Study Desk

Once more Jesus said to them, "I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die^(z) in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come."^(aa)

This made the Jews ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come' ?"

But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.^(ab)

I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he,^(ac) you will indeed die in your sins."

"Who are you?" they asked. "Just what I have been telling you from the beginning," Jesus replied.

"I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy,^(ad) and what I have heard from him I tell the world."^(ae)

They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.

So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up^[a] the Son of Man,^(af) then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.^(ag)

The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone,^(ah) for I always do what pleases him."^(ai)

Even as he spoke, many believed in him.^(aj)

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching,^(ak) you are really my disciples.

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."^(al)

They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants^(am) and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"

Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.^(an)

Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.^(ao)

So if the Son sets you free,^(ap) you will be free indeed.

I know that you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me,^(aq) because you have no room for my word.

I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence,^(ar) and you are doing what you have heard from your father.^[b]"^(as)

"Abraham is our father," they answered. "If you were Abraham's children,"^(at) said Jesus, "then you would^[c] do what Abraham did.

As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me,^(au) a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.^(av) Abraham did not do such things.

You are doing the works of your own father."^(aw) "We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself."^(ax)

Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me,^(ay) for I have come here from God.^(az) I have not come on my own;^(ba) God sent me.^(bb)

Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.

You belong to your father, the devil,^(bc) and you want to carry out your father's desires.^(bd) He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.^(be)

Yet because I tell the truth,^(bf) you do not believe me!

Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me?

Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.^(bg) The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."

The Jews answered him, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan^(bh) and demon-possessed?"^(bi)

"I am not possessed by a demon," said Jesus, "but I honor my Father and you dishonor me.

I am not seeking glory for myself;^(bj) but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.

Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death."^(bk)

At this they exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed!^(bl) Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death.

Are you greater than our father Abraham?^(bm) He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"

Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself,^(bn) my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.^(bo)

Though you do not know him,^(bp) I know him.^(bq) If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word.^(br)

Your father Abraham^(bs) rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it^(bt) and was glad."

"You are not yet fifty years old," they said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"

"Very truly I tell you," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born,^(bu) I am!"^(bv)

At this, they picked up stones to stone him,^(bw) but Jesus hid himself,^(bx) slipping away from the temple grounds.

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.

His disciples asked him, "Rabbi,^(a) who sinned,^(b) this man^(c) or his parents,^(d) that he was born blind?"

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.^(e)

As long as it is day,^(f) we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.

While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."^(g)

After saying this, he spit^(h) on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes.

"Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam"⁽ⁱ⁾ (this word means "Sent"). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.^(j)

His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?"^(k)

Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him." But he himself insisted, "I am the man."

"How then were your eyes opened?" they asked.

He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see."^(l)

"Where is this man?" they asked him. "I don't know," he said.

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.

Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath.^(m)

Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight.⁽ⁿ⁾ "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see."

Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath."^(o) But others asked, "How can a sinner perform such signs?"^(p) So they were divided.^(q)

Then they turned again to the blind man, "What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened." The man replied, "He is a prophet."^(r)

They^(s) still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man's parents.

"Is this your son?" they asked. "Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?"

"We know he is our son," the parents answered, "and we know he was born blind.

But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don't know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself."

His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders,^(t) who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out^(u) of the synagogue.^(v)

That was why his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."^(w)

A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to God by telling the truth,"^(x) they said. "We know this man is a sinner."^(y)

He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"

Then they asked him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?"

He answered, "I have told you already^(z) and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?"

Then they hurled insults at him and said, "You are this fellow's disciple! We are disciples of Moses!^(aa)

We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from."^(ab)

The man answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.

We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.^(ac)

Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.

If this man were not from God,^(ad) he could do nothing."

To this they replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth;^(ae) how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out.^(af)

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe^(ag) in the Son of Man?"^(ah)

"Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him."^(ai)

Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you."^(aj)

Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.^(ak)

Jesus said,^[a] "For judgment^(al) I have come into this world,^(am) so that the blind will see^(an) and those who see will become blind."^(ao)

Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?"^(ap)

Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.^(aq)

The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

"Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.^(a)

The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.^(b)

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice.^(c) He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.^(d)

When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.^(e)

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,^(f) but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.^(g)

Therefore Jesus said again, "Very truly I tell you, I am^(h) the gate⁽ⁱ⁾ for the sheep.

All who have come before me^(j) are thieves and robbers,^(k) but the sheep have not listened to them.

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.^[a] They 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,^(l) and have it to the full.^(m)

"I am⁽ⁿ⁾ the good shepherd.^(o) The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.^(p)

The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away.^(q) 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;^(r) I know my sheep^(s) and my sheep know me—

just as the Father knows me and I know the Father^(t)—and I lay down my life for the sheep.^(u)

I have other sheep^(v) 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^(w) and one shepherd.^(x)

The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life^(y)—only to take it up again.

No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.^(z) I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."^(aa)