What does John 10:13 mean?
Shepherding was hard (Genesis 31:38–40) and dangerous (1 Samuel 17:34–37) in the ancient middle east. Jesus is comparing His role as a "good shepherd" to false religious leaders (Ezekiel 34). At worst, they are like thieves and robbers who actively prey on the flock (John 10:10). Others are like hired hands who aren't invested in the sheep. They provide a certain level of care—in this case, spiritual leadership—but run away when faced with personal loss or risk (John 10:12). These hired hands don't care for the sheep for the sheep's sake. They only care for what the sheep can do for them. Jesus, by contrast, is willing to lay down His life for the sake of "His" sheep.This follows from the prior two analogies which Jesus taught His religious critics. The first pointed out that sheep in that time were highly attuned to the voice of their own shepherd (John 10:1–6). Those who rejected Jesus did so for the same reason sheep ignore the voice of a stranger: they're not part of "His" flock. This meant those who reject Jesus were ultimately owned by Satan (John 8:42–47).
The second analogy (John 10:7–9) pointed out that Jesus is the one and only means by which people find spiritual truth. He is "the door," like the single narrow gap in the ancient sheep pen. All people—like all sheep—were either "in" or "out" of this door, and only those "in Christ" are saved.
John 10:1–21 continues directly from Jesus' clash with local religious leaders after giving sight to a man born blind (John 9). Jesus' references to shepherds and shepherding are pointed barbs at these hypocritical, self-serving figures. Jesus creates three separate metaphors here. These are not meant to be understood as a single analogy. The first comes in verses 1 through 6, the second in verses 7 through 9, and the third in verses 10 through 18. In doing so, Jesus explains how He differs from the corrupt leaders He confronts. He also delivers His third and fourth ''I am'' statements, out of seven in this gospel.
This passage continues Jesus' discussion with the religious leaders of Jerusalem, seen in chapter 9. Jesus lays out three separate analogies about His ministry using the concept of sheep and shepherds. In those statements, Jesus explains why some people refuse to accept Him. He declares Himself the only means of salvation. He again predicts His sacrificial death. This leads to controversy. Later, Jesus is cornered by a mob in the temple grounds. They try to stone Him as He repeats His divine claims, but He escapes in a way not fully described by the text. After this, Jesus leaves the area and returns to the region where John the Baptist had once preached.
