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The Good Shepherd

¹ “Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber.² The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd³ The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.⁴ When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice.⁵ They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.”⁶ Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand^(C1) what he was telling them.

⁷ Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am⁸ All who came before me⁹ I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.¹⁰ A thief comes only to steal

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd.¹² The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them¹³ This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me,¹⁵ just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father.¹⁶ But I have other sheep¹⁷ This is why the Father loves me,¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

¹⁹ Again the Jews were divided^(C1) because of these words. ²⁰ Many of them were saying, “He has a demon^(C1) and he’s crazy. Why do you listen to him?” ²¹ Others were saying, “These aren’t the words of someone who is demon-possessed. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” ^(C1)

Jesus at the Festival of Dedication

²² Then the Festival of Dedication took place in Jerusalem, and it was winter. ²³ Jesus was walking in the temple in Solomon’s Colonnade.^{(C1) 24} The Jews surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense?^(F1) If you are the Messiah,^(C1) tell us plainly.”^(F2)(C2)

²⁵ “I did tell you and you don’t believe,”²⁶ But you don’t believe because you are not of my sheep.²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.²⁸ I give them eternal life,²⁹ My Father,³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

Renewed Efforts to Stone Jesus

³¹ Again the Jews picked up rocks to stone him.^(C1)

³² Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works

³³ “We aren’t stoning^(C1) you for a good work,” the Jews answered, “but for blasphemy, because you—being a man—make yourself God.”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law,³⁵ If he called those whom the word³⁶ do you say, ‘You are blaspheming’ to the one the Father set apart and sent into the world, because I said: I am the Son of God?³⁷ If I am not doing my Father’s works,³⁸ But if I am doing them and you don’t believe me, believe the works. This way you will know and understand³⁹ Then they were trying again to seize him,^(C1) but he eluded their grasp.^(C2)

Many beyond the Jordan Believe in Jesus

⁴⁰ So he departed again across the Jordan^(C1) to the place where John^(C2) had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. ⁴¹ Many came to him^(C1) and said, “John never did a sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” ⁴² And many believed in him there.