John 10:11
“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Continuing his teaching about the sheepfold, Jesus contrasts himself with hired hands who abandon the sheep. He declares himself the good shepherd who gives his life for them.
What Does John 10:11 Mean?
John 10:11 records one of the most beloved of Jesus' "I am" sayings: "I am the good shepherd." He claims a role woven all through Scripture, where God is pictured as the shepherd of his people, and then he defines what makes this shepherd good -- he lays down his life for the sheep.
The word translated "good" carries the sense of noble, beautiful, the genuine article. A good shepherd is not a hired hand who flees at the first sign of danger but one who is wholly committed to the flock's welfare. Jesus marks the supreme proof of that goodness: "the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." This goes beyond ordinary care or even risk; it is the deliberate laying down of his own life on their behalf. The little word "for" means in place of, on behalf of -- his life given so the sheep may live. Here the shepherd imagery opens directly onto the cross. The same Jesus who knows his sheep, calls them by name, and leads them is the one who will die to rescue them. This is the heart of his love: not a distant overseer but a shepherd who counts the lives of his sheep as worth his own.
In the Original Language
The Greek "poimen ho kalos" means "the good shepherd," where "kalos" denotes what is noble, beautiful, and genuine. "Tithesin ten psychen" means to lay down one's life.
Cross References
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
- Psalm 23:1
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
- Isaiah 53:6
“For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”
- 1 Peter 2:25
Application
You are loved by a shepherd who laid down his life for you. Entrust yourself to his care, knowing he counts your life as worth his own.
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