Tuesday | Week 9

Many Christians may or may not know this, but the English Bible we have in our houses or in our churches is a translation. The original books of the Bible were written in different languages—Hebrew and Aramaic for the Old Testament, Greek for the New Testament. Thankfully, men and women have devoted time to learning these languages and translating the Bible into English so that most people can read it. 

Unfortunately, though, as anyone who knows more than one language will appreciate, translation from one language to another is difficult. Finding a smooth translation that also calls attention to the emphases of the original text can be hard.

In John 10:7 and 10:11, we encounter one such issue. The NIV reads, “I am the gate,” “I am the good shepherd.” This is fine translation of the words. But what is missing is that in the Greek text, the emphasis falls on the first word here, I. A more appropriate way of hearing this text, then, might be, “I am the gate,” “I am the good shepherd.” The focus here isn’t on what Jesus is—the “gate” or the “good shepherd.” The focus is on the fact that he alone, and no other, is this gate, this good shepherd. It’s a focus on Jesus’ exclusivity.

In John, Jesus draws attention regularly to the intimate relationship he shares with God the Father as well as the intimate relationship he has with those who follow him. In this passage, he describes people as sheep—surely something that might sound insulting to us today! He does not intend to insult, though, but rather to call attention to his loving care for us. In fact, regarding his identity as “good shepherd,” he explains in v.15, “I lay my life down for my sheep.” Ancient people would have appreciated sheep imagery more than we modern people, perhaps, but we could all agree that a shepherd laying down his life for a sheep seems extreme! Jesus cares so deeply for the sheep that he is willing to abandon his own life for their sake.