John 10:11 Commentary and Bible Study

He is the both the door and the good shepherd. The Greek is stronger than our translation ‘good’: ‘I am the excellent shepherd’ – that would do justice to the term. ‘I am the noble shepherd’ would also express it. He is excellent in love. We have Christ as our Saviour, the one who is love, the one has so much mercy towards his people; the one who cares far beyond what the illustration of the shepherd will allow. We have a Saviour who is utterly unselfish, who would lay aside his glory and come to earth and be humiliated and suffer and die because of his love for his people. Sometimes when we first hear about Christ we repudiate this message, we react against it, we will not have it. But he works more in our hearts, and we are drawn to him. Then throughout the Christian life, even when we know him and when we have come to him, Oh, the patience he shows us because we constantly let him down! And yet, he forgives us and sets our feet upon that rock of salvation again and again. These are tremendous terms. ‘I am the good shepherd’, the excellent shepherd. Excellent in faithfulness, in the way he plans for us and deals with us and comforts and strengthens us. That’s Calvary, that’s what he did in giving himself for our sin.