In John 10, Jesus continues a discussion with the Jewish leaders that came as a result of the events of the previous two chapters, where Jesus condemns them for being blinded to his message and refusing to accept his testimony, stating that they could not hear because they were not of God, but were instead serving the devil.
In light of that, he gives a description of the typical sheep fold of the region, with the shepherd working with his sheep, leading them out, protecting them, calling them by name, and caring for their needs. He then makes two comparisons about himself: Jesus calls himself “the door” as well as “the good shepherd.
What does he mean by “good?” He is contrasting himself with the current leaders, who he calls in one illustration “robbers and thieves” and in another illustration hirelings who don’t care about the sheep they’re charged to protect. But by calling himself the “GOOD” shepherd, he’s also indicating that he has something to offer the sheep that no shepherd before or since could ever give.
There are three things that jump out of his analogy:
- Jesus is the good shepherd in that the sheep of God will recognize him and follow him, and not anyone else.
- Jesus is the good shepherd in that he truly cares for his sheep, both as a flock and as individuals.
- Jesus is the good shepherd in that he can bless his sheep in ways that even the best shepherd could never bless them.