John 10
10
I Am the Good Shepherd
1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5#[ver. 12, 13]A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6This figure of speech Jesus #ch. 9:40 used with them, but they #See Mark 9:32did not understand what he was saying to them.
7So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, #ver. 9; [ch. 14:6; Eph. 2:18]I am the door of the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the door. If anyone enters by me, #[ch. 5:34] he will be saved and will go in and out and #Ps. 23:2; Ezek. 34:14find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and #[Jer. 23:1; Ezek. 34:3]kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11#Isa. 40:11; Ezek. 34:12, 23; 37:24; Zech. 13:7; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:4; [ch. 21:15-17; Ps. 23; Rev. 7:17] I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd #ver. 15, 17; ch. 15:13; 1 John 3:16; [Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45]lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is #[Ezek. 34:2-6] a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and #Zech. 11:17; 13:7 leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and #[Jer. 23:1-3]scatters them. 13He flees because #[1 Pet. 5:2] he is a hired hand and #Zech. 11:16cares nothing for the sheep. 14#See ver. 11 I am the good shepherd. #ver. 27; Nah. 1:7; 2 Tim. 2:19 I know my own and #ver. 4my own know me, 15#See Matt. 11:27 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and #See ver. 11I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And #Isa. 56:8 I have other sheep that are not of this fold. #[Ezek. 34:11-13; Matt. 8:11, 12; Eph. 2:13-18; 1 Pet. 2:25] I must bring them also, and #ch. 5:25; 18:37; [Acts 28:28] they will listen to my voice. So there will be #[ch. 11:52; 12:32; 17:11, 21, 22] one flock, #Ezek. 34:23; 37:24one shepherd. 17#Phil. 2:9; See ch. 5:20 For this reason the Father loves me, #Isa. 53:7, 8, 12; Heb. 2:9 because #ver. 11I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18#[Matt. 26:53] No one takes it from me, but #[See ver. 17 above] I lay it down #[ch. 5:30] of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and #ch. 2:19; [Phil. 2:7] I have authority to take it up again. #ch. 12:49; 14:31; 15:10This charge I have received from my Father.”
19 # ch. 7:43; 9:16 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20Many of them said, #See ch. 7:20 “He has a demon, and #[Mark 3:21]is insane; why listen to him?” 21Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. #[Ex. 4:11; Ps. 146:8]; See ch. 9:33Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
I and the Father Are One
22At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, #Acts 3:11; 5:12in the colonnade of Solomon. 24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are #ch. 1:41 the Christ, #Matt. 26:63; Luke 22:67tell us plainly.” 25Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. #ver. 38; See ch. 5:36 The works that I do #See ch. 5:43in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26but #[ch. 8:47]you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27#ver. 14, 16My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28#[1 John 2:25; 5:11] I give them eternal life, and #ch. 17:12; 18:9 they will never perish, and #ch. 6:37no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, #ch. 6:37; 17:2 who has given them to me,#10:29 Some manuscripts What my Father has given to me#[ch. 14:28] is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of #[Deut. 32:39; Isa. 49:2; 51:16]the Father’s hand. 30#ch. 17:11, 22; [ch. 5:19; 14:9]I and the Father are one.”
31 # ch. 8:59 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but #See Lev. 24:16; Matt. 9:3 for blasphemy, because you, being a man, #ch. 5:18make yourself God.” 34Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in #[ch. 12:34; 15:25; 1 Cor. 14:21] your Law, #Cited from Ps. 82:6‘I said, you are gods’? 35If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be #[Matt. 5:17, 19]broken— 36do you say of him whom #[ch. 6:27] the Father consecrated and #See ch. 3:17 sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because #ch. 5:17, 18; [ver. 30]I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37#ch. 15:24If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38but if I do them, #ver. 25; [ch. 14:11] even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that #ch. 14:10, 11, 20; 17:21, 23; [ch. 8:29]the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39#ch. 7:30, 44Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.
40He went away again across the Jordan to the place #ch. 1:28where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. 41And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but #ch. 1:7, 29-34; 3:27-30; 5:33everything that John said about this man was true.” 42And #See ch. 7:31many believed in him there.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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John 10
10
1 I ASSURE you, most solemnly I tell you, he who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way (elsewhere, from some other quarter) is a thief and a robber.
2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 The watchman opens the door for this man, and the sheep listen to his voice and heed it; and he calls his own sheep by name and brings (leads) them out.
4 When he has brought his own sheep outside, he walks on before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5 They will never [on any account] follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not know the voice of strangers or recognize their call.
6 Jesus used this parable (illustration) with them, but they did not understand what He was talking about.
7 So Jesus said again, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that I Myself am the Door for the sheep.
8 All others who came [as such] before Me are thieves and robbers, but the [true] sheep did not listen to and obey them.
9 I am the Door; anyone who enters in through Me will be saved (will live). He will come in and he will go out [freely], and will find pasture.
10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).
11 I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd risks and lays down His [own] life for the sheep. [Ps. 23.]
12 But the hired servant (he who merely serves for wages) who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away. And the wolf chases and snatches them and scatters [the flock].
13 Now the hireling flees because he merely serves for wages and is not himself concerned about the sheep [cares nothing for them].
14 I am the Good Shepherd; and I know and recognize My own, and My own know and recognize Me–
15 Even as [truly as] the Father knows Me and I also know the Father–and I am giving My [very own] life and laying it down on behalf of the sheep.
16 And I have other sheep [beside these] that are not of this fold. I must bring and impel those also; and they will listen to My voice and heed My call, and so there will be [they will become] one flock under one Shepherd. [Ezek. 34:23.]
17 For this [reason] the Father loves Me, because I lay down My [own] life–to take it back again.
18 No one takes it away from Me. On the contrary, I lay it down voluntarily. [I put it from Myself.] I am authorized and have power to lay it down (to resign it) and I am authorized and have power to take it back again. These are the instructions (orders) which I have received [as My charge] from My Father.
19 Then a fresh division of opinion arose among the Jews because of His saying these things.
20 And many of them said, He has a demon and He is mad (insane–He raves, He rambles). Why do you listen to Him?
21 Others argued, These are not the thoughts and the language of one possessed. Can a demon-possessed person open blind eyes?
22 After this the Feast of Dedication [of the reconsecration of the temple] was taking place at Jerusalem. It was winter,
23 And Jesus was walking in Solomon's Porch in the temple area.
24 So the Jews surrounded Him and began asking Him, How long are You going to keep us in doubt and suspense? If You are really the Christ (the Messiah), tell us so plainly and openly.
25 Jesus answered them, I have told you so, yet you do not believe Me [you do not trust Me and rely on Me]. The very works that I do by the power of My Father and in My Father's name bear witness concerning Me [they are My credentials and evidence in support of Me].
26 But you do not believe and trust and rely on Me because you do not belong to My fold [you are no sheep of Mine].
27 The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me.
28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never lose it or perish throughout the ages. [To all eternity they shall never by any means be destroyed.] And no one is able to snatch them out of My hand.
29 My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all [else]; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of the Father's hand.
30 I and the Father are One.
31 Again the Jews brought up stones to stone Him.
32 Jesus said to them, My Father has enabled Me to do many good deeds. [I have shown many acts of mercy in your presence.] For which of these do you mean to stone Me?
33 The Jews replied, We are not going to stone You for a good act, but for blasphemy, because You, a mere Man, make Yourself [out to be] God.
34 Jesus answered, Is it not written in your Law, I said, You are gods? [Ps. 82:6.]
35 So men are called gods [by the Law], men to whom God's message came–and the Scripture cannot be set aside or cancelled or broken or annulled–
36 [If that is true] do you say of the One Whom the Father consecrated and dedicated and set apart for Himself and sent into the world, You are blaspheming, because I said, I am the Son of God?
37 If I am not doing the works [performing the deeds] of My Father, then do not believe Me [do not adhere to Me and trust Me and rely on Me].
38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe Me or have faith in Me, [at least] believe the works and have faith in what I do, in order that you may know and understand [clearly] that the Father is in Me, and I am in the Father [One with Him].
39 They sought again to arrest Him, but He escaped from their hands.
40 He went back again across the Jordan to the locality where John was when he first baptized, and there He remained.
41 And many came to Him, and they kept saying, John did not perform a [single] sign or miracle, but everything John said about this Man was true.
42 And many [people] there became believers in Him. [They adhered to and trusted in and relied on Him.]
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