Jesus is the good shepherd. The good shepherd will never abandon his sheep. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, to deliver them from danger. Jesus has done this for us.
John 10:11-13: Here, Jesus again shifts the emphasis of his image from the word. Previously, he had identified himself as the shepherd who knew his sheep and guides them with his voice. It also called itself the sheep gate, through which they find safety and good pasture. Now, Jesus becomes the good shepherd, the one who lays down his life for the sheep.
Jesus contrasts himself with a hireling. A day laborer cares about his wages, and not the sheep. Thus, when danger approaches, he abandons the sheep. The wolf then attacks the flock and scatters it, endangering each sheep. This is, in truth, the condition in which Jesus had found the people of Israel when he arrived: “harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd..” Matthew 9:36.
But Jesus is the good shepherd. He owns the sheep and cares about the sheep. The good shepherd will never abandon his sheep. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, to deliver them from danger. This is what Jesus, even as he spoke these words, had already prepared to do for us.
