Passage
even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
John 10:15 (ASV)
Nearby Context
John 10:13 [he fleeth] because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
John 10:14 I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me,
John 10:15 even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice: and they shall become one flock, one shepherd.
John 10:17 Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "sheep", "even", "father", "knoweth", "down", and "life". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sheep" and "even", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 14's "I am the good shepherd and I..." into verse 16's "And other sheep I have which are...", so "sheep" and "even" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sheep" and "even" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.