In this passage, Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, identifies Himself as the “good shepherd” who lays down His life for His sheep. The majestic Son of God, through whom all things were made (“… apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” John 1:3), identifies Himself as a humble shepherd who takes good care of His sheep. In fact, so good that He lays down His life for them that they may live, and not only live but live abundantly and eternally, like Him. In this chapter Jesus also talks of the “thief” who only comes to steal, kill and destroy the sheep, a direct contrast to the “good shepherd.” That thief is the archenemy of Jesus and God His Father, and the archenemy of the believer as well. This similitude is in reference to a passage in Isaiah 53, a prophecy on the coming Savior in the Old Testament written by the prophet Isaiah, 700 years before Jesus came:
“All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.” (Isaiah 53:6)
*iniquity – the most grievous of the three categories for “sin” in the Bible: sin, transgression, iniquity
In both Isaiah 53 and the New Testament Jesus is also shown as the lamb who takes away the sin of the world. The “good shepherd” takes the place of His sheep and becomes the meek, pristine and humble sacrificial lamb who takes the place of punishment of his sinful sheep. This is how Jesus Christ, the “good shepherd” and “the lamb of God” won the battle against the archenemy Satan and took from the latter the keys of death and Hades (Rev. 1:8) Jesus defeated Satan and conquered sin and death through His sinless life, the sacrificial laying down of His own life and His resurrection. Satan outsmarted Adam and Eve as a talking serpent but God, the great I AM, YHWH, outsmarted him with His Divine Plan by sending His own Son Jesus to the world, as a human being. Jesus, being Divine, did not inherit the original sin of Adam and Eve; and being human, because He was born of a woman, fulfilled the sinless human sacrifice required by the holiness of God, to atone for (or pay) for the sins of the fallen human race, and His resurrection brought resurrection life and power available to mankind. Now it is up to us whether we want it or not. Those of us who believe receive that eternal life and the adoption as sons of God. Believers become adopted sons of God, becoming like the meek sheep that is Jesus Christ, full of love, joy, peace, faith, hope, etc., and are called to become “good shepherds” as well, being obedient to God even at the pain of death. (Revelations 12:11)
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Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible, Bible App by YouVersion.com
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Art courtesy of YouVersion Bible app. I am using the Bible App by YouVersion.com for my daily devotion. Download it now for your mobile device. https://j794q.app.goo.gl/nd4yPrGj7Hbhy9Kk8
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