The Good Shepherd. At v.11, the focus shifts to Jesus’ self-revelation as the good shepherd. The identifi­cation of Jesus as the shepherd was implicit in the figure of speech in vv.1-5, but it is made explicit for the first time here. As before, the positive image of the good shepherd (vv.11, 14-16) is contrasted with a negative image, that of the hired hand (vv.12-13). Continue reading →