John 10:11–15

Context

The passage continues the conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees who had cast out the man born blind after Jesus healed him. The exchange in John 9:40–41 carries over into chapter 10 without a break. In John 10:1–10, Jesus uses the figures of the sheepfold, the door, and the thief and robber, saying, "I am the door of the sheep" (John 10:7). Then in verse 11 he says, "I am the good shepherd," one of several "I am" sayings found in the Gospel of John. Verse 16 speaks of "other sheep... which are not of this fold," and verses 17–18 speak of his power to lay down his life of his own accord and to take it again. These words cause a division among the Jews who hear them (v. 19). The Old Testament also contains passages that portray God as the shepherd of Israel and depict leaders who failed to care for the people as bad shepherds (Ezekiel 34, among others), and these are read alongside this passage as its background.

Interpretation

• As a prediction of the cross: Many denominations read "I lay down my life for the sheep" (John 10:15) as a prediction of Jesus' death on the cross. "For" is understood in terms of substitutionary atonement, that is, paying the penalty of sin in the place of the sheep. Read together with verse 18, the passage is also taken to emphasize that his death was not forced upon him but freely chosen.
• As a contrast between the good shepherd and the hireling: The Greek word kalos, translated "good," can also mean "true" or "noble." The expression is therefore explained as referring to the true shepherd, in contrast to one who works for wages and flees when the wolf comes.
• As a relationship of mutual knowledge: Verses 14–15 compare the mutual knowledge between the shepherd and the sheep to the mutual knowledge between the Father and the Son. This "knowing" is often interpreted as going beyond the possession of information to signify personal communion.

Debates and Issues

• The extent of the atonement: In the Calvinist tradition, particularly among Reformed churches that follow the Canons of Dort, "for the sheep" is cited as one of the grounds for "limited atonement" (also called definite atonement), the teaching that Christ's death was intended to save the elect. By contrast, Methodist, Holiness, and other churches that follow Arminianism and Wesleyan theology hold that this passage speaks of a death on behalf of the sheep without thereby excluding others. Citing John 3:16, 1 John 2:2, and other passages, they affirm universal atonement, the view that Christ died for all people.
• Application to pastors: The speaker in this passage is Jesus himself. Some therefore caution that applying it directly to the qualifications and conduct of pastors may obscure the unique work of Christ. Others hold that such an application is legitimate, since the New Testament also calls church leaders to shepherd the flock (John 21:15–17; 1 Peter 5:2–4).

In Korean Churches

Both the title moksa (牧師, pastor) and the term mokhoe (牧會, pastoral ministry) contain the character mok (牧), meaning to tend sheep, and thus embody the same shepherd imagery found in this passage. The passage is frequently used as the sermon text at pastoral installation services and ordination services. The expression "hireling shepherd" is also widely used, both inside and outside the church, to criticize pastors who are more attached to pay or position than to their calling. The Korean Revised Version spells the word for "hireling" as 삯군, while the New Korean Revised Version spells it 삯꾼.

Related Passages

• Ezekiel 34:11–16
• Psalm 23:1–4
• John 10:27–29
• John 15:12–13
• 1 Peter 2:25