Thomas Aquinas Commentary John 10:14-18

"I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me, even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice: and they shall become one flock, one shepherd. Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment received I from my Father." — John 10:14-18 (ASV)

1. Here our Lord proves his explanation.

   • First, he restates what he intends to prove.
   • Second, he gives the proof, with the words I know mine.
   • Third, he amplifies on it, with the words for this reason the Father loves me.

2. He says, I am the good shepherd, which has been explained above: as a shepherd seeks out his flock . . . so will I seek out my sheep (Ezekiel 34:11–12).

3. Then, with the words, I know mine, he proves what he says. He says two things about himself: that he is a shepherd, and that he is good.

   • First, he proves that he is a shepherd.
   • Second, that he is a good shepherd.

4. He proves he is a shepherd by the two signs of a shepherd already mentioned. The first of these is that he calls his own sheep by name. Concerning this he says, I know mine: the Lord knows those who are his (2 Timothy 2:19). I know, I say, not with mere knowledge only, but with a knowledge joined with approval and love: to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins (Revelation 1:5).

   The second sign is that the sheep hear his voice and know him. Concerning this he says, and mine know me. Mine, I say, by predestination, by vocation, and by grace. This is like saying: they love me and obey me. Thus, we must understand that they have a loving knowledge about which we read: they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest (Jeremiah 31:34).

5. He shows that he is a good shepherd by mentioning that he has the office of a good shepherd, which is to lay down his life for his sheep.

   • First, he shows the reason for this.
   • Second, he gives a sign of it.
   • Third, he shows the fruit of his sign.

6. The reason for this sign—that is, of his laying down his life for his sheep—is the knowledge he has of the Father. Concerning this he says, as the Father knows me, and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. This statement can be explained in two ways.

   In one way, “as” indicates just a similarity in knowledge. Taken this way, such knowledge can be given to a creature: I will know even as I am known (1 Corinthians 13:12), that is, as I am known without obscurity, so I will know without obscurity.

   In another way, “as” implies an equality. To know the Father as he is known by him is proper to the Son alone, because only the Son knows the Father comprehensively, just as the Father knows the Son comprehensively: no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son (Matthew 11:27), that is, with a comprehensive knowledge.

   Our Lord says this because in knowing the Father, he knows the will of the Father that the Son should die for the salvation of the human race. He is also saying here that he is the mediator between God and man. For as he is related to the sheep as known by them and as knowing them, so also he is related to the Father, because as the Father knows him, so he knows the Father.

7. Then when he says, and I lay down my life for the sheep, he gives the sign: by this we know love, that he laid down his life for us (1 John 3:16).

   But since there are three substances in Christ—namely the substance of the Word, of the soul, and of the body—one might ask who is speaking when he says, I lay down my life. If you say that the Word is speaking here, it is not true, because the Word never laid down his soul, since he was never separated from his soul. If you say that the soul is speaking, this too seems impossible, because nothing is separated from itself. And if you say that Christ says this referring to his body, it does not seem to be so, because his body does not have the power to take up its soul.

   Therefore, one must say that when Christ died, his soul was separated from his flesh; otherwise Christ would not have been truly dead. But in Christ, his divinity was never separated from his soul or his flesh; it was united to his soul as it descended to the lower world, and to his body as it lay in the tomb. Therefore, his body, by the power of his divinity, laid down his soul by the power of his divinity, and took it up again.

8. Then when he says, and other sheep I have, he sets down the fruit of Christ’s death, which is the salvation not only of the Jews but of the Gentiles as well. For since he had said, I lay down my life for my sheep, the Jews, who regarded themselves as God’s sheep—we your people, the flock of your pasture (Psalms 79:13)—could have said that he laid down his life for them alone.

   But our Lord adds that it is not only for them, but for others too: and this he did not speak from himself, but being the high priest of that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation. And not only for the nation, but for the sons of God, who were dispersed, that they be gathered together into one (John 11:51–52).

9. In regard to this fruit, our Lord does three things. First, he mentions the predestination of the Gentiles; second, their vocation through grace; and third, their justification.

   As to the first, he says, and other sheep I have, that is, the Gentiles, that are not of this fold, i.e., of the family of the flesh of Israel, which was in a way a flock: I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob (Micah 2:12). For as sheep are enclosed in a fold, so the Jews were kept enclosed within the precepts of the law (compare to Galatians 3). These other sheep, I say, that is, the Gentiles, I have from my Father through an eternal predestination: ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage (Psalms 2:8); it is a small thing that you should be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to convert the dregs of Israel. Behold, I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth (Isaiah 49:6).

10. As to the second, he says, those also I must bring, i.e., according to the plans of divine predestination it is time to call them to grace.

    This seems to conflict with what our Lord says: I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24).

    I answer that Jesus was sent only to the sheep of the house of Israel in the sense of preaching to them personally, as we read: Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs (Romans 15:8). It was through the apostles that he brought in the Gentiles: from them I will send survivors to the nations (Isaiah 66:19).

11. In regard to the third, he says, and they will hear my voice. Here he mentions three things necessary for righteousness in the Christian religion.

    1. The first is obedience to the commandments of God. Concerning this he says, and they will hear my voice, i.e., they will observe my commandments: teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you (Matthew 28:20); people whom I had not known, i.e., whom I did not approve, served me. As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me (Psalms 18:43).
    2. The second is the unity of charity, and concerning this he says, and there will be one fold, i.e., one Church of the faithful from the two peoples, the Jews and the Gentiles: one faith (Ephesians 4:5); for he is our peace, who has made us both one (Ephesians 2:14).
    3. The third is the unity of faith, and in regard to this he says, and one shepherd: they will all have one shepherd, that is, the Jews and the Gentiles (Ezekiel 37:24).

12. Now our Lord explains his proof:

    • First, he amplifies on the reason for the sign.
    • Second, he explains the sign, or the effect, at no man takes it away from me.
    • Third, he shows that the reason is appropriate, at this commandment I have received from my Father.

13. Our Lord says that the reason for his death is the knowledge he has of the Father, saying, as the Father knows me, and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for my sheep. In explaining this he says, for this reason the Father loves me. From this it is clear that the Father knows him with a knowledge joined with approval, for this reason, I say, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.

14. But is it true that his death is the cause of the Father’s love? It seems not, because something temporal is not the cause of something eternal. Christ’s death is in the temporal order, while the love of God for Christ is eternal.

    I answer that Christ is speaking here of the Father’s love for him as having a human nature. Accordingly, this passage can be understood in three ways. In one way, because indicates a cause, while in the other ways it indicates the end or sign of love.

    If it is taken causally, then the meaning is: because I lay down my life, i.e., endure death, for this reason the Father loves me, that is, he grants me the effect of his love, which is the glory and exaltation of my body: he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him a name which is above every name (Philippians 2:8).

    But one might object to this that good works cannot merit the divine love. For since our works are meritorious to the extent that they are given life by charity—if I give away all I have to feed the poor . . . but have not love, I gain nothing (1 Corinthians 13:3)—and since God precedes us in loving—in this is love, not that we love God but that he first loved us (1 John 4:10)—it is clear that his love precedes all our merit.

    This can be answered by saying that no one can merit God’s love; nevertheless, we can merit by our good works the effect of God’s love, that is, an increase of grace and the reception of the good of glory, both of which God bestows on us because of his love. Thus we can say that for this reason God loves this or that person—that is, bestows on him the effect of his love—because he obeys his commandments. And so we can say about Christ as man, that for this reason the Father loves him—that is, has exalted him and given him the brightness of glory—because he laid down his life in death.

    If because is taken to mean the end of love, this is the sense: for this reason the Father loves me, that is, the Father loves me because I lay down my life. This is the same as saying: Father, on account of your love which you have for me, ordain that through my passion I may redeem humanity. As it is written: he that spared not even his own Son, but delivered him up for us all (Romans 8:32).

    But if the because indicates a sign of love, then the meaning is this: for this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, as if to say: this is a sign that the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again, that is, I fulfill his commands and will and endure death. For an obvious sign of love is that a person, out of charity, fulfills the commands of God.

15. Now he explains the effect of the sign. Since the sign was I lay down my life for my sheep, he explains how he lays it down.

    • First, he excludes violence.
    • Second, he speaks of his power.

16. The violence he excludes is that which could be employed in taking a life; such violence was not accomplished in Christ. Concerning this he says, no man takes it away from me, that is, my life, by violence, but I lay it down, by my own power, that is, of myself; can the prey be taken from the mighty? (Isaiah 49:24).

    But did not the Jews use violence against Christ? They did, insofar as it was in them; but this violence was not effective in Christ because he laid down his life voluntarily, when he willed. Thus we read that the Jews wanted to arrest him but were unable because his hour had not yet come (John 7:30). It was voluntary not as though he was forced to die, but he condescended to be killed, as Augustine says.

17. He adds something about his power when he says, I have power to lay it down.

    Apropos of this, it should be noted that since the union of the soul and body is natural, their separation is unnatural. And although the cause of this separation and death can be voluntary, among human beings death is always natural. Now nature is not subject to the will of any mere human, since nature, as well as the will, are from God. Therefore, the death of any mere human person must be natural.

    But in Christ, his own nature and every other nature are subject to his will, just as artifacts are subject to the will of the artisan. Thus, according to the pleasure of his will, he could lay down his life when he willed, and he could take it up again. No mere human being can do this, although he could voluntarily use some instrument to kill himself.

    This explains why the centurion, seeing that Christ did not die by a natural necessity but by his own will, since Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit (Matthew 27:50), recognized a divine power in him and said: truly, this was the Son of God (Matthew 27:54). Again, the Apostle says: for the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18), that is, his great power was revealed in the very death of Christ.

18. Here he shows that the above-mentioned reason is appropriate, for to fulfill a command shows love for the one commanding. Thus he says, this commandment I have received from my Father, that is, to lay down my life and take it up again: if any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him (John 14:23).