I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.”
Before the Lord Jesus reveals Himself as the Good Shepherd, He first declares that He is the door (John 10:7). By calling Himself “the door,” Jesus proclaims that He alone is the way to salvation. Just as there was only one door leading into the sheepfold, there is only one way to enter the Kingdom of God, through Him alone.
Then Jesus says that His sheep “go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9), some misunderstand this is He talking about gaining and losing salvation?. But that’s not what He means. Jesus is describing the freedom, peace, and safety we find when we belong to Him.
The door is not meant to trap us, but to protect us. Through Jesus, we are safe from spiritual danger. Through Him, we experience abundant life as He says, I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundant
That’s why, right after revealing Himself as the Door, Jesus then declares, “I am the good shepherd.” The people of Israel would have immediately understood what He was saying. He wasn’t just calling Himself a shepherd. He was declaring Himself to be the Good Shepherd. In doing so, Jesus revealed that He is God Himself, just as described in Psalm 23:1–6 and
Ezekiel 34:11–16, where the Lord is portrayed as the Shepherd who lovingly cares for His people.
The Greek word kalos, reflects what the Lord was revealing to them, translated as “good,” means something noble, pure, kind, and beautiful. This perfectly describes the character of God.
Psalm 23:1–6
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Ezekiel 34:11-16
“‘For thus says the Lord God: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord God. “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.””
Then the Lord drew a clear contrast between Himself and the religious leaders, the Pharisees. Whom He was speaking to in this passage. He compared them to a hireling, a hired worker who doesn’t truly care for the sheep.
The Lord Jesus was pointing them back to the prophet Ezekiel, who spoke out against the false shepherds of Israel—leaders who had failed in their responsibility to care for God’s people. They were supposed to watch over His flock like good shepherds care for their sheep. But instead, they were selfish and greedy. They took the best for themselves, ignored the weak and the sick, and never went after those who were lost. Because of their neglect, God’s people were scattered and became easy prey for their enemies.
“And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.” ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: “As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock”— Ezekiel 34:1-8
They were acting just like hirelings, those who work only for pay and have no real love or care for the sheep. God had appointed priests to serve in His temple and teach His Word to the children of Israel. He had also appointed leaders to guide the nation and keep order. Their calling was to reflect God’s heart and character by leading His people with love, truth, and compassion. But instead of doing that, they did the opposite. They fulfilled the very prophecy spoken against them in Ezekiel.
A hireling works only for money; his main concern is his wages, not the sheep. He looks out for himself rather than protecting those under his care. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for the same attitude, they used their traditions to take advantage of the people instead of caring for them.
“He said to them, ‘All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition… For Moses said, “Honor your father and your mother”; and, “He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.” But you say, “If a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift to God),” then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.’” – Mark 7:9–13
These religious leaders cared only about their position and profit, not about the people. They acted like hirelings, not shepherds, using God’s name for personal gain instead of serving with a heart that reflects the love of God towards His sheep.
The Lord Jesus was revealing to them that He is the promised Messiah spoken of in Ezekiel 34:22–23, 28–31—the Good Shepherd sent by God Himself. In that prophecy, God declared that He would rescue His people from false shepherds and raise up one true Shepherd from the line of David to care for His flock. Jesus was showing the Pharisees that this ancient promise was being fulfilled in Him.
“I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd.” – Ezekiel 34:22–23
God promised to send a shepherd, called “My servant David” to lead, protect, and feed His people. This doesn’t refer to king David himself, who had already died, but to the Messiah, a descendant of David, who would rule with God’s heart. Jesus, as the Son of David, fulfills this prophecy perfectly.
When Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd”, He was declaring that He is the One whom Ezekiel foretold, the Shepherd who would save God’s people, restore them, and bring them into a covenant of peace In Ezekiel 34:25, God promised,
“I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.”
We all know that it’s through the blood of Jesus that we have a covenant of peace. His precious blood washes away our sins and restores our relationship with God. Through Jesus, our Good Shepherd, this covenant was made complete. By His death and resurrection, He reconciled us to the Father, tearing down the wall of separation that sin had built between God and us.
Jesus not only finds us when we are lost and heals our broken hearts but He also brings us back into a close relationship with the Father. He doesn’t just guard us from harm; He draws us near to Himself, giving us fellowship, peace, and everlasting security under His tender and faithful care as He promised in Ezekiel 34:28–31 ,
“And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them, but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid. I will raise up for them a garden of renown… Thus they shall know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people,” says the Lord God. “You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,” says the Lord God.”
Jesus fulfills every part of God’s promise in Ezekiel. As our Good Shepherd, He never runs when danger comes. When the wolf appears, He stands between us and harm, giving His own life to save ours. Just as He is the Door, He surrounds us with His protection and keeps us safe within His love.
The Lord Jesus never abandons His flock. Even when we wander or fall, His grace reaches out to find us. He is the Good Shepherd who rescues the scattered, heals the broken, restores the lost, and brings His people into everlasting fellowship with God. Through His sacrifice, He leads us into everlasting fellowship with God, where we find peace, safety, and love that never ends.
And the Lord ends by revealing both His purpose and His deity, saying, “I know My sheep, and am known by My own.”
One of the most defining traits of sheep is that they recognize and follow only the voice of their shepherd. They spend every day hearing his call, walking where he leads, and trusting him to meet their needs. Over time, that voice becomes familiar that brings comfort, direction, and safety for them. In the same way, those of us who truly know God and seek Him daily learn to recognize the voice of Jesus. As we spend time in prayer, read His Word, and walk in obedience to His calling, we come to know Him more deeply and He knows us personally.
Scripture reminds us,
“If anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.” — 1 Corinthians 8:3
Those who belong to the Lord will not follow another voice. They will not be led away by false teachers or deceiving words, because their hearts are tuned to the Shepherd’s call. But those who listen to other voices and reject the truth show that they are not part of God’s flock.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and He invites you to enter through His door and become part of His flock.
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