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Commentaries
English
John
  
14"I am the Good Shepherd; I know my own and my own know me,15as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep."


Christ repeated the claim that he was the unique Shepherd. We all fail and are unable to minister as we should, since we do not fully know the enemy, and we do not fully understand the mentality of the sheep, or how to lead them to the best pastures. Christ knows every individual by name, and perceives his past, his thoughts and his future.
Jesus chose his own sheep, and granted them the gift of knowing him vitally. As they get to know him better, they wonder why he never rejected them. His very presence shows up their failings. This encounter produces a greater love, moving into thankfulness and an eternal covenant or bond.
This mutual knowledge between Jesus and his flock is not superficial or worldly, but is a gift of the Spirit, because we realize him as he sees the Father, and as the Father knows the Son. This is a mystery, that every Christian, by the descent of the Spirit, receives the revelation of truth in divine knowledge trough Christ. It also means that God’s Spirit dwells in His flock, and fills them. No one is ignored.