We continue to reflect on the numerous occasions that Jesus employed the Greek translation of I AM, which is the name by which God revealed His identity to Moses (Exodus 3:14). In John's gospel, Jesus disclosed His true identity to Israel by identifying Himself with the divine name, accompanied by a description of Himself as the Shepherd of Israel. The Lord said:
11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own 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. 13The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep (John 10:11-15).
In verse fourteen, we encounter the fourth “I AM” statement, coupled with the phrase “good shepherd.” Jesus differentiates His shepherding from that of the false hireling shepherds of Israel, who had no regard for the sheep. William Barclay explains the two Greek words translated as 'good.'
"Jesus describes Himself as the good shepherd. Now, in Greek, there are two words for good. There is agathos, which simply describes the moral quality of a thing; there is kalos, which means that in the goodness there is a quality of winsomeness, which makes it lovely. When Jesus is described as the good shepherd, the word is kalos. In him there is more than efficiency and more than fidelity; there is loveliness. Sometimes in a village or town, people speak of the good doctor. They are not thinking of the doctor's efficiency and skill as a physician; they are thinking of the sympathy, kindness, and graciousness that he brought with him and that made him the friend of all. In the picture of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, there is loveliness as well as strength and power."[1]
Jesus said, "I know my sheep and my sheep know me," He is saying He is intimately acquainted with us. He knows us thoroughly. Theologians have a term for this ability of God to know everything about us; they say that God is omniscient. He always knows all things. There is nothing that the Lord does not know. He never had to learn it; He does not need to read up on the day's happenings. We can never tell God anything He doesn’t already know about us. The Lord Jesus, being God, possesses the same knowledge of all things. He has perfect knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of everything. Perfect knowledge means the accurate possession of facts. Perfect wisdom is the proper application of those facts, and perfect understanding is His ability to perceive and interpret them fully. Omniscience makes God infallible; He is incapable of error or omission (Psalm 139:1-10). How wonderful to know that even though He knows everything about us, He still loves and cares for us. He indeed is the good shepherd—the lovely One!
We do not have that same ability for perfect knowledge, but we can know Him intimately as Savior and Lord. As we grow in our relationship with Christ, we enjoy being close to Him and truly knowing Him. Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). Keith Thomas.
For further reading, maybe you’d like to explore: How Do I Become a Christian or maybe what Jesus said about: “You Must Be Born Again,” or even: How Can I Be Sure of My Faith?
Taken from the series in the Gospel of John, click study 19: Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
YouTube video teachings at: https://www.youtube.com/@keiththomas7/videos
[1]William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible, The Gospel of John, Saint Andrew Press, Edinburgh, page 62.