The Death of the Good Shepherd and the Life of the Sheep in the Gospel of John: An Exegetical Analysis of John 10:11-15 and the Threat to Human Life in the Nigerian Context

This dissertation will focus on the meaning of the expression: τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τίθησιν ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων in the context of Jn 10:11-15. The classical theories of Substitution and Representation interpret the text to mean that the Shepherd died ‘in place of’ the sheep or ‘on behalf of’ the sheep. These theories undoubtedly shed light on the understanding of Jesus’ death but the question is whether they are adequate to interpret Jn 10:11-15. The work will begin with a status quaestionis on the interpretations of the death of Jesus in Jn 10:1-15. Thereafter, it will undertake an exegetical analysis of the text. In this context, it shall undertake a semantic/philological analysis of the aforementioned Greek phrase which is usually translated as “the good shepherd laid down his life for his sheep”. Lastly, the work will propose a new understanding of the death of Jesus among the Nigerian Christians/people through the interpretation of the text of Jn 10;11-15 in the light of the saving-mission of the shepherd-Jesus whose preoccupation is to secure life for the sheep at all cost.