What does it mean that Jesus is the good shepherd (John 10:11, 14)?

from the old testament

• A primary background passage for understanding Jesus’ statements in John 10 is Ezekiel 34. In that chapter, Israel’s leaders were described as shepherds responsible for caring for God’s “flock” (Ezekiel 34:1–2), His people.
• However, they repeatedly failed to do so. God said, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them” (Ezekiel 34:2–6).
• This results in a strong rebuke: “Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep” (Ezekiel 34:10). God declared that He was done with the wicked shepherds, taking matters into His own hands.
• He then promised that He Himself would become the shepherd: “Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. … I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice” (Ezekiel 34:11–12, 15–16).
• However, God did not promise to include everyone in His flock. Rather, He said, “As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. … must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?” (Ezekiel 34:17, 19). He was saying that He would separate the people, choosing only those who truly belonged to Him, like a true shepherd who separates his sheep from the sheep of others.
• He ended with the following promise: “I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them” (Ezekiel 34:23–24). This is what’s known as a Messianic promise, a promise that someone in the line of David would come and be the true Shepherd.

from the new testament

• John 10 comes on the heels of the Jewish leaders trying to get a healed man to say that Jesus was a sinner (John 9:24), and the leaders were appalled at Jesus saying that they were spiritually blind (John 9:39–41). He then began an illustration using sheep and a sheep pen to show how the Jewish leaders were like thieves trying to take what was not theirs (John 10:1).
• After referring to Himself as the door to the pen, showing how He protects His sheep and salvation only comes through Him (John 10:2–9), Jesus changed the illustration to say that not only was He the entry into the flock but that He was also that flock’s shepherd, referring to Himself twice as the “good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14).
• By saying that He was the “good” shepherd, Jesus did not mean a “competent” shepherd but the true and ideal shepherd, alluding to the Old Testament passages such as Ezekiel 34. There, the false shepherds were the Jewish leaders, and the true Shepherd was to be God and, visibly, a descendant of David.
• Jesus, as fully God (John 1:1), added a human nature to be just like us (John 1:14). He was the descendant of David (Matthew 1:1) and thus the long-ago promised Shepherd, come to rescue His people.
• Because Jesus is the true shepherd, unlike the “hired men” (the Jewish leaders) who see danger and flee, leaving the sheep to fend for themselves (John 10:12-13), Jesus lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11, 15, 17–18). Indeed, Jesus came for that purpose, to die for the sins of His sheep (i.e., Romans 3:25–26).
• As the good shepherd, Jesus also said He knew who actually belonged to Him. He knows them (John 10:14). The Greek word used in this verse for “know” refers to relational knowledge. Jesus does not just know about His sheep; He personally knows each of them. Likewise, those who are His true sheep know Him as well.
• In context, Jesus first spoke about the sheep of Israel, those whom the false shepherds had scattered. However, Jesus said that His sheep were not limited to the Jews, that there were others outside of the flock, a reference to the Gentiles. Those other sheep, He said, would hear His voice and recognize Him as their shepherd and follow Him (John 10:16).

implications for today

Jesus personally and relationally knows each believer that the Father has given Him (John 10:14). He cares for them in a special way beyond how He cares for the world, protecting them from evil and guiding them through His Spirit (John 14:16–17). As their Shepherd, He promises to keep every single sheep safe (John 10:27–28).

For believers, this is a great encouragement because we know that even when the wolves of life seem to surround us, our shepherd knows and stands guard. He will carry us through this life and into the next. That doesn’t mean everything in this life will be smooth, but that we will grow through our suffering (James 1:2–4) and be purified, becoming more like Him in the process (1 Peter 1:6–7).

Additionally, knowing who He is helps us in evangelism. Jesus sent us into the world to bring His gospel (Matthew 28:19–20), but He has not called us to save people. We are called to faithfully  proclaim Him to the nations. The good shepherd has promised that His sheep will hear His call through us and respond in faith. This means we can share confidently, without the burden of guilt, if they don’t respond. Instead, we are assured that if God places us in contact with one of Jesus’ sheep, as we share the gospel with them, the Spirit will cause them to hear and believe. Salvation is not dependent on us but on our good shepherd.