John 10:1-6

Jesus’ presentation of the figure 10:1-6

This teaching is quite similar to what the Synoptic evangelists recorded Jesus giving in His parables, but there is a significant difference. John called this teaching a figure of speech (Gr. paroimian) rather than a parable (Gr. parabole). Parables generally stress only one or a few points of comparison, but the sustained metaphors that follow develop many similarities. John did not include any Synoptic-style parables in his narrative.

Jesus evidently chose the figure of a good shepherd to contrast Himself with the bad shepherds who were misleading God’s sheep. Many Old Testament passages castigated Israel’s shepherds who failed in their duty (cf. Isaiah 56:9-12; Jeremiah 23:1-4; Jeremiah 25:32-38; Ezekiel 34; Zechariah 11). God was Israel’s Shepherd (cf. Psalms 23:1; Psalms 80:1; Isaiah 40:10-11). The shepherd metaphor also was a good one to picture Jesus’ voluntary self-sacrifice for His people.

"The shepherd was an autocrat over his flock, and passages are not lacking where the shepherd imagery is used to emphasize the thought of sovereignty. Jesus is thus set forth in this allegory as the true Ruler of his people in contrast to all false shepherds." [Note: Morris, pp. 443-44. Cf. Revelation 2:27.]