🐑 Devotional on John 10:11–20 | "I Am the Good Shepherd"

💖 The Shepherd Who Knows, Calls, and Lays Down His Life

📖 Scripture: John 10:11–20 (NIV)

11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

12 The 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.

13 The 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—

15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.

18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

19 The Jews who heard these words were again divided.

20 Many of them said, "He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?"

🧎 1. Opening Prayer

Jesus, You are my Good Shepherd. Teach me to hear Your voice, to trust in Your care, and to live in the joy of being known and protected by You. Amen.

🔁 2. Repeated Words or Phrases

• "Good shepherd" – vv. 11, 14
• "Lay down my life" – vv. 11, 15, 17, 18
• "Sheep" – vv. 11–16
• "Voice" – v. 16
• "Know" – vv. 14–15

🎯 3. Theme

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who personally knows His sheep and willingly lays down His life to gather all into one flock under His care.

🕊️ 4. Observing God

• Jesus lays down His life willingly—it's not taken from Him (vv. 11, 17–18).
• He knows His sheep intimately and is known by them (vv. 14–15).
• He unites sheep from different folds into one flock (v. 16).
• His authority comes from the Father, and His love is rooted in obedience (v. 18).

🧍 5. Observing Humanity

• The hired hand abandons the sheep—he acts out of self-preservation, not love (vv. 12–13).
• The sheep know the voice of the Shepherd—they respond to personal relationship (v. 14).
• There are “other sheep” not yet in the fold, waiting to hear His voice (v. 16).
• People remain divided over Jesus—some reject Him as mad (vv. 19–20).

💡 6. Interpreting God

Jesus is not just a guide—He is a shepherd who gives His very life for the safety and unity of His people. His leadership is relational, not positional. He calls by name, leads with love, and dies by choice. His mission is not limited to one group, but extends globally—one flock, one Shepherd. His authority is divine, His love sacrificial, and His call personal.

🧠 7. Interpreting Humanity

Left to ourselves, we follow whoever promises safety—but only the true Shepherd stays when wolves appear. Many leaders speak, but not all lay down their lives. We are known by God not because of our worth but because of His choice. The sheep must listen, discern, and follow. Still, even when truth is spoken, people divide. Faith means following even when others mock or misunderstand.

🪞 8. Application

Am I listening for the voice of the Good Shepherd? Do I know Him deeply, or merely follow out of duty? Today, I choose to respond not to hired voices, but to the One who knows me and laid down His life for me. And I remember—there are others outside this fold still waiting to hear His call.

💖 9. Spiritual Touch

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me." (John 10:14)

🙏 10. Closing Prayer

Good Shepherd, thank You for knowing me and calling me by name. Help me to follow Your voice above all others. Teach me to trust in Your sacrifice and share Your love with those not yet in the fold.

🌿 11. Live It Today

Spend 5 quiet minutes listening for the Shepherd’s voice today. Ask Him to show you where He’s leading, and pray for someone who has not yet heard His call.