John 10:11

“I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

He is a good shepherd, efficient and trustworthy, in contrast to the bad shepherds. He does His job thoroughly, watches over His sheep constantly, has deep affection for them and in the end is ready to give His life for them. But He is also the good Shepherd because He is pleasing to the Father, to Whom true goodness alone is acceptable.

As we know, giving His life for the sheep is what in fact He did, but His listeners would not know that, although they would recognise the picture of One Who had deep concern for His sheep.

The claim to be the good shepherd is at the least a claim to Messiahship (Ezekiel 34:23; Ezekiel 37:24 compare Jeremiah 23:4) and to being God's true Servant (see Psalms 23:1; Psalms 80:1; Isaiah 40:10). See also the opening comments above. The shepherd of Israel has come.