I am the good shepherd.In this declaration, Jesus identifies Himself as the "good shepherd," a title rich with Old Testament imagery. Shepherds were common in ancient Israel, and the role was often used metaphorically for leaders and kings. In
Ezekiel 34, God condemns the false shepherds of Israel and promises to be the true shepherd for His people. Jesus fulfills this prophecy, presenting Himself as the divine shepherd who genuinely cares for His flock. The term "good" implies not only moral excellence but also the ideal or model shepherd, contrasting with hired hands who do not own the sheep and flee when danger comes (
John 10:12-13).
I know My sheep
The knowledge Jesus speaks of is intimate and personal, not merely intellectual. In biblical terms, "knowing" often implies a deep relationship, as seen inGenesis 4:1 where Adam "knew" Eve. Jesus' knowledge of His sheep signifies His understanding of their needs, struggles, and individual characteristics. This reflects the personal relationship God desires with His people, as seen inPsalm 139, where David speaks of God's intimate knowledge of him. This phrase also emphasizes Jesus' role as the omniscient God who knows each believer personally.
and My sheep know Me,
This mutual knowledge indicates a reciprocal relationship between Jesus and His followers. The sheep, representing believers, recognize and respond to the voice of their shepherd, as described earlier inJohn 10:3-4. This relationship is based on trust and familiarity, cultivated through faith and obedience. The concept of knowing God is a recurring theme in Scripture, seen inJeremiah 31:34, where God promises a new covenant in which His people will know Him directly. This phrase underscores the personal and relational nature of faith in Christ, contrasting with a mere religious observance.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Jesus ChristThe speaker of this verse, identifying Himself as the "good shepherd," a metaphor that highlights His role as a caring and sacrificial leader.
2.
SheepSymbolic of believers who follow Jesus, emphasizing the relationship between Christ and His followers.
3.
ShepherdA role that involves guidance, protection, and care, illustrating Jesus' commitment to His followers.
4.
PhariseesReligious leaders of the time who are often contrasted with Jesus' teachings and actions, providing a backdrop for understanding the significance of Jesus as the good shepherd.
5.
JerusalemThe setting of many of Jesus' teachings, including this discourse, which is part of a larger conversation about His identity and mission.
Teaching Points
Understanding Jesus as the Good ShepherdJesus' self-identification as the good shepherd emphasizes His unique role in providing spiritual guidance and protection.
The Intimacy of KnowingThe mutual knowledge between Jesus and His followers signifies a deep, personal relationship that believers are called to cultivate.
Contrast with False ShepherdsJesus' role as the good shepherd contrasts with false leaders who neglect or harm the flock, urging believers to discern true spiritual leadership.
Sacrificial LoveJesus' willingness to lay down His life for the sheep is a model of sacrificial love that believers are called to emulate in their relationships.
Security in ChristThe assurance that Jesus knows His sheep provides believers with security and confidence in their salvation and spiritual journey.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of John 10:14?
2.How does John 10:14 deepen our understanding of Jesus as the Good Shepherd?
3.What does "I know My sheep" reveal about Jesus' relationship with believers?
4.How can we apply "My sheep know Me" in our daily walk with Christ?
5.How does John 10:14 connect with Psalm 23's depiction of the Lord as Shepherd?
6.In what ways can we cultivate a deeper knowledge of Jesus as described here?
7.How does John 10:14 define the relationship between Jesus and His followers?
8.What does "I am the good shepherd" signify in John 10:14?
9.How does John 10:14 challenge the concept of spiritual leadership?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from John 10?
11.What does 'My sheep hear My voice' mean?
12.What defines a personal relationship with Jesus?
13.What did Jesus mean by "I never knew you"?
14.What does "My sheep hear My voice" mean?What Does John 10:14 Mean
I amJesus begins with the simple yet profound declaration “I am.” Each of His “I am” statements (John 6:35; 8:12; 8:58) echoes God’s self-revelation to Moses inExodus 3:14, underscoring His divine identity. He is not presenting mere insight about God; He is God in the flesh, personally present with His people.
Key truths:
• The eternal, self-existent Lord stands before the listener.
• His words carry absolute authority, as seen also inJohn 14:6 andRevelation 1:8.
• Because He is the great “I AM,” everything that follows in the verse rests on unshakable divine reliability.
the good shepherd.Calling Himself “the good shepherd,” Jesus contrasts His character with the self-interested religious leaders described inJohn 10:12-13. “Good” speaks of moral excellence and genuine care.
Consider these shepherd passages:
•Psalm 23:1 portrays the LORD as a shepherd who provides, guides, and protects.
•Ezekiel 34:11-16 promises that God Himself will search for and rescue His scattered sheep.
•Isaiah 40:11 pictures Him gathering lambs in His arms.
•John 10:11 explains that the good shepherd “lays down His life for the sheep,” fulfilled at the cross.
Practical implications:
• Jesus leads, guards, and feeds believers personally.
• His goodness is proven by sacrificial love, not mere words.
• No hired hand can match His commitment; therefore, believers enjoy perfect security (John 10:28-29).
I know My sheepTo “know” in biblical thought is relational and intimate. Christ’s knowledge of His people is complete and personal.
Highlights:
•2 Timothy 2:19 affirms, “The Lord knows those who are His.”
•Psalm 139:1-4 shows His exhaustive awareness of every thought and action.
•Matthew 10:30 notes that even the hairs of our head are numbered.
•John 1:47-49 illustrates this knowledge in His interaction with Nathanael.
Encouragements:
• Every believer is individually cherished, never overlooked.
• His guidance is tailored to each life situation, as seen inJohn 10:3-4 where He calls His sheep by name.
• Discipline and correction flow from this perfect knowledge (Hebrews 12:6-7).
and My sheep know MeRelationship with Christ is reciprocal. His flock recognizes, trusts, and follows Him.
Scripture connections:
•John 10:4-5 explains that His sheep “follow Him because they know His voice.”
•John 17:3 defines eternal life as knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ.
•1 John 2:3 states that we know Him by keeping His commandments.
•1 Peter 2:25 reminds believers that they have returned “to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
Practical outworking:
• Ongoing fellowship through Word and Spirit deepens familiarity with His voice.
• Obedience evidences authentic knowledge.
• This mutual knowing anchors assurance, fosters peace, and unites the flock in love.
summaryJohn 10:14 presents four interwoven realities: Jesus, the eternal “I AM,” reveals Himself as the morally flawless Shepherd who sacrifices for and guards His flock; He possesses exhaustive, personal knowledge of every believer; and His people, in turn, experience a growing, obedient, trusting knowledge of Him. The verse invites confidence in His deity, rest in His goodness, comfort in His intimate care, and joy in a living relationship that continues forever.
(14)
And know my sheep, and am known of mine.--Better,
and know those who are Mine, and those who are Mine know Me. The thought of the Good Shepherd is repeated to show that it expresses the closest communion between the shepherd and the sheep. It is not simply that the sheep know the Shepherd's voice, but they partake of His nature, and the solemn form in which He expresses this union is in likening it to that between His Father and Himself.
Verses 14, 15. - The Lord resumes:
I am the good Shepherd. He now makes his discourse more explicit. He almost drops the allegory, and merely adopts the sacred metaphor. His self-revelation becomes more full of promise and suggestion for all time. He takes up one of the characteristics of the shepherd which discriminated him from "hireling," "thief," or "robber."
And I know mine own, and myown know me, even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father. This more accurate text, translation, and punctuation of the Revised Version brings into living comparison the mutual knowledge of Christ and his own sheep, with the mutual knowledge of Christ and the Father. Christ's personal knowledge of his people is that which comes into their religious consciousness. They know his knowledge of them. They know him to be what he is - to be their Lord God, as they realize his personal recognition and care. The one involves the other (see
Galatians 4:9;
1 Corinthians 8:3). The particle of transition is more than a mere illustration (
καθώς is more than
ὥσπερ;
κἀθώς introduces not infrequently an explanation, sometimes a causal consideration, or an illustration which accounts for the previous statement; see
John 15:12;
John 17:21, 23). The knowledge which the sheep have of the Shepherd corresponds with the Son's knowledge of the Father, and the Shepherd's knowledge of the sheep answers to the Father's knowledge of the Son; but more than this, the relation of the Son to the Father, thus expressed, is the real ground of the Divine intimacies between the sheep and the Shepherd (cf.
John 15:10;
John 17:8). Then the Lord repeats and renews the solemn statement made at the commencement of the sentence, And I lay down my life for the sheep. Such knowledge of the peril of "his own" involves him in sacrifice. Whereas in ver. 11 this is attributed to the "good Shepherd," now he drops the first part of the figure, and says, "I am laying down my life."
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
IἘγώ(Egō)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473:I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.amεἰμι(eimi)Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1510:I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.theὁ(ho)Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.goodκαλός(kalos)Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2570:Properly, beautiful, but chiefly good, i.e. Valuable or virtuous.shepherd.ποιμὴν(poimēn)Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4166:A shepherd; hence met: of the feeder, protector, and ruler of a flock of men. Of uncertain affinity; a shepherd.I knowγινώσκω(ginōskō)Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1097:A prolonged form of a primary verb; to 'know' in a great variety of applications and with many implications.My [sheep]ἐμὰ(ema)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Neuter 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1699:My, mine. From the oblique cases of ego; my.andκαὶ(kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.My [sheep]τὰ(ta)Article - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.knowγινώσκουσί(ginōskousi)Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1097:A prolonged form of a primary verb; to 'know' in a great variety of applications and with many implications.Me,με(me)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473:I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.
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NT Gospels: John 10:14 I am the good shepherd (Jhn Jo Jn) 
