewish religious leaders, who, doing the work of the devil, not God, climbed the walls of the sheepfold to spiritually fleece and slaughter the people.

Those leaders were the latest in a long line of false shepherds in Israel. Isaiah pictured such hypocrites in graphic terms as “mute dogs unable to bark, dreamers lying down, who love to slumber; … dogs [who] are greedy, [and] are not satisfied … shepherds who have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each one to his unjust gain, to the last one” (Isa. 56:10–11).”The shepherds have become stupid,” wrote Jeremiah, “and have not sought the Lord; therefore they have not prospered, and all their flock is scattered” (Jer. 10:21). In 12:10 the Lord said through Jeremiah, “Many shepherds have ruined My vineyard, they have trampled down My field; they have made My pleasant field a desolate wilderness.” “My people have become lost sheep,” God lamented in 50:6.”Their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turn aside on the mountains; they have gone along from mountain to hill and have forgotten their resting place.”

But Israel’s false shepherds would not escape God’s judgment. In Jeremiah 23:1–2 God warned,

“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people:’You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds,’ declares the Lord.”

In a devastating indictment of the false shepherds, and what may have been in our Lord’s mind and prompted His teaching, God declared through Ezekiel,

“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.”’” (Ezek. 34:2–10)

Lying prophets, often posing as true shepherds, also threatened the early church (as they still do today). Jesus cautioned, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matt. 7:15). Paul warned the elders of the Ephesian church, “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock” (Acts 20:29). Peter wrote, “False prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves” (2 Peter 2:1). In his first epistle John cautioned, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). (For a further discussion of false teachers in the church, see 2 Peter and Jude, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 2005], especially chapters 5–7, 11–13.)

Scripture also predicts the coming of the ultimate false shepherd, the final Antichrist. Zechariah 11:16–17 reveals that as part of His divine judgment on Israel (and the world), God is

going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs. Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! A sword will be on his arm and on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered and his right eye will be blind. (cf. Dan. 11:36–45; 2 Thess. 2:3–10; Rev. 13:3–10)

Continuing with the figure of speech, Christ said that His sheep hear His voice when He calls them out of Israel and into His messianic fold. His imagery pictures the human response to the effectual, divine call to salvation (John 6:44, 65; 17:6, 9, 24; 18:9; Rom. 1:7; 8:28–30; 9:24; 1 Cor. 1:2, 23–24; Gal. 1:6, 15; Eph. 4:1, 4; Col. 3:15; 1 Thess. 4:7; 2 Thess. 2:13–14; 1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 1:9; 1 Peter 1:15; 2:9, 21; 5:10; 2 Peter 1:3; Jude 1). Jesus calls his own sheep by name, because they are His. Their names were “written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain” (Rev. 13:8; cf. 3:5; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; Phil. 4:3), and they have been given to Him by the Father (John 6:37).

After calling His sheep, Christ leads them out of the fold, puts them forth to pasture, goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him. In the Near East the shepherd went ahead of his flock, alert to any potential dangers, making sure the trail was safe and passable, and leading the sheep to feed in the green pastures he had already scouted. So it is in salvation. Jesus savingly calls His sheep and leads them out of the fold where they were kept, taking them to the “green pastures” and “quiet waters” of God’s truth and blessing (Ps. 23:2).

The reason the sheep follow the Shepherd is because they know his voice. Actual sheep recognize the voice of their own shepherd, and will not respond to that of another. Philip Keller writes,

The relationship which rapidly develops between a shepherd and the sheep under his care is to a definite degree dependent upon the use of the shepherd’s voice. Sheep quickly become accustomed to their owner’s particular voice. They are acquainted with its unique tone. They know its peculiar sounds and inflections. They can distinguish it from that of any other person.

If a stranger should come among them, they would not recognize nor respond to his voice in the same way they would to that of the shepherd. Even if the visitor should use the same words and phrases as that of their rightful owner they would not react in the same way. It is a case of becoming actually conditioned to the familiar nuances and personal accent of their shepherd’s call. (A Shepherd Looks at the Good Shepherd and His Sheep [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979], 39–40)

On the other hand, a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.

True believers will not abandon Christ, the Good Shepherd, to follow false shepherds. True believers recognize the truth revealed by God (8:31–32, 47, 51–52) and reject error. John expressed that truth in his first epistle:

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:1–6)

No one who is genuinely saved will finally and completely turn away from Jesus Christ. Jesus’ warning that “false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect” (Matt. 24:24) clearly implies that such deception is impossible. Those who abandon their profession of faith in the truth prove that neither their faith nor their salvation was ever genuine. “They went out from us,” John wrote, “but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19). John, then, contrasts such departure from the truth, the voice of the Shepherd, with faithfulness to His voice. He writes of the true sheep,

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. (1 John 2:20–24)

Those who are Christ’s do not leave Him to follow those who deny the truth.

The apostle John concluded this first metaphor with a footnote:This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them. The Greek word translated figure of speech (paroimia) describes veiled, enigmatic language that conceals a symbolic meaning. Though the figure of speech was presented plainly enough to the religious leaders, they failed to grasp its significance. So ingrained was their belief that as Abraham’s descendants they were part of God’s flock that they completely missed Jesus’ indictment of them when He stated that He was the true Shepherd and they were false shepherds to whom the sheep would not listen. Like His parables (Matt. 13:10–16), this figure of speech served a twofold purpose: It revealed spiritual truth to His followers, and concealed it from those who rejected Him.

JESUS IS THE ONLY DOOR TO THE FOLD

So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (10:7–10)

Here Jesus changed the metaphor slightly. In the first figure of speech, He was the Shepherd; here He is the Door to the sheepfold. This is the third of seven statements in John’s gospel where “I AM” is followed by a predicate nominative (v. 11; 6:35; 8:12; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5).

Since the religious leaders had failed to understand His first figure of speech, Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” Sometimes the shepherd slept in the opening of the sheepfold to guard the sheep. No one could enter or leave except through him. In Jesus’ metaphor He is the door through which the sheep enter the safety of God’s fold and go out to the rich pasture of His blessing. It is through Him that lost sinners can approach the Father and appropriate the salvation He provides; Jesus alone is “the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through [Him]” (14:6; cf. Acts 4:12; 1 Cor. 1:30; 3:11; 1 Tim. 2:5). Only Jesus is the true source of the knowledge of God and salvation, and the basis for spiritual security.

The Lord’s assertion, “All who came before Me are thieves and robbers,” does not, of course, include Israel’s true spiritual leaders (such as Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Ezra, Nehemiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, among many others). Jesus was referring to Israel’s false shepherds—her wicked kings, corrupt priests, false prophets, and pseudo-messiahs. However, the true sheep did not hear them; they did not heed them and were not led astray by them (see the discussion of vv. 4 and 5 above).

Then Jesus reiterated the vital truth of verse 7: “I am the door;” and He added the promise, “If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved” from sin and hell. Christ’s sheep will experience God’s love, forgiveness, and salvation; they will go in and out freely, always having access to God’s blessing and protection, and never fearing any harm or danger. They will find satisfying pasture as the Lord feeds them (cf. Ps.23:1–3; Ezek. 34:15) on His Word (cf. Acts 20:32). In utter contrast to the thieving false shepherds who, like their father the devil (8:44) came only to steal and kill and destroy the sheep, Jesus came that they may have spiritual and eternal life (cf. John 5:21; 6:33, 51–53, 57; Rom. 6:4; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:1, 5; Col. 2:13), and have it abundantly. Perissos (abundantly) describes something that goes far beyond what is necessary. The matchless gift of eternal life exceeds all expectation (cf. John 4:10 with 7:38; see also Rom. 8:32; 2 Cor. 9:15).

A MINISTRY MARKED BY CONCERN FOR THE FLOCK

“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.” (10:11–16)

This section reveals three blessings the Good Shepherd gives to His sheep because He is genuinely concerned for them (cf. v. 13): He dies for them, loves them, and unites them.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD DIES FOR HIS SHEEP

Jesus’ identification of Himself as the good shepherd points back to the true shepherd described in verses 2 to 5. It is the fourth “I AM” statement in John’s gospel (see the discussion of v. 7 above). The Greek text literally reads, “the shepherd, the good one,” setting Christ the Good Shepherd apart from all other shepherds. Kalos (good) refers to His noble character (cf. 1 Tim. 3:7; 4:6; 2 Tim. 2:3; 1 Peter 4:10); He is the perfect, authentic Shepherd; in a class by Himself; preeminent above all others.

Being a faithful shepherd entailed a willingness to lay one’s life on the line to protect the sheep. Robbers and wild animals such as wolves, lions, and bears were a constant danger (cf. 1 Sam. 17:34; Isa. 31:4; Amos 3:12). But Jesus, the good shepherd, went far beyond merely being willing to risk or actually risking His life for His sheep; He actually laid down His life for them (cf. v. 15; 6:51; 11:50–51; 18:14). The phrase lays down His life is unique to John’s writings and always refers to a voluntary, sacrificial death (vv. 15, 17–18; 13:37–38; 15:13; 1 John 3:16). Jesus gave His life for His sheep, because they were chosen to become part of His flock. The preposition huper (for) is frequently used in the New Testament to refer to Christ’s substitutionary atonement for the elect (cf. v. 15; 6:51; 11:50–51; 18:14; Luke 22:19; Rom. 5:6, 8; 8:32; 1 Cor. 11:24; 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:14–15, 21; Gal. 1:4; 2:20; 3:13; Eph. 5:2, 25; 1 Thess. 5:9–10; 1 Tim. 2:6; Titus 2:14; Heb. 2:9; 1 Peter 2:21; 3:18; 1 John 3:16). His death was an actual atonement to provide propitiation for the sins of all who would believe, as they were called and regenerated by the Spirit, because they were chosen by the Father.

Opposite the Good Shepherd, who gives His life for the sheep, is he who is a hired hand (like the doorkeeper of v. 3), and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, who sees the wolf coming (cf. Matt. 7:15; Acts 20:29), and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them (cf. Matt. 9:36; Mark 6:34). The hired hand symbolizes the Jewish religious leaders and, by extension, all false shepherds. They are always mercenaries, doing ministry not for love of the souls of men or even love for the truth, but for money (Titus 1:10–11; 1 Peter 5:2; 2 Peter 2:3). Therefore they flee at the first sign of threat to their well-being, because they are not concerned about the sheep. Their overriding priority is self-preservation, and the last thing they care to do is to sacrifice themselves for anyone.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD LOVES HIS 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.” (10:14–15)

It is because the Lord loves His own that He gave His life for them. The word know is used here to denote that love relationship. In Genesis 4:1, 17, 25; 19:8; 24:16; and 1 Samuel 1:19 the term know describes the intimate love relationship between husband and wife (the NASB translates the Hebrew verb “to know” in those verses “had relations with”). In Amos 3:2 God said of Israel, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth” (NKJV), speaking not as if He were unaware of any other nations, but of His unique love relationship with His people. Matthew 1:25 literally reads that Joseph “was not knowing [Mary]” until after the birth of Jesus. On the day of judgment, Jesus will send unbelievers away from Him because He does not know them; that is, He has no love relationship with them (Matt. 7:23). In these verses, know has that same connotation of a relationship of love. The simple truth here is that Jesus in love knows His own, they in love know Him, the Father in love knows Jesus, and He in love knows the Father. Believers are caught up in the deep and intimate affection that is shared between God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. 14:21, 23; 15:10; 17:25–26).

THE GOOD SHEPHERD UNITES HIS 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.” (10:16)

The other sheep in view here are Gentiles, who are not of Israel’s fold. They, too, will hear Jesus’ voice calling them to salvation (cf. Isa. 42:6; 49:6; Rom. 1:16), and redeemed Jews and Gentiles will become one flock with one shepherd. To suggest that Jews and Gentiles would be united in one flock was a revolutionary concept. The Jews despised Gentiles, and they returned the animosity. Even Jewish believers were so programmed to prejudice that they were slow to accept Gentiles as equal members in the church (cf. Acts 10:9–16, 28; 11:1–18; 15:1–29). But as Caiaphas unwittingly prophesied,

“It is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.” Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. (John 11:50–52)

To the Ephesians Paul wrote,

Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands—remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. (Eph. 2:11–16)

True unity between Jews and Gentiles defines the church because both are sheep who belong to the same Shepherd.

A MINISTRY MARKED BY COMPLIANCE TO THE FATHER

“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.” (10:17–18)

Two attitudes define the relationship of the incarnate Christ to the Father: love and obedience. The two are inseparably linked, since it is impossible to love God without obeying Him (John 15:9; 1 John 2:3–5; 5:3). The Father loves the Son because He laid down His life for the sheep, all of whom the Father had chosen in eternity past and given to the Son in time; the Son demonstrated His love to the Father “by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8). He did so voluntarily; no one took His life away from Him, but He laid it down on His own initiative. At His trial Jesus told Pilate, who would order His execution, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11; cf. Matt. 26:53–54). The Lord’s twice-repeated declaration that He would take His life up again points forward to His resurrection—the ultimate demonstration of His messi-ahship and deity (Rom. 1:4). As with everything He did, Christ exercised His authority to lay down His life and take it up again in voluntary compliance with and loving obedience to the commandment He received from the Father. By the power of His resurrection, He would raise all His flock to eternal glory (John 6:39–40, 44).

A MINISTRY MARKED BY CONTROVERSY IN A FALLEN WORLD

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?” (10:19–21)

As was always the case, Jesus’ teaching created heated controversy among those who heard Him, and a division occurred again among the Jews because of these words (cf. 7:12, 43; 9:16). Many of them were reiterating the familiar accusations, saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?” (7:20; 8:48, 52; cf. Matt. 9:34; 10:25; 12:24). Instead of even considering what Jesus was saying, many arbitrarily dismissed His words—responding with ridicule rather than repentance and faith in their own Messiah. Having already rejected Jesus (and His claim to be from God), they held their ground stubbornly and attributed His ministry to demons. Such a blasphemous and deluded conclusion is damning.

Others, however, not so blindly biased, were able to conclude the obvious—what the lucid, majestic sense and clarity of Christ’s words indicated: “These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed.” Then, reaching the same conclusion as the blind man whom Jesus had healed (9:30–33) they added, “A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?” Like the blind man, they realized that Jesus’ miraculous power was undeniable proof that He truly was sanctioned by and sent from God (cf. 7:31).