The Good Shepherd
He knows his sheep by name
Two things you can tap
- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
The whole story, in shortWhat happens, start to finish. Open it if you want the ending first.
Jesus said he is the gate for the sheep and the good shepherd, who calls his sheep by name and lays down his life for them, while a hired hand runs from the wolf. He said no one takes his life from him. He gives it and takes it up again. Months later, in winter, Jesus promised that his sheep listen to his voice, that he gives them eternal life, and that no one can snatch them out of his hand.
Where it is in the Bible: John 10:1-30
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Jesus: The one the Gospels present as the promised Messiah and the Son of God. He is in Jerusalem.
- The Pharisees: A Jewish group devoted to carefully keeping God's law. Some of them have just thrown a man out of their meeting place.
- The crowd in Jerusalem: People who are listening to Jesus and arguing about him.
Setting
- Jerusalem. The last scene happens in the temple courts, in a covered walkway called Solomon's Colonnade.
When
- About 2,000 years ago, a few months before Jesus died. The last scene happens in winter.
Before the Story
Jesus had just healed a man who was born blind. The man could see for the first time in his life (9:1-7).
Some Pharisees did not like it. They questioned the man. When he said Jesus must be from God, they threw him out (9:34). Jesus went and found him (9:35).
God had promised to be the shepherd of his people. Long before, the leaders of Israel had not cared for the people. God called them bad shepherds who "only feed themselves" (Ezekiel 34:2). Then God said, "I Myself will search for My flock and seek them out" (Ezekiel 34:11).
King David wrote a famous song. It begins, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1).
Here's what you know that the people listening don't: Jesus is about to lay down his life on a cross. Then he will take it up again when he rises from the dead.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The thief and the shepherd | 10:1-2 | Jesus tells a picture story about a sheepfold |
| 2. They know his voice | 10:3-6 | The sheep follow the voice they know |
| 3. "I am the gate" | 10:7-10 | Jesus says he is the way in to life |
| 4. "I am the good shepherd" | 10:11-13 | The good shepherd stays. The hired hand runs |
| 5. Known by name | 10:14-16 | Jesus knows his sheep, and has other sheep too |
| 6. His own choice | 10:17-21 | No one takes his life. He gives it |
| 7. "My sheep listen to My voice" | 10:22-30 | Months later, Jesus makes a promise |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 7The Thief and the Shepherd
Jesus was still talking with the Pharisees who had thrown the man out. Now he told them a picture story about sheep.
"Truly, truly, I tell you," Jesus began (10:1). That was Jesus's way of saying, "Listen. This is important."
A sheepfold is a pen where sheep stay safe at night. It has one gate.
Jesus said a person who climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber.
The shepherd does not need to sneak in. He comes in by the gate.
Scene 2 of 7They Know His Voice
The gatekeeper opens the gate for the shepherd.
The sheep listen for his voice. "He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out" (10:3).
The shepherd goes ahead of the sheep. They follow him because they know his voice.
They will not follow a stranger. They run away from a voice they don't know.
The people listening did not understand what Jesus meant. So he explained more.
Scene 3 of 7"I Am the Gate"
"Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep" (10:7).
This is a comparison. Jesus is not a wooden gate. He means that he is the way in.
"If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved" (10:9). The sheep go in and out, and they find pasture. Pasture is a grassy field where sheep eat.
The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy.
"I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness" (10:10).
Scene 4 of 7"I Am the Good Shepherd"
Then Jesus said one of the most famous things he ever said.
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep" (10:11). To lay down his life means to die for them.
Jesus compared the good shepherd with a hired hand. A hired hand works only for pay. The sheep are not his own.
When a wolf comes, the hired hand leaves the sheep and runs away. The wolf attacks, and the flock scatters.
The hired hand runs because he does not care about the sheep.
The good shepherd does not run.
Scene 5 of 7Known by Name
"I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me" (10:14).
Jesus said he knows his sheep the way the Father knows him, and he knows the Father. And he lays down his life for the sheep.
Then Jesus said something surprising. He has other sheep that are not from this sheep pen. He must bring them in too.
"They will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd" (10:16).
Scene 6 of 7His Own Choice
Jesus said the Father loves him because he lays down his life, so that he can take it up again.
"No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord" (10:18). Of my own accord means by my own choice.
Jesus said he had the authority to lay his life down and to take it up again. Authority means the right and the power. His Father had given him this job.
The people listening argued with each other. Some said Jesus had a demon and was out of his mind.
Others said, "These are not the words of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" (10:21).
Scene 7 of 7"My Sheep Listen to My Voice"
A few months later, it was winter. It was time for the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem.
Jesus was walking in the temple courts, in Solomon's Colonnade. A colonnade is a long walkway with a roof held up by columns.
People gathered around him. "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly" (10:24). The Christ is the one God promised to send.
Jesus said he had already told them. The things he did in his Father's name showed who he was. But they did not believe, because they were not his sheep.
Then Jesus made a promise.
"My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand" (10:27-28).
To perish means to die and be lost. To snatch means to grab something away.
His Father, who gave them to him, is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of the Father's hand either.
"I and the Father are one" (10:30).
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "He calls his own sheep by name" (10:3) | Jesus knows each of his people personally. Nobody is just part of a crowd to him. |
| "His sheep follow him because they know his voice" (10:4) | Jesus's people learn to know his voice through his word. |
| "I am the gate" (10:7) | Jesus is the way into God's safe care. |
| "Life... in all its fullness" (10:10) | Jesus gives real life, life with God, now and forever. |
| "The good shepherd lays down His life" (10:11) | This points to the cross. Jesus died to save his sheep. |
| "Other sheep that are not of this fold" (10:16) | Jesus came for people from every nation, not only one people. |
| "I lay it down of My own accord" (10:18) | Nobody forced Jesus to die. He chose to, out of love. He also rose again. |
| "No one can snatch them out of My hand" (10:28) | Jesus holds on to his people. That is a promise. |
Back Then
Sheep were everywhere in Israel. Many families kept sheep for wool, milk, and meat. David was a shepherd boy before he became king (1 Samuel 16:11).
A sheepfold was often a pen with stone walls and one opening. Shepherds brought their flocks in at night to keep them safe from wild animals and thieves (Easton's Bible Dictionary).
Shepherds led from the front. Jesus says the shepherd "goes on ahead of them" (10:4). The sheep walked behind him, following his voice.
Wolves were a real danger. Wolves lived in the land of Israel and hunted sheep, especially at night (Easton's Bible Dictionary).
The Feast of Dedication remembered a cleaned temple. About 165 years before Jesus, enemies had made the temple unclean. When God's people won it back, they cleaned it and dedicated it to God again. Today Jewish people call this feast Hanukkah (Easton's Bible Dictionary).
Literal Reader Alert
Am I a sheep? No, you're a person. This is a comparison. Jesus means that he cares for his people the way a good shepherd cares for sheep. Sheep need a shepherd to lead them and keep them safe. So do we.
Is Jesus a real gate and a real shepherd at the same time? Those are two comparisons for two things that are true about him. As the gate, he is the way in. As the shepherd, he leads and protects.
Who are the thieves and robbers? Jesus doesn't name them. He was talking with leaders who had just thrown out a man he healed (9:34, 9:40). God had warned about leaders like that in Ezekiel 34. It is a warning about anyone who uses people instead of caring for them.
What if I have wandered away? Jesus is the shepherd who goes looking for lost sheep. In another story, a shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep to look for the one that was lost, and carries it home on his shoulders (Luke 15:4-5). If you are worried that you have wandered, that worry is a good reason to come back. He is already looking for you.
Does "I and the Father are one" mean they are the same person? No. Jesus prays to the Father and talks about him. They are two persons. But they are one God, together with the Holy Spirit. Christians call this the Trinity.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The people listening | Confused | They did not understand the picture story (10:6) |
| Jesus | Loving | He lays down his life for the sheep (10:11) |
| The crowd | Divided | Some said he had a demon. Some said he opened blind eyes (10:19-21) |
| The crowd | Impatient | "How long will You keep us in suspense?" (10:24) |
| Jesus | Sure | "No one can snatch them out of My hand" (10:28) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Which part of this story do you need today? Tap one.
He knows my name
He does. The shepherd calls his own sheep by name (10:3). You are not lost in the crowd.
He doesn't run away
The hired hand runs when the wolf comes. Jesus stays, even when it costs his life (10:11-12).
I feel far away
The good shepherd goes looking for the lost sheep and carries it home (Luke 15:4-5). You can come back.
Afraid of losing him
Jesus promised that no one can snatch his sheep out of his hand (10:28). He is the one holding on.
Is he real?
The crowd wasn't sure either. Jesus pointed to what he did, like opening a blind man's eyes. Keep listening to his voice in the stories.
You Might Have Heard
"Sheep are dumb, so Christians must be followers who don't think."
What's true: Sheep need a shepherd. Jesus's comparison is honest: we cannot keep ourselves safe.
What the story is mainly about: The shepherd. Jesus does not say the sheep are clever or strong. He says the shepherd knows them by name, goes ahead of them, and gives his life for them. The sheep in this story listen and tell voices apart. They know which voice is safe.
Where Jesus is: Standing between his sheep and the wolf. He does not run. He lays down his life and takes it up again.
Good News
The hired hand runs when the wolf comes. Jesus did not run. He went to the cross on purpose.
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep" (10:11).
Then he took his life up again. He rose from the dead. The letter to the Hebrews calls him "that great Shepherd of the sheep" whom God brought back from the dead (Hebrews 13:20).
Jesus knows you by name. He gave his life for you, and no one can snatch you out of his hand.
Big Idea
Jesus is the good shepherd. He knows you by name, he laid down his life for you, and no one can snatch you out of his hand.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther preached on John 10:11-16 for the Second Sunday after Easter (a sermon printed in his Church Postil). He taught that Christ the good shepherd seeks the weak and sick sheep and carries them. He does not drive them with the law. He feeds them with the gospel, the good news of his love.
In Church
Many churches call the Fourth Sunday of Easter "Good Shepherd Sunday." The Revised Common Lectionary reads John 10 on that Sunday every year. Year A reads John 10:1-10. Year B reads John 10:11-18. Year C reads John 10:22-30. Every year, the psalm that day is Psalm 23, "The LORD is my shepherd."
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
How did that feel?
Using this at church
Read in church on
- Fourth Sunday of Easter Year AGospel, John 10:1–10
- Fourth Sunday of Easter Year BGospel, John 10:11–18
- Fourth Sunday of Easter Year CGospel, John 10:22–30
For a newsletter or sermon notes
The Good Shepherd, explained in plain words. A thief climbs in. A hired hand runs away. The good shepherd stays. About 13 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/the-good-shepherd/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church