"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep"

Jesus Christ is the shepherd of his Father's appointing, calling, and sending, to whom the care of all his sheep, or chosen ones, was committed. Hewho was set up as a shepherd over them by him, and was entrusted with them. He therefore undertook to feed them; and being promised, was sent unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He under the character of a shepherd, died for them, and rose again. The shepherd, the great and chief shepherd, the famous one, so often spoken and prophesied of, Geneis 49:24. And discharging his office aright, he is the good shepherd; as appears in his providing good pasture, and a good fold for his sheep; in protecting them from their enemies; in healing all their diseases; in restoring their souls when strayed from him; in watching over them in the night seasons, should any hurt them; in searching for them, when they have been driven, or scattered in the dark and cloudy day; in caring for them, so that he lose none of them.

John Gill's Exposition of the Bible