John 10:11
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Context10:11 “I am the good 1 shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life 2 for the sheep.
John 10:15
Context10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life 3 for 4 the sheep.
John 10:17
Context10:17 This is why the Father loves me 5 – because I lay down my life, 6 so that I may take it back again.
1 tn Or “model” (see R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:386, who argues that “model” is a more exact translation of καλός [kalos] here).
2 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).
3 tn Or “I die willingly.”
4 tn Or “on behalf of” or “for the sake of.”
5 tn Grk “Because of this the Father loves me.”
6 tn Or “die willingly.”