Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd,” and explains that the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11). He contrasts this with hired hands who abandon the sheep and describes knowing his own and being known by them (John 10:12–14).
In John 10:11–18 Jesus presents himself as “the good shepherd” whose defining act is to lay down his life for the sheep. He contrasts this with a hired worker who runs when danger comes, leaving the sheep exposed. Jesus describes a mutual knowing between himself and his own, patterned after the mutual knowing between him and the Father. This speech continues a larger scene where Jesus is in conflict with religious leaders and is redefining who truly belongs to God’s people and who truly guides them (see the lead-in at John 10:1).
Jesus identifies himself as “the good shepherd” (shepherd) and defines what makes him “good” by what he does: he “lays down” (lay down) his life for the sheep.
A common mistake is to turn the wording into a slogan. The better reading keeps the phrase tied to the passage, the speaker, and the problem the book is addressing.
Start with John 10:11, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.