John 10
10
Jesus, the Good Shepherd
1“I can guarantee this truth: The person who doesn’t enter the sheep pen through the gate but climbs in somewhere else is a thief or a robber. 2But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep respond to his voice. He calls his sheep by name and leads them out of the pen. 4After he has brought out all his sheep, he walks ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. 5They won’t follow a stranger. Instead, they will run away from a stranger because they don’t recognize his voice.” 6Jesus used this illustration as he talked to the people, but they didn’t understand what he meant.
7Jesus emphasized, “I can guarantee this truth: I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who came before I did were thieves or robbers. However, the sheep didn’t respond to them. 9I am the gate. Those who enter the sheep pen through me will be saved. They will go in and out of the sheep pen and find food. 10A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need.
11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. 12A hired hand isn’t a shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep. When he sees a wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and quickly runs away. So the wolf drags the sheep away and scatters the flock. 13The hired hand is concerned about what he’s going to get paid and not about the sheep.
14“I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep as the Father knows me.#10:14 The first part of verse 15 (in Greek) has been moved to verse 14 to express the complex Greek sentence structure more clearly in English. My sheep know me as I know the Father. 15So I give my life for my sheep. 16I also have other sheep that are not from this pen. I must lead them. They, too, will respond to my voice. So they will be one flock with one shepherd. 17The Father loves me because I give my life in order to take it back again. 18No one takes my life from me. I give my life of my own free will. I have the authority to give my life, and I have the authority to take my life back again. This is what my Father ordered me to do.”
19The Jews were divided because of what Jesus said. 20Many of them said, “He’s possessed by a demon! He’s crazy! Why do you listen to him?” 21Others said, “No one talks like this if he’s possessed by a demon. Can a demon give sight to the blind?”
The Jews Reject Jesus
22The Festival of the Dedication of the Temple took place in Jerusalem during the winter. 23Jesus was walking on Solomon’s porch in the temple courtyard.
24The Jews surrounded him. They asked him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
25Jesus answered them, “I’ve told you, but you don’t believe me. The things that I do in my Father’s name testify on my behalf. 26However, you don’t believe because you’re not my sheep. 27My sheep respond to my voice, and I know who they are. They follow me, 28and I give them eternal life. They will never be lost, and no one will tear them away from me. 29My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than everyone else, and no one can tear them away from my Father. 30The Father and I are one.”
31The Jews had again brought some rocks to stone Jesus to death. 32Jesus replied to them, “I’ve shown you many good things that come from the Father. For which of these good things do you want to stone me to death?”
33The Jews answered Jesus, “We’re going to stone you to death, not for any good things you’ve done, but for dishonoring God. You claim to be God, although you’re only a man.”
34Jesus said to them, “Don’t your Scriptures say, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? 35The Scriptures cannot be discredited. So if God calls people gods (and they are the people to whom he gave the Scriptures), 36why do you say that I’m dishonoring God because I said, ‘I’m the Son of God’? God set me apart for this holy purpose and has sent me into the world. 37If I’m not doing the things my Father does, don’t believe me. 38But if I’m doing those things and you refuse to believe me, then at least believe the things that I’m doing. Then you will know and recognize that the Father is in me and that I am in the Father.”
39The Jews tried to arrest Jesus again, but he got away from them. 40He went back across the Jordan River and stayed in the place where John first baptized people.
41Many people went to Jesus. They said, “John didn’t perform any miracles, but everything John said about this man is true.” 42Many people there believed in Jesus.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
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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