The Good Shepherd
John 10:11-21
As his sheep, do we know Jesus just like he knows his Father?
#shepherd
#intimacy
#Jesus
Published September 7th, 2018; Updated September 7th, 2018
Main point summary
John 10:11-21
ESV
Questions
Application
Arc**
notes
Main point summary
Jesus is the good shepherd who shares an intimate relationship with his sheep and would gladly die (and rise again) to save their lives because of his intimate, obedient relationship with his Father.
lookup
John 10:11-21 ESV
NT
John 10:11-21
esv
11 f I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd g lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is h a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and i leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and j scatters them. 13 He flees because k he is a hired hand and l cares nothing for the sheep. 14 m I am the good shepherd. n I know my own and o my own know me, 15 p just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and q I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And r I have other sheep that are not of this fold. s I must bring them also, and t they will listen to my voice. So there will be u one flock, v one shepherd. 17 w For this reason the Father loves me, x because y I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 z No one takes it from me, but y I lay it down a of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and b I have authority to take it up again. c This charge I have received from my Father.” 19 d There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, e “He has a demon, and f is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. g Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
Questions
What does "Good Shepherd" mean? What does the good shepherd do? What does the hired hand do? Why does he behave in this manner? How is the good shepherd different from the hired hand? What are the similar ideas in John 10:11 and John 10:14-15? What is different? How would you describe the relationship between the good shepherd and his sheep? Why does the good shepherd lay his life down for the sheep? What does the good shepherd say about the other sheep that he owns? What is the reaction that these sheep have to him? What does Jesus compare his relationship to the sheep with? How is Jesus laying down his life not futile - like a shepherd who dies, leaving the sheep at the mercy of the wolf? Who gave Jesus this authority/charge? Why does the Father love Jesus? Why does Jesus lay down his life for his sheep? [because of his obedience to the Father, because he has the authority both to lay down and to take up his life, in order that he may take it up again and for the sake of his sheep and their abundant life, cf. John 10:9-10] If Jesus compares the relationship of sheep and shepherd to his relationship with the Father, what does it tell us about how we should live? What do the words of Jesus result in? Have we seen this before? Why does this happen, considering that he is the light of the world? Why do people say "Why listen to him?"? Do these words have anything similar to the figure of speech Jesus just used? What? What does that tell us?
Application
What is it like to be sheep of the good shepherd? What does it look like to belong to Jesus? How does reality lead you in your life? Whose voice do we listen to? Who is our shepherd? Why do we need to preach the gospel? How can we be confident and encouraged to preach the gospel, based on this passage? Do we intimately know Jesus, like the Father's relationship to the Son? Is it necessary? Why according to the passage? What does this intimacy look like in our lives? How can we grow in this intimacy? What effect do Jesus' words have on our lives?
Arc**
editing
John 10:11-21
mine
f I am the good shepherd.
"I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd g lays down his life for the sheep.
The good shepherd is willing to lay down his life for the sake of his sheep.
ideaexplanation
He who is h a hired hand
The man who is hired
and not a shepherd,
and who is not a shepherd,
negativepositive
who does not own the sheep,
i.e., he does not own the sheep he is taking care of,
sees the wolf coming
this man behaves thus: he sees a predator
and i leaves the sheep
and leaves his post of protecting the sheep
and flees,
and runs away to protect himself.
progression
and the wolf snatches them
As a result, the predator grabs some sheep
and j scatters them.
and scatters the rest.
actionresult
inference
He flees
The hired watchman flees
because k he is a hired hand
because he is not the owner of the sheep
and l cares nothing for the sheep.
and so, does not care at all for the sheep.
bilateral
m I am the good shepherd.
I am the good shepherd.
n I know my own
As the good shepherd, I know and love my own sheep
and o my own know me,
and my own sheep know and love me.
series
p just as the Father knows me
This is just like the reality of my Father knowing and loving me
and I know the Father;
and my knowing and loving my Father.
comparison
and q I lay down my life for the sheep.
Therefore, since there is this intimate relationship between sheep and shepherd, just like the relationship between the Father and Son, I, the good shepherd, lay my life down for my sheep, whom I love intimately.
And r I have other sheep
Moreover, I have other sheep
that are not of this fold.
that are not part of this fold.
s I must bring them also,
Therefore, I have to bring them also,
and t they will listen to my voice.
and they will listen to my voice.
So there will be u one flock, v one shepherd.
Thus, there will be one flock of sheep with one shepherd.
w For this reason the Father loves me,
The reason the Father loves me
x because y I lay down my life
is because I lay my life down
that I may take it up again.
in order that I might take it up again.
actionpurpose
z No one takes it from me,
No one can take my life from me,
but y I lay it down a of my own accord.
but I lay my life down of my own willing.
I have authority to lay it down,
That is, I have the authority to lay my life down,
and b I have authority to take it up again.
and I have the authority to take it up again.
c This charge I have received from my Father.”
This is a duty entrusted to me by my Father."
ground
d There was again a division among the Jews
As a result, there was a division among the Jews again
because of these words.
because of what Jesus said.
Many of them said,
Several said,
e “He has a demon,
"He has a demon,
and f is insane;
and is insane;
why listen to him?”
so why listen to his words?"
Others said,
Others responded,
“These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon.
"These are not the words of a man oppressed by a demon,
g Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
because it is not possible for a demon to open the eyes of the blind!"
alternative
The good shepherd is hardy, true and noble, as seen by the explanation. He is good because he prioritises his sheep over himself.
What does "Good Shepherd" mean? What does the good shepherd do?
What does the hired hand do? Why does he behave in this manner?
How is the good shepherd different from the hired hand?
What is similar between John 10:11 and John 10:14-15 ? What is different? How would you describe the relationship between the good shepherd and his sheep?
Why does the good shepherd lay his life down for the sheep?
What does the good shepherd say about the other sheep that he owns? What is the reaction that these sheep have to him?
What does Jesus compare his relationship to the sheep with?
How is Jesus laying down his life not futile - like a shepherd who dies, leaving the sheep at the mercy of the wolf? Who gave Jesus this authority/charge? Why does the Father love Jesus? Why does Jesus lay down his life for his sheep?
Causes for Christ Laying his Life Down: Because of his obedience to the Father In order that he may take it up again Because he has the authority to do both the laying down and taking up of his life For the sake of his sheep and their abundant life, cf. John 10:9-10, Romans 6:1-4
If Jesus compares the relationship of sheep and shepherd to his relationship with the Father, what does it tell us about how we should live?
What do the words of Jesus result in? Have we seen this before? Why does this happen, considering that he is the light of the world?
What is it like to be sheep of the good shepherd? What does it look like to belong to Jesus? Why is this beautiful?
Whose voice do we listen to? Who is our shepherd? Why do we need to preach the gospel? How can we be confident and encouraged to preach the gospel, based on this passage?
Do we intimately know Jesus, like the Father's relationship to the Son? Is it necessary? Why, according to the passage? What does this intimacy look like? How can we grow in this intimacy?
What effect do Jesus' words have on our lives?
Why do people say "Why listen to him?"? Do these words have anything similar to the figure of speech Jesus just used? What? What does that tell us?
discourse
Comments
Esteban Villarreal
Disclaimer: The opinions and conclusions expressed on this page are those of the author and may or may not accord with the positions of Biblearc or Bethlehem College & Seminary.