The Good Shepherd (religion)
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The Good Shepherd is a parable found in John 10:1-21 in which Jesus is depicted as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. He entered the world, which did not know him though it is claimed he made it. Those who did receive him could become sons of God. The parable of the Good Shepherd is revisited throughout the four Gospels in numerous references to the fact that Jesus will not lose any of his sheep.
In the surrounding context of the parable of the Good Shepherd (John 9:35-41 and John 10:22-30) we clearly see that the people around him realized that Jesus was asserting that He was God. The reactions of the Jews (picking up stones to stone him, etc.) show that they understood he was asserting his divinity. It is understood and believed that Jesus is part of the Trinity. John the Baptist also bore witness to him.
[edit] Text
From John 10:11-18 (NIV):
- I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
- "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
[edit] Is it a parable?
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia article on Parables: "There are no parables in St. John's Gospel" and the Encyclopedia Britannica article on Gospel of St. John: "Here Jesus' teaching contains no parables and but three allegories, the Synoptists present it as parabolic through and through." John 10:1-5 is potentially a stand-alone parable of Jesus, which UBS calls "Parable of the Sheepfold", John 10:6 calls it a "figure of speach", Strong's G3942, however, John 10:7 states I am the gate, which makes it a metaphor.
