John
10
- "I tell you the truth, the man who
does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way,
is a thief and a robber.
- The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd
of his sheep.
- The watchman opens the gate for him, and
the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them
out.
- When he has brought out all his own, he
goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
- But they will never follow a stranger; in
fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's
voice."
- Jesus used this figure of speech, but they
did not understand what he was telling them.
- Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell
you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.
- All who ever came before me were thieves
and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
- I am the gate; whoever enters through me
will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.
- The thief comes only to steal and kill and
destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
- "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd
lays down his life for the sheep.
- The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns
the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs
away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it
- The man runs away because he is a hired
hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
- "I am the good shepherd; I know my
sheep and my sheep know me --
- just as the Father knows me and I know the
Father -- and I lay down
my life for the sheep.
- I have other sheep that are not of this
sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there
shall be one flock and one shepherd.
- The reason my Father loves me is that I
lay down my life--only to take it up again.
- No one takes it from me, but I lay it down
of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it
up again. This command I received from my Father."
- At these words the Jews were again divided.
- Many of them said, "He is demon-possessed
and raving mad. Why listen to him?"
- But others said, "These are not the
sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"
- Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem.
It was winter,
- and Jesus was in the temple area walking
in Solomon's Colonnade.
- The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How
long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
- Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but
you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me,
- but you do not believe because you are not
my sheep.
- My sheep listen to my voice; I know them,
and they follow me.
- I give them eternal life, and they shall
never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
- My Father, who has given them to me, is
greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.
- I and the Father are one."
- Again the Jews picked up stones to stone
him,
- but Jesus said to them, "I have shown
you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"
- "We are not stoning you for any of
these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere
man, claim to be God."
- Jesus answered them, "Is it not written
in your Law, 'I have said you are gods'?
- If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word
of God came--and the Scripture cannot be broken --
- what about the one whom the Father set apart
as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy
because I said, 'I am God's Son'?
- Do not believe me unless I do what my Father
does.
- But if I do it, even though you do not believe
me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father
is in me, and I in the Father."
- Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped
their grasp.
- Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to
the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. Here he stayed
- and many people came to him. They said,
"Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about
this man was true."
- And in that place many believed in Jesus.
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