Jesus reiterated what he had said earlier (11) by saying, I lay down my life for the sheep. The imagery is the same: those who shepherd in the open country must be prepared to lay their lives on the line for the sheep. Jesus said he would actually lay down his life for the sake of his sheep (the disciples). It was his love that led him to do this for them (cf. 15:13: ‘Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends’), and his love made him the ‘good shepherd’. References