by Ptr. Art Calaguas
Shalom.
As mentioned last week, a major contextual theme of John 10 is about the concept of God as a shepherd to his flock, his people Israel. As this metaphor is expressed so beautifully in Psalm 23, most people probably believe that this is all there is to it. God takes care of his sheep, leads them to the best feeding and watering places, protects them from predators and brings them back to the sheepfold. This is obviously true, but there is definitely more to it than meets the eye.
Note that in John 10:7 and 9, the Lord had extended the metaphor further; making himself as the door/gate to the sheepfold aside from being the shepherd. Now we continue with the next εγώ εἰμι (“I AM”) declaration that has a metaphor as its nominative predicate found in the same chapter but is better known to most believers as it speaks of God and our Lord Jesus as the shepherd.
This next εγώ εἰμι statement is found in John 10:11 and repeated in John 10:14. The immediate context informs us that the Lord Jesus is engaged in a figurative discourse featuring shepherd and sheep, with the Ἰουδαῖοι. He says at the beginning of the chapter that anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the door/gate is not the shepherd of the sheep but a thief and robber. The Lord also pointedly says that all who came before are thieves and robbers but the sheep did not listen to them. And then in John 10:10, the famous verse contrasts the thief posing as the shepherd only bent on stealing, killing and destroying while he himself has come so that they may have life and have it abundantly (or exceedingly more than expected).
The Greek verse of John 10:11 and my translation are given below:
Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός· ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τίθησιν ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων·
“I AM the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his soul (breath of life) on behalf of the sheep;”
The Lord Jesus then continues in vv. 12-13 with a different figure; that of a hired servant who has no real concern for the sheep that are not his own, and thus runs away when danger comes along. After this comes John 10:14:
ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, καὶ γινώσκω τὰ ἐμὰ καὶ γινώσκουσί με τὰ ἐμά,
“I AM the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me,”
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon tells us that the noun ποιμήν (“poimén” means literally: shepherd, herdsman; and figuratively: feeder, protector, guardian, ruler over a flock of men; occurring 18 times). This Greek word is used by the Septuagint (LXX) to translate the Old Testament (OT) Hebrew word for shepherd: רֹעֶה (“roeh”). The Latin translation is “pastor.” There exists a cognate verb form: ποιμαίνω (“poimainó,” meaning literally: to shepherd, tend, graze, to pasture; and figuratively: to rule, govern; occurring 11 times). This Greek word, in turn, is used by the LXX to translate the OT Hebrew word רֶָעָה (“raah”).
As expected, the noun and verb forms of shepherd/shepherding figure prominently in the OT for historical, cultural and literary reasons. There are 164 different occurrences of רֹעֶה (“roeh”) and רֶָעָה (“raah”) in the OT. So when the Lord Jesus declares to all those listening: ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός (I AM the good shepherd); it definitely resonated in their consciousness.
Early on, Genesis 4:2 tells of the occupation of Adam’s first sons:
וַֽיְהִי־הֶ֙בֶל֙ רֹ֣עֵה צֹ֔אן וְקַ֕יִן הָיָ֖ה עֹבֵ֥ד אֲדָמָֽה׃
…and Abel was a shepherd of flock(s) and Cain a worker of the ground.
Psalm 23:1 perhaps is the most well-known and best-loved:
יְהוָ֥ה רֹ֝עִ֗י לֹ֣א אֶחְסָֽר׃
Adonai is my shepherd, I will not lack.
Other examples of OT verses using the shepherd-sheep relationship include Genesis 48:15; Numbers 27:15-17; 2 Samuel 12:2-3 (sheep); Psalm 78:70-72 (David as shepherd); Isaiah 40:11, 53:6 (sheep); Jeremiah 10:21, 31:10, 49:19, 50:44; Ezekiel 34:1-24; Micah 5:2-4; and Zechariah 13:7-9. Some of these verses even have a distinct messianic message.
In the New Testament (NT), there are many Scripture parallels and examples of the use of the shepherd-sheep relationship as a metaphor for God’s relationship with his people. One can review the following verses where the noun ποιμήν (“poimén”) is found: Matthew 9:36, 25:32, 26:31; Mark 6:34, 14:27; Luke 2:8, 2:15, 2:18, 2:20; John 10:2, 10:11 (2x), 10:12, 10:14, 10:16; Ephesians 4:11; Hebrews 13:20; and 1 Peter 2:25. On the other hand, the following verses contain the verb ποιμαίνω (“poimainó”): Matthew 2:6; Luke 17:7; John 21:16; Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 9:7; 1 Peter 5:2; Jude 1:12 and Revelation 2:27, 7:17, 12:5, 19:15.
In addition, Matthew 25:31-34 and Luke 15:1-7 speak of “sheep” or “shepherd” topics without ποιμήν or ποιμαίνω being used.
But perhaps the context of John 10, especially verses 15-42 which highlight the conflict between our Lord and the Ἰουδαῖοι and their attempt to stone him for blasphemy while other Jews believed in him; enables us to zero in on his intended message. For this, the words of the prophet Ezekiel come into sharp focus.
Ezekiel 34 carries with it prophecies against the “shepherds” of Israel who failed to perform their roles and as a result, God himself will be the good shepherd of Israel. The context of Ezekiel’s prophecies was during the fall and destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem. Studying the entire chapter illumines the big picture:
Ezekiel 34:1-10 God is against the bad shepherds (leaders) of Israel.
Ezekiel 34:11-16 God himself will be the good shepherd of Israel.
Ezekiel 34:17-22 God judges his sheep (people) individually.
Ezekiel 34:23-24 One shepherd to come – David.
Ezekiel 34:25-31 Blessings to come.
The parallels are all there. The Ἰουδαῖοι (including the Pharisees) are indicted for being the bad shepherds of Israel. Because they have not done their job of shepherding the people as God’s flock, the people wander off and are lost. So God, himself will come to search for the lost, save his flock and shepherd them. And in time, the Messiah from David’s line comes and the blessings of the LORD will come also.
The Lord Jesus thus asserts that the Ἰουδαῖοι are the thieves and robbers and those who came before who did not care about God’s sheep. And so, he has come and tells all that he is the good shepherd, as Israel’s provider, protector and Messiah-Shepherd King-Judge. And as we saw earlier, aside from all this; the Lord Jesus also reveals himself as God!
We will continue next week with another well-known I AM declaration.
God bless us all.