text: why is jesus called a shepherd but he and other people in the bible refer to himself as a lamb?   he is refered to in the bible by many names and symbolic ideas (ie: a rock, a lion, etc).  the two you mentioned represent aspects of his person. he is refered to as a lamb in the bible because the lamb is the perfect sacrifice. he is refered to as the shephard because he leads the flock (his church) like sheep.   hope this helps.