“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (ESV)

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.“ (NIV)

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.” (NLT)

Dive Deeper:

A good shepherd will risk his life for the sake of his sheep—he’ll risk his own safety for the benefit of his sheep. A bad shepherd, or a hired hand, will run away and protect himself when trouble comes (Jn 10:12-13).

Jesus is the good shepherd. We are his sheep. He, as the Good Shepherd, laid down His life for us in the same way a good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.

This isn’t just a metaphor—it’s the very heart of the Gospel. He laid his life down for us, not because of anything we have done or because we deserved it, but because He is good. In Greek, the phrase ‘lays down’ implies a voluntary surrender—a giving up of one’s rights or privileges. Jesus wasn’t forced to do this. He chose it. And not because we are good sheep, but because He is the Good Shepherd. The fact that He would lay His life down for us, that the Father would give His one and only Son (John 3:16), for us, defies all human logic!

 The fact that Jesus is the good shepherd who died for us ought to do a couple of things in us. 

We see the love of God in His sacrifice. He is good and loves you more than you can ever fathom. He didn’t do it out of obligation or begrudgingly, but out of His love and goodness. My wife and I have four sons—while FAR from perfect, we would do just about anything for our kids. The joy we have towards them and the ways we’ve sacrificed for them come from our deep care and love for them. And we are a mere shadow of the love, care, and joy of the Good Shepherd. He laid down His life for you! We’re led by and follow the Good Shepherd.

This, should lead to a life marked by joy and gratitude. Jesus laid down His life for us willingly and out of love for His people. This truth ought to change the way we live, The goodness and sacrificial life of the Good Shepherd should spur us on towards goodness and sacrifice for others. We are to cling to what is good (Romans 12:9) and to never grow weary of doing good (Galatians 6:9). In the presence of the Good Shepherd we can have fullness of Joy!

Written by Scott Kedersha