John 10:1-18
The Good Shepherd and His Flock
1"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep.3The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." 6Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
7Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd”...The relationship of believers with Jesus Christ is that of sheep to a shepherd...The LORD is our shepherd; we are his flock...The flock often wanders around loses itself from the Shepherd and from the other flock...Our Father gave Jesus His flock, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand...Jesus knows us completely and says I AM he Good Shepherd...I know my own and my own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father...The Good Shepherd would lay down His life for each of us...I AM the Good Shepherd...The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep...And so He did on the cross lay down His life for His sheep...Jesus has other sheep that are not of this fold...He would bring them also, and they will listen to His voice...Jesus is the Good Shepherd....His believers know Him…Through the Holy Spirit we sheep hear His voice...Jesus gives us eternal life, so that we in His Flock will never perish...Jesus, the Good Shepherd, will guard us forever...Jesus gives the Flock eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of His hand...His Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of His Father’s hand....
German-born American-naturalized Lutheran pastor, scholar, and author Richard Charles Henry Lenski wrote about the Good Shepherd...“Flock” brings to mind all the shepherd imagery found in the Scriptures: the sheep gentle, defenseless, liable to stray, needing a shepherd, happy, peaceful under his care, pitiful when lost, scattered, etc...This is “God’s flock” that was bought with a great price (Acts 20:28), that is exceedingly precious in His sight, a great trust placed into the hands of human shepherds who are to pattern after Yahweh, the Shepherd (Psalm. 23), and Christ, the Archshepherd (1 Pet. 5:4)...What shepherd could have the care of any part of God’s flock and treat it carelessly!...