Why Is Jesus the Good Shepherd?

July 29, 2026

By Rachel Syens

One of my most prominent and early memories from childhood at church involves learning Jesus’ words from John 10:11: “I am the good shepherd.” I recall memorizing Psalm 23, making crafts of sheep using fluffy cotton balls, and shaping my image of Jesus as a gentle shepherd in an idyllic pasture. Jesus is compared to a shepherd numerous times throughout the New Testament. …

We know that Jesus is referred to as the good shepherd, but do we know why? As someone with only a base knowledge of sheep and shepherding, I know the role of a shepherd is to lead the flock and to keep the sheep safe. But there’s more to it than that. Through this blog, we’ll follow the words of John 10:11–18 and Psalm 23 to understand how Jesus is our own good shepherd.

(Read the article here.)