John 10:10-11

10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill ¹  and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. ² 

10:11 “I am the good ³  shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life ⁴  for the sheep.

John 10:15

10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life ⁵  for ⁶  the sheep.

John 10:17-18

10:17 This is why the Father loves me ⁷  – because I lay down my life, ⁸  so that I may take it back again. 10:18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down ⁹  of my own free will. ¹⁰  I have the authority ¹¹  to lay it down, and I have the authority ¹²  to take it back again. This commandment ¹³  I received from my Father.”

---

¹ tn That is, “to slaughter” (in reference to animals).

² tn That is, more than one would normally expect or anticipate.

³ tn Or “model” (see R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:386, who argues that “model” is a more exact translation of καλός [kalos] here).

⁴ tn Or “The good shepherd dies willingly.”

sn Jesus speaks openly of his vicarious death twice in this section (John 10:11, 15). Note the contrast: The thief takes the life of the sheep (10:10), the good shepherd lays down his own life for the sheep. Jesus is not speaking generally here, but specifically: He has his own substitutionary death on the cross in view. For a literal shepherd with a literal flock, the shepherd’s death would have spelled disaster for the sheep; in this instance it spells life for them (Compare the worthless shepherd of Zech 11:17, by contrast).

⁵ tn Or “I die willingly.”

⁶ tn Or “on behalf of” or “for the sake of.”

⁷ tn Grk “Because of this the Father loves me.”

⁸ tn Or “die willingly.”

⁹ tn Or “give it up.”

¹⁰ tn Or “of my own accord.” “Of my own free will” is given by BDAG 321 s.v. ἐμαυτοῦ c.

¹¹ tn Or “I have the right.”

¹² tn Or “I have the right.”

¹³ tn Or “order.”