I wonder what voice you are listening to? What voice are you allowing to speak into your situation, fears, and hopes? Our passage is clear that there are at the end of the day, only really two voices speaking: the voice of truth (Jesus), and the voice of darkness (the world). When we cut away all the gloss and glamour there are competing (yet not equal for God is Lord over all) forces in the world for the hearts and souls of all people. The question is what one is your heart tuned to?
Thus right from the off in this passage, there are two characters presented to us: The Good Shepherd and everyone else. This passage is an extension of the conflict that Jesus has been having with the Pharisees in the chapters before. Thus, in teaching about the ‘goodness’ of the Good Shepherd, he is illuminating the lack in the current spiritual and moral leadership of Israel – the Pharisees. They have not cared for their flock, they might look like followers of Yahweh, but they are no different from the voices of the word, the voices opposed to God. Thus Jesus illuminates five different aspects of what makes the good Shepherd good. Why he is the Good Shepherd, and the one worth listening to.