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God is known by many names in the Bible. He is known as God, Father, Abba, Yahweh,
The Beginning and The End, Alpha and Omeda, I Am. Jesus uses the I Am statement seven
times in the New Testament but this statement is also used in the Old Testament. We the I Am
statement for the first time in Exodus with Moses encountering the burning bush while watching
over his flock of sheep. “Moses said to God, ‘Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The
God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I
tell them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am’ This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I
am has sent me to you’”(Exodus 3:13-14).1 The I Am statement that will be covered in this paper
will be the statement from Jesus, I Am The Good Sheperd that is seen in John chapter 10.
Many of the teachings and sayings of Jesus had some sort of reference or callback to
some point in the Old Testament. The use of the statement I Am The Good Sheperd is seen more
than once in the Old Testament but another reason for this example was to help illustrate the
relationship of God the Father, himself, and us as the sheep. During this time in history, the
shepherd was a very common position in the world and all understood the role and purpose of a
shepherd. David from the Old Testament uses the analogy of God being our shepherd most
notably seen in Psalm 23. “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in
green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, and he refreshes my soul. He guides me along
the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no
evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me”(Psalm 23:1-4).2 Another key
verse that aligns with Jesus’s parable of shepherds and sheep is in Isaiah, “We all, like sheep,
1 “Exodus 3:13-14 NIV - - Bible Gateway.” n.d. Www.biblegateway.com. Accessed February
17, 2024. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+3%3A13-14&version=NIV.
2 “Bible Gateway Passage: Psalm 23 - New International Version.” 2015. Bible Gateway.
BibleGateway. 2015. Psalm 23 NIV - A psalm of David. The LORD is my - Bible
Gatewayhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023&version=NIV.
3
have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the
iniquity of us all”(Isaiah 53:6).3 This aligns with what Jesus says in John chapter ten verse eleven
where Jesus talks about laying down his life for his sheep. This specific phrase by Jesus was not
considered normal behavior for shepherds. “But that which is rare and tragic among human
shepherds is characteristic of the Good Shepherd. “‘The good shepherd lays down his life for the
sheep’ (John 10:11). This is another way in which John brings out the truth that the death of
Jesus was no tragic accident, but the divinely appointed way whereby salvation would be
brought to those who trust him. Sheep are helpless animals, and sinners are helpless to bring
about their salvation. But the Good Shepherd lays down his life, and the sheep are saved”.4
Comparing these two verses to each other is a clear revelation of who Jesus is and also
prophesies what he has come to do on earth. Jesus is not like any shepherd on Earth, he came
with a purpose to save his sheep because he loves them dearly and wants the best for them.
In chapter ten of John, it is important to know who Jesus is talking to and why. In the
very first verse of chapter ten Jesus clearly states who his audience is. Jesus was talking to the
Pharisees in a conversation that continued from chapter nine. “In the preceding chapter, Jesus’s
healing of the blind man led to the man’s excommunication from the local synagogue (9:34).
Jesus saw in this provocative act an arrogant assertion of usurped authority that called for further
comment”.5 Jesus confronts the Pharisees on what they have done and what they have been
doing for quite some time throughout history. Jesus sees that the leaders are corrupt themselves
3 “Isaiah 53:6 NIV - - Bible Gateway.” n.d. Www.biblegateway.com.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+53%3A6&version=NIV.
4 “Home.” n.d. Logos Bible Study. Accessed February 17, 2024.
https://app.logos.com/books/LLS%3AJESUSISTHECHRIST/references/page.115.
5 “Home.” n.d. Logos Bible Study. Accessed February 17, 2024.
https://app.logos.com/books/LLS%3AJESUSISTHECHRIST/references/page.115.
4
and they know it but what is worse is that they are leading others down the same path. “The dark
backdrop of Jesus’s good shepherd discourse is therefore the blatant irresponsibility he perceives
in the Jewish religious leadership. Sadly, the corruption characteristic of the Jewish leaders of
Jesus’s day was nothing new”.6 Jesus uses the parable of himself as the good shepherd while he
also uses the parable to describe the Pharisees and their leadership over the people. The Pharisees
are the hired hand in the parable, instructed to watch over the sheep but when troubles or dangers
arise they flee from the responsibility to watch the sheep. “The main point is made in verse 13:
whereas the hired hand does not care for the sheep because they are not his, the good shepherd
does. They are his sheep, they belong to him, they have an intimate relationship with him (‘I
know my own and my own know me’)”.7 Jesus came to shed light on all the darkness in the
world, including those in high power positions among the Jewish people. John chapter ten is one
of the many chapters where Jesus confronts the Pharisees or Sadducees about their blindness to
the truth of the purpose of the law and who God is. They were all interested in control and
power, no longer caring about justice or spiritual freedom for the people who needed it.
In both the Old and New Testaments, we see how true it is that Jesus is the good
shepherd to all those who follow him. One story after another in the Bible each character needs
guidance from our Lord and shepherd. The amazing thing about the Bible is that for as long as it
has been around the Word of God is still applicable to people's lives to this very day because the
words of the Bible are alive. In the world today with the upcoming generation there are many
things trying to entice and distract us. All of us at one point in our lives can all say that we
6 “Home.” n.d. Logos Bible Study. Accessed February 17, 2024.
https://app.logos.com/books/LLS%3AENCOUNTERJN2ED/references/bible.64.10.
7 “Commentary on John 10:11-18.” 2018. Working Preacher from Luther Seminary. April 22,
2018. https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-
sunday-of-easter-2/commentary-on-john-1011-18-4#:~:text=The%20first%20thing%20to%20be.
5
wandered and strayed down the wrong path. But in John 10, the text is very relatable to how we
as humans operate. We may not think it but according to our Father in heaven, we are like sheep
in this sinful world, falling victim to our ways that put us in danger and hardship. But thankfully
we all have a good shepherd, a shepherd who loves us more than anything and was willing to lay
down his life for us. No one can lay down their life for us but Jesus and he did not have to do it.
This too we can see in the tenth chapter of John, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay
down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own
accord. I have the authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I
received from my Father’”(John 10:17-18).8 Jesus has laid down his life and now we can take
comfort in the fact that he is the gate through which we can pass through to be with the Father.
Also, like David we can take comfort in knowing that our life on Earth also now rests secure in
the fact that Jesus guides us, he protects us, he fights for us, he loves. In this, we can have peace
that no matter what the good shepherd is watching over us in all that we go through having no
reason to fear. This is what can be applied to our lives, having a newfound trust that cannot be
described, that cannot be found anywhere from anything else on this earth. There is only one
good shepherd and we are all lost until we come back searching for him instead of going our own
way.
As covered before, Jesus is known by many names. All are true, all can be applied to
each of our own lives. I Am The Good Shepherd is one of Christ's identities that many of us can
relate to. The world is full of people controlled by doubt, fear, anxiety, and so many other things
in need of someone who will look after them at all times. That is what a shepherd does, even in
this world, they can be used as examples of what it means to be a shepherd. Rain or shine a
8 “Bible Gateway Passage: John 10 - New International Version.” 2015. Bible Gateway.
BibleGateway. 2015. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10&version=NIV.
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shepherd is out with his flock, no matter the circumstance the good shepherd stays with his
sheep, and when one is separated he goes looking for it. Jesus goes after each one of us lost and
alone to bring us back, “ ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them.
Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his
friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’I tell you
that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than
over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent”(Luke 15:4-7).9 Jesus is our Good
Sheperd, he loves us all and longs for us all to return back to him.
9 “Luke 15:4-7 NIV - - Bible Gateway.” n.d. Www.biblegateway.com.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15%3A4-7&version=NIV.
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Reference Page
“Exodus 3:13-14 NIV - - Bible Gateway.” n.d. Www.biblegateway.com. Accessed February 17,
2024. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+3%3A13-14&version=NIV.
“Bible Gateway Passage: Psalm 23 - New International Version.” 2015. Bible Gateway.
BibleGateway. 2015. Psalm 23 NIV - A psalm of David. The LORD is my - Bible
Gatewayhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023&version=NIV.
“Isaiah 53:6 NIV - - Bible Gateway.” n.d. Www.biblegateway.com.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+53%3A6&version=NIV.
“Home.” n.d. Logos Bible Study. Accessed February 17, 2024. https://app.logos.com/books/LLS
%3AJESUSISTHECHRIST/references/page.115.
“Home.” n.d. Logos Bible Study. Accessed February 17, 2024. https://app.logos.com/books/LLS
%3AENCOUNTERJN2ED/references/bible.64.10.
“Commentary on John 10:11-18.” 2018. Working Preacher from Luther Seminary. April 22,
2018. https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-
sunday-of-easter-2/commentary-on-john-1011-18-4#:~:text=The%20first%20thing%20to%20be.
“Bible Gateway Passage: John 10 - New International Version.” 2015. Bible Gateway.
BibleGateway. 2015. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10&version=NIV.
“Luke 15:4-7 NIV - - Bible Gateway.” n.d. Www.biblegateway.com.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15%3A4-7&version=NIV.
