Benny Nalkara, CMI

“I am the good Shepherd” statement of Jesus seems to be one of the most attractive and widely celebrated among the “I am” statements of Jesus. In the Bible, the pastoral language is very common to the Old Testament and it extends to the New Testament. John’s Gospel continues the pastoral imagery of the Old testament, most notably in the Good Shepherd discourse (John 10:1-21). John’s development of the shepherd motif presents Jesus both as the Good Shepherd who will lay down his life for his sheep and as the model after whom other shepherds ought to pattern their leadership. Jesus clearly identifies himself with the Davidic shepherd predicted in Ezekiel 34, Jeremiah 23, and Zechariah 9-12, who is having care and concern for the sheep.
Jesus’ discourses on leadership was mainly focused on service. “The Son of Man has come not to be serves, but to serve,” statement to the sons of Zebedee, and his washing of the feet of the disciples at the last supper clearly revealed his leadership style- a servant leadership. He made it clear that self-emptying love- agape- is going to be the life-style of his school of leadership. This leadership style is primarily corresponding to that of a shepherd. Shepherds normally identifies themselves with the sheep and gives care, guarding and comfort to them. When Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd,” he was referring to the sense of belonging and owning style of leadership that a shepherd shows.
In Greek language, there are two terms to express the word, “good” – kalos and agathos. John has used the Greek word kalos as the adjective before shepherd. Kalos implies beautiful and attractive quality, something noble or ideal. On the other hand, agathos is having a moral connotation- morally good. More than tenderness and kindness it means a perfection in goodness. By using kalos here to describe the shepherd, John makes it clear elsewhere that Jesus is ultimately training his followers to be like him in his life and death (4:34-38; 14:12; 17:20; 20:21-23; 21:15-19). they will eventually take care of his flock and risk their lives like their master (21:15-23). Had John intended to communicate only that the “Good Shepherd” was supremely moral or righteous, the word agathos would have been a more common descriptor. Instead, the word kalos suggests a further intent, namely, that future shepherds are to follow the lead of the Good Shepherd in the Jesuan model – Taking “full” care of the sheep without considering any moral exactness or reciprocity from the part of them.
The shepherd’s love precedes his service, and his sacrifice is a product of that love. Both times when the phrase “laying down the life” is used, Jesus adds the important qualifier, “good- kalos” with the shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep because the welfare of his sheep, not his own, is his primary concern. He is cares the sheep “fully” out of his tender and ardent love for them. The Good Shepherd calls his sheep by name (10:3), leads them to pasture (10:3-4), knows his sheep and is known by them (10:14), lays down his life for the sheep (10:11,14-15), and gathers his flock (10:16). All of these descriptions depict a deep, loving relationship between shepherd and sheep and explains the meaning of the adjective, kalos- good with “full” care. In sharp contrast to the good shepherd’s loving posture toward his sheep, Jesus represents Israel’s current leaders as the “hireling” who “flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep” (10:13). Unlike the “false shepherds,” the good shepherd has a close and caring relationship with the flock. The overwhelming emphasis of the Good Shepherd discourse is the shepherd’s benevolent heart for his sheep. Here, Jesus presents himself as a God’s concern has always been for his people, and the shepherds he approves throughout Scripture are those shepherds whose heart is for the care of his sheep. In John’s Gospel, the Good Shepherd discourse reveals that love is the motivation that drives the hearts of faithful shepherd-leaders, and the remainder of that Gospel illustrates the words of the Good Shepherd. God’s true shepherds will always be known by their sacrificial love for the flock.
In chapter 13, through the washing of the feet of the disciples, John magnifies the flock-centred mind-set of the shepherd. A shepherd does not seek position or personal prestige, but instead embraces humility in order to promote those he leads. Jesus deliberately stepped away from the table and took on the task and indignity of the lowest servant. He then commanded his disciples to continue this practice of humility and service to one another (13:14-16). In the Good Shepherd discourse, Jesus explains the willing nature of his sacrifice – “I lay it down of my own accord” (10:18). In chapters10 and 13, Jesus is seen as a shepherd who willingly lowers himself for the benefit of his sheep. The shepherd’s work was humble and unheralded, but the good shepherd gladly chose to serve and to suffer because he cared deeply and fully for the sheep. Jesus described this loving sacrifice in chapter 10, then he modelled the shepherd’s humility in chapter 13 by washing his disciples’ feet.
The modern day shepherds need tender hearts and humble mind so that they can be the real servant leaders with the self-sacrificial love. The sheep today need not merely the morally good shepherds but care”fully” noble good shepherds.