I Am the Good Shepherd Bible Study Questions

The passage and the “I am” saying

In John 10, Jesus says “I am the good shepherd” (verses 11 and 14) and also “I am the door of the sheep” (verses 7 and 9). The Good Shepherd saying is one of several “I am” statements in John’s Gospel, along with “I am the bread of life,” “I am the light of the world,” and others. The study below focuses on John 10:1-21, with attention to verses 11-18, where the shepherd image is most developed.

The questions are written for individuals or small groups and assume no special background. Where interpreters differ, we try to say so.

Context: John 9 and the Pharisees

John 10 follows the story in chapter 9 of a man born blind whom Jesus heals. The Pharisees question the man, argue with him, and finally drive him out. Jesus then finds the man and speaks about spiritual sight and blindness. The shepherd teaching in chapter 10 continues that conversation: it contrasts those who care for people with those who exploit or abandon them.

Verse 6 says the listeners did not understand the “figure” (or parable) Jesus used. A good way to begin is to ask what image Jesus uses and why he might have used it.

Opening questions

1. What do you picture when you hear the word “shepherd”? Is it comforting, old-fashioned, or something else?
2. What qualities do you look for in a leader? What qualities do you fear?
3. Why might Jesus link his teaching about the shepherd to the blind man who was just cast out?

Shepherd imagery in the Old Testament

Jesus’ first listeners would have known that Israel’s Scriptures describe God as a shepherd and criticize leaders who failed to care for the people. Passages worth reading alongside John 10 include:

• Psalm 23: The Lord as my shepherd.
• Ezekiel 34: God rebukes the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves, and promises to search for the sheep and to set one shepherd over them.
• Isaiah 40:11: The Lord gently leads and gathers his flock.
• Jeremiah 23:1-6: Judgment on bad shepherds and a promise of a righteous branch.
• Micah 5:2-5: A ruler from Bethlehem who will shepherd in the strength of the Lord.

The New Testament also calls Jesus the “great shepherd” (Hebrews 13:20) and “chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4).

Questions

1. What does Ezekiel 34 say about the failures of the shepherds? Who is the shepherd God promises?
2. What blessings does the flock receive under God’s care?
3. How might first-century listeners have heard Jesus’ words in light of these passages?

The sheepfold and the gate (John 10:1-10)

Jesus describes a sheepfold, a thief who climbs in some other way, and a shepherd who enters by the door. The sheep know his voice and follow him. He then says he is the door, and those who enter through him will be saved, and “go in and out, and find pasture.” Thieves come to steal, kill and destroy, but he comes that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Questions

1. What distinguishes the shepherd from the thief or robber?
2. What does it mean that the sheep know the shepherd’s voice?
3. What do “pasture” and “abundant life” suggest? How have you seen those in your own experience?
4. Who in the passage might be “thieves,” and why?

The good shepherd and the hired hand (John 10:11-13)

Jesus says the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired hand, who does not own the sheep, flees when he sees the wolf coming, and the wolf snatches and scatters the sheep. The hired hand runs because he does not care for the sheep. If you want to see how the wolf appears elsewhere in Scripture, our article on what the wolf means in the Bible traces the image.

Questions

1. Summarize the differences between the shepherd and the hired hand.
2. What is at stake for each of them?
3. What is the effect on the sheep when the wolf comes?
4. How have you seen people in leadership act like shepherds or like hired hands? (Consider speaking about this in general terms, without naming individuals.)
5. What does “good” suggest in “good shepherd”? Some interpreters note that the Greek word can mean excellent or noble.

Knowing and being known (John 10:14-15)

Jesus says he knows his sheep and they know him, “as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father.” He adds again that he lays down his life for the sheep.

Questions

1. How does Jesus connect his knowledge of the sheep with his knowledge of the Father?
2. What might it mean to be “known” by Jesus?
3. Why is knowing different from simply having information?
4. Does knowing you are known change the way you face a hard day?

The other sheep (John 10:16)

Jesus speaks of “other sheep” who are not of “this fold.” He must bring them too, they will hear his voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

Many interpreters understand the other sheep as Gentiles (non-Jews) who would be included in God’s people. This is a common reading because John’s Gospel is concerned with the unity of Jew and Gentile in Christ. Other readers apply it more broadly to all those beyond the first circle of disciples. The verse is also sometimes used in discussions about church unity, and Christians understand that application differently. It is wise to avoid claiming more than the text says.

Questions

1. Who might Jesus’ first listeners have thought “this fold” was?
2. What does “one flock, one shepherd” suggest about how Christians relate to one another?
3. How can we welcome people who seem outside our usual circle?

Laying down his life (John 10:17-18)

The Father loves Jesus because he lays down his life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from him; he lays it down of his own accord, with authority to lay it down and authority to take it up. He says he received this commandment from his Father.

Christians read these verses as pointing to the cross and the resurrection. Readers also think about the balance between Jesus’ freedom and the Father’s will, a subject that has been discussed across centuries. Different traditions emphasize different aspects of what the cross accomplishes, but the passage consistently portrays the shepherd’s death as deliberate and for the sheep.

Questions

1. What does it mean that Jesus lays down his life “of myself”?
2. How do the Father’s love and Jesus’ obedience fit together here?
3. What difference does it make that the shepherd takes up his life again?

Division among the listeners (John 10:19-21)

John reports that the words again split the audience. Some say Jesus has a demon and is mad; others say these are not the words of someone possessed and ask whether a demon can open the eyes of the blind.

Questions

1. Why might the same words lead people to such different conclusions?
2. How do the people who defend Jesus use the healing in chapter 9?
3. How do you respond to Jesus’ words today?

For what follows, see our commentary on John 10:22-30, where Jesus again speaks of his sheep at the Feast of Dedication.

Where interpreters differ

• Other sheep. Most commentators think Gentiles are in view; some include anyone not yet gathered.
• Who are the thieves and hired hands? Many see the religious leaders in the immediate context, while others also see false teachers in general. The passage invites reflection without pointing to any particular modern group.
• How the Father’s command relates to Jesus’ freedom. Christians have written at length on this, and it’s reasonable to hold the tension with humility.
• The extent of the atonement (“for the sheep”). Some traditions read “the sheep” as referring to those given by the Father, while others stress the wider invitation elsewhere in John (for example 3:16). We mention it without attempting to settle it.

Application questions

1. In what area of life do you most need a shepherd right now: guidance, protection, provision, or comfort?
2. How do you listen for Jesus’ voice? What helps you, and what distracts you?
3. Where might you be tempted to follow a different voice?
4. How can you act as a shepherd for others (as a parent, friend, teacher or church member)?
5. How does the good shepherd’s willingness to give his life shape how you think about love?
6. What is one concrete step you could take this week in response?

Tips for leading a group

• Read John 10:1-21 aloud, perhaps assigning different readers to each section.
• Choose three or four questions per section so you do not run out of time.
• Take a few minutes to read Psalm 23 or Ezekiel 34 together and compare it with what Jesus says.
• Invite honest answers. For some people, phrases like “he knows his sheep” are comforting; for others who are going through a hard season or have been hurt by church leaders, they may raise difficult feelings. Listen with care and, where it seems helpful, suggest they speak with a pastor or counselor.
• Close with a short prayer of thanks for the shepherd’s care. You might also compare how Luke 15 shows a shepherd searching for a lost sheep in our Luke 15 questions.