John 10:14-15
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse highlights a profound, mutual knowing between Jesus and His followers that goes beyond mere recognition. It signifies a deep, intimate fellowship rooted in love and care, mirroring the very relationship Jesus shares with the Father.
Jesus has just contrasted the true shepherd with thieves and robbers who harm the flock, highlighting his own self-sacrificing love as the mark of a good shepherd. He then continues this comparison by emphasizing the deep, intimate, and reciprocal relationship he shares with his own people, a connection so profound it mirrors his own relationship with the Father. This intimate knowledge is the foundation for his unwavering care and ultimate sacrifice for them.
Jesus doesn't just know facts about you; He knows you in a profoundly personal way. This isn't cold, clinical data collection.
A Deeper Kind of Knowledge
When Jesus says, "I know my own," He's not talking about a superficial acquaintance. The original language here suggests a knowledge that is deeply personal, intentional, and rooted in love and care.
More Than Just Information
What does it truly mean to be a "good shepherd"? For Jesus, it means giving everything, even His very life, for His flock.
Love That Costs Everything
Jesus immediately defines what makes Him the "good" shepherd: His willingness to lay down His life. This is a stark contrast to the "hireling" who abandons the sheep when danger arises.
The Mark of True Care
Understand the original words
ginōskō · Greek Verb
Beyond mere intellectual awareness, this biblical term signifies an intimate, experiential, and relational connection. It implies a deep bond of love, mutual recognition, and covenantal commitment between persons.
This Psalm echoes the theme of God as a caring shepherd, highlighting His intimate knowledge and provision for His flock, mirroring Jesus' declaration of knowing and being known by His sheep.
Isaiah 40:11This passage describes the Lord as a tender shepherd who gathers and carries His flock, emphasizing His gentle care and deep understanding of their needs, which parallels Jesus' own description of Himself as the good shepherd.
Ezekiel 34:11-16Here, God promises to seek out and rescue His sheep from negligent shepherds, affirming His personal involvement and knowledge of each individual sheep, aligning with Jesus' assertion of His unique relationship with His flock.
1 Corinthians 8:3This verse states that if one loves God, God knows them, highlighting the reciprocal nature of knowledge rooted in love between God and His people, which is a key aspect of the shepherd-sheep relationship Jesus describes.
1 Peter 5:4This passage refers to Jesus as the Chief Shepherd, reinforcing the idea of His ultimate authority and care for the flock, and the promise that when He appears, believers will receive an unfading crown, underscoring the deep connection and future reward of knowing Him.
barnesJohn 10:14: "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine."
Know my sheep - Know my people, or my church. The word "know" here is used in the sense of affectionate regard or love. It implies such a knowledge of their wants, their dangers, and their characters, as to result in a deep interest in their welfare. Thus the word "knoweth," in John 10:15 , is in John 10:17 explained by the word "loveth." Jesus knows the hearts, the dangers, and the wants of his people, and his kindn…
calvinJohn 10:11-15: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."
- I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12. But the hireling, and he who is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf teareth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13. The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am kno…
This verse highlights a profound, mutual knowing between Jesus and His followers that goes beyond mere recognition. It signifies a deep, intimate fellowship rooted in love and care, mirroring the very relationship Jesus shares with the Father.
Jesus has just contrasted the true shepherd with thieves and robbers who harm the flock, highlighting his own self-sacrificing love as the mark of a good shepherd. He then continues this comparison by emphasizing the deep, intimate, and reciprocal relationship he shares with his own people, a connection so profound it mirrors his own relationship with the Father. This intimate knowledge is the foundation for his unwavering care and ultimate sacrifice for them.
Jesus has just contrasted the true shepherd with thieves and robbers who harm the flock, highlighting his own self-sacrificing love as the mark of a good shepherd. He then continues this comparison by emphasizing the deep, intimate, and reciprocal relationship he shares with his own people, a connection so profound it mirrors his own relationship with the Father. This intimate knowledge is the foundation for his unwavering care and ultimate sacrifice for them.
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"I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep." — This verse highlights a profound, mutual knowing between Jesus and His followers that goes beyond mere recognition. It signifies a deep, intimate fellowship rooted in love and care, mirroring the ver…
