Jesus once responded to a man who called him “Good Teacher” by saying, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” At first, this might sound like a denial of his own goodness. But within the Jewish understanding of Scripture, Jesus is not rejecting goodness — he is locating it. True goodness belongs to God, and any goodness seen in Jesus is grounded in his unique relationship with God. Later, when he calls himself the “good shepherd,” he is not claiming independent authority or divinity in competition with God. Instead, he is showing that God’s care and guidance for the people are made present through him. In him, God’s goodness becomes visible, active, and approachable.
The sheep of this shepherd are those who follow his teachings and live by them — the true disciples who listen, obey, and commit themselves even when it costs them. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, modeling a love that is self-giving and sacrificial. In following Jesus, we are invited not simply to admire goodness but to participate in it: to walk in the way of mercy, truth, courage, and care for others. Through this, God’s own goodness, which flows through Jesus, becomes present in the world in real, human ways. He died for those who do so.
