John 10:11

“I am the good ¹  shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life ²  for the sheep.

Ge 31:39,40; 1Sa 17:34,35; 2Sa 24:17; Ps 23:1; Ps 80:1; Isa 40:11; Isa 53:6; Eze 34:12,23; Eze 37:24; Mic 5:4; Zec 13:7; Joh 10:14; Eph 5:2; Tit 2:14; Heb 13:20; 1Pe 2:24; 1Pe 2:25; 1Pe 5:4

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).