John 10

1 I assure you that whoever doesn’t enter into the sheep pen through the gate but climbs over the wall is a thief and an outlaw.2 The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.3 The guard at the gate opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.4 Whenever he has gathered all of his sheep, he goes before them and they follow him, because they know his voice.5 They won’t follow a stranger but will run away because they don’t know the stranger’s voice."

6 Those who heard Jesus use this analogy didn’t understand what he was saying.

I am the gate

7 So Jesus spoke again, “I assure you that I am the gate of the sheep.8 All who came before me were thieves and outlaws, but the sheep didn’t listen to them.9 I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture.

10 The thief enters only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came so that they could have life—indeed, so that they could live life to the fullest.

I am the good shepherd

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.12 When the hired hand sees the wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and runs away. That’s because he isn’t the shepherd; the sheep aren’t really his. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them.

13 He’s only a hired hand and the sheep don’t matter to him.
14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep and they know me,15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. I give up my life for the sheep.

16 I have other sheep that don’t belong to this sheep pen. I must lead them too. They will listen to my voice and there will be one flock, with one shepherd.
17 "This is why the Father loves me: I give up my life so that I can take it up again.

18 No one takes it from me, but I give it up because I want to. I have the right to give it up, and I have the right to take it up again. I received this commandment from my Father."
19 There was another division among the Jews because of Jesus’ words.20 Many of them said, "He has a demon and has lost his mind. Why listen to him?"

21 Others said, "These aren’t the words of someone who has a demon. Can a demon heal the eyes of people who are blind?"

Jesus at the Festival of Dedication

22 The time came for the Festival of Dedicationt in Jerusalem. It was winter,23 and Jesus was in the temple, walking in the covered porch named for Solomon.

24 The Jewish opposition circled around him and asked, "How long will you test our patience? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
25 Jesus answered, "I have told you, but you don’t believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me,26 but you don’t believe because you don’t belong to my sheep.27 My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me.28 I give them eternal life. They will never die, and no one will snatch them from my hand.29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them from my Father’s hand.

30 I and the Father are one."
31 Again the Jewish opposition picked up stones in order to stone him.

32 Jesus responded, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of those works do you stone me?"

33 The Jewish opposition answered, "We don’t stone you for a good work but for insulting God. You are human yet you make yourself out to be God."
34 Jesus replied, "Isn’t it written in your Law, I have said, you are gods? "t35 Scripture calls those to whom God’s word came, gods , and scripture can’t be abolished.36 So how can you say that the one whom the Father has made holy and sent into the world insults God because he said, ‘I am God’s Son’?37 If I don’t do the works of my Father, don’t believe me.38 But if I do them, and you don’t believe me, believe the works so that you can know and recognize that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

39 Again, they wanted to arrest him, but he escaped from them.

Jesus at the Jordan

40 Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had baptized at first, and he stayed there.41 Many people came to him. "John didn’t do any miraculous signs," they said, "but everything John said about this man was true."

42 Many believed in Jesus there.

Lazarus is ill

John 10

Jesus as the Good Shepherd

1 “I tell you the solemn truth,t the one who does not enter the sheepfolds by the door,t but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.3 The doorkeeperts opens the doort for him,t and the sheep hear his voice. Het calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.s4 When he has brought all his own sheept out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognizet his voice.5 They will never follow a stranger,t but will run away from him, because they do not recognizet the stranger’s voice.”t

6 Jesus told them this parable,s but theyt did not understandt what he was saying to them.
7 So Jesus said to them again, “I tell you the solemn truth,t I am the door for the sheep.t8 All who came before me weret thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.t9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out,t and find pasture.s

10 The thief comes only to steal and killt and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.t
11 “I am the goodt shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his lifets for the sheep.12 The hired hand,s who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandonst the sheep and runs away.t So the wolf attackst the sheep and scatters them.

13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep,t he runs away.s
14 “I am the good shepherd. It know my ownt and my own know me –15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my lifet fort the sheep.16 I havet other sheep that do not come fromt this sheepfold.s I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice,t so thatt there will be one flock andt one shepherd.17 This is why the Father loves met – because I lay down my life,t so that I may take it back again.

18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it downt of my own free will.t I have the authorityt to lay it down, and I have the authorityt to take it back again. This commandmentt I received from my Father.”
19 Another sharp division took place among the Jewish peoplet because of these words.20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind!t Why do you listen to him?”

21 Others said, “These are not the wordst of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see,t can it?”t

Jesus at the Feast of Dedication

22 Then came the feast of the Dedicationts in Jerusalem.s23 It was winter,s and Jesus was walking in the temple areat in Solomon’s Portico.ts24 The Jewish leaderst surrounded him and asked,t “How long will you keep us in suspense?t If you are the Christ,ts tell us plainly.”t25 Jesus replied,t “I told you and you do not believe. The deedst I do in my Father’s name testify about me.26 But you refuse to believe because you are not my sheep.27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.28 I givet them eternal life, and they will never perish;t no one will snatcht them from my hand.29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,t and no one can snatcht them from my Father’s hand.

30 The Father and It are one.”t
31 The Jewish leaderst picked up rocks again to stone him to death.32 Jesus said to them,t “I have shown you many good deedst from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?”

33 The Jewish leaderst replied,t “We are not going to stone you for a good deedt but for blasphemy,s becauset you, a man, are claiming to be God.”t
34 Jesus answered,t “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’?s35 If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ (and the scripture cannot be broken),s36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apartt and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?37 If I do not performt the deedst of my Father, do not believe me.38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds,ts so that you may come to knowt and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”

39 Thens they attemptedt again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches.ts
40 Jesust went back across the Jordan Rivert again to the place where Johns had been baptizing at an earlier time,ts and he stayed there.41 Manyt came to him and began to say, “Johns performedt no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this mant was true!”

42 And many believed in Jesust there.