Jesus’ explanation (10:7–18) turns the story creatively. The setting of the sheep pen in the parable invites reflection particularly at three points: the gate, the shepherd, and the sheep. (1) The first image of the parable that Jesus does not interpret concerns his entry into the sheepfold. The watchman permits him entry, making him God’s shepherd. He is the rightful leader who goes through the gate. He has authority to lead the sheep (while others do not).

(2) In his interpretation Jesus shifts some of the images. He now is the gate. He alone is the sentry, the one through whom access to the sheep can be found (10:7–8). He stands in the gate, and any who enter without his permission (who sneak into the flock) are not to be trusted. This implies some endorsement of those who enter into leadership in Christ’s name, leaders who come after him whom he knows. But it also implies a warning, for there are illegitimate shepherds whose entry he prohibits. Who are these “thieves and robbers” who have come before Jesus (10:8)? Some have argued that they are false messiahs in the first century, and we know that there were many. But the most likely target of Jesus’ criticism is the Pharisees, who have been the subject of Jesus’ teaching since chapter 9. Since the Maccabean era Jerusalem had witnessed many leaders who qualified as “false shepherds.”

But there is another nuance. Since Jesus is the gate for the sheep too (10:9a), only those sheep who find him will enter the sheepfold and find safety. They alone will know his leadership and exit to find safe, lush pasture (10:9b). This thought parallels 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The image here is a flock of sheep in a threatening desert. Food and water are scarce. Predators are everywhere, and they know the sheep are vulnerable. Jesus’ image is that of well-fed sheep whose shepherd knows how to lead them to pasture and water daily, and who at night gives them safe rest in the sturdy walls of the sheepfold. These are sheep that flourish and are content, thanks to the skill of the shepherd. Psalm 23 describes this sheep’s life in full (“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want” 23:1). Similarly Psalm 118:20 describes this gate and our entry: “This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter.”

(3) At the final level of his interpretation, Jesus claims that he is the “good shepherd” (10:11–18). It is important not to overly sentimentalize the image given here. This is not a portrait of a kindly man holding cuddly lambs. “Good” (Gk. kalos) can just as well be translated “noble.” The shepherd’s job was severe, tiring, and hazardous. The point of contrast here is the “bad shepherd” or the hired hand (10:12), who is distinguished by his lack of commitment to the sheep. When danger comes, he flees (10:13) and the flock is attacked. His own self-preservation, his own self-interest (he “cares nothing for the sheep,” 10:13b), characterizes his career and no doubt refers directly to the leaders of Israel graphically chastised during the Hanukkah Festival. The good shepherd, by contrast, “owns the sheep” (10:12a), which speaks to his unique, passionate commitment to them.

The most important feature of Jesus’ role as shepherd is that he lays down his life for the sheep (10:11b, 15, 17–18). Of course, his intention is to live and protect them. But the point here is that he cares for them so much that he is willing to come between his flock and danger. He is willing to die for them. Jesus has in mind a flock under siege—perhaps a flock in its sheepfold, shuddering under the terror of an attack by wild animals—and the shepherd standing firm at the gate using stones and staff, unwilling to sacrifice even one of his animals to satisfy the enemy. To die “for” (Gk. hyper) the sheep is significant. Throughout the Fourth Gospel hyper is used almost exclusively in a sacrificial context, generally describing Jesus’ sacrificial death on behalf of others (e.g., 6:51; 10:11). Therefore Jesus is pointing to the depth of his love for the flock of God and his commitment to die for them in obedience to God’s will (10:18).

Perhaps the most startling feature of Jesus’ interpretation is his description of the intimacy of the sheep and their shepherd. We have already learned that the sheep “know” the shepherd’s voice (10:4), but now we learn that this knowledge is mutual and exhaustive (10:14). Moreover, the model for this intimacy is the mutual knowledge shared between the Son and the Father—and here Jesus slips out of the parable and speaks directly of himself and God (cf. Matt. 11:27). His profound relationship with God characterizes the intimacy he seeks with his followers (17:21); as he and the Father share profound love, so too Jesus and his flock share this quality of love (15:9–10).

This explains the willingness of Jesus to die for his sheep. This is not merely about obedience to God nor is it his personal honor. Rather, Jesus is willing to die because of his profound commitment to the ones he loves. As Paul writes, “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her … to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Eph. 5:25, 27).