John 10Book 43 of 66 · 42 verses · MBT primary, NKJV fallback where MBT pending
"Truly, truly, I tell you — the one who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in another way, he is a thief and a robber.
But the one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and the sheep follow him — because they know his voice.
They will not follow a stranger; they will flee from him — because they do not know the voice of strangers."
Jesus spoke this figure of speech to them, but they did not understand what He was saying to them.
So Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I tell you — I am the door of the sheep.
All who came before Me are thieves and robbers — but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the door. Whoever enters through Me will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy. I came that they might have life — and have it abundantly.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
The hired hand, who is not the shepherd — the sheep are not his own — when he sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep and runs away. And the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
He runs because he is a hired hand, and does not care about the sheep.
I am the good shepherd. I know My own, and My own know Me —
just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father — and I lay down My life for the sheep.
And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice. And there will be one flock, one shepherd.
For this reason the Father loves Me — because I lay down My life so that I may take it up again.
No one takes it from Me; I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father."
Again there was a division among the Jewish leaders because of these words.
Many of them were saying, "He has a demon. He is out of His mind. Why listen to Him?"
Others were saying, "These are not the words of one who is demon-possessed. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"
Then came the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem. It was winter,
and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon's Colonnade.
So the Jewish leaders surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."
Jesus answered them, "I did tell you — and you do not believe. The works I do in My Father's name — these bear witness about Me.
But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep.
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish — ever. And no one will snatch them out of My hand.
My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. And no one can snatch them out of the Father's hand.
I and the Father are one."
Again the Jewish leaders picked up stones to stone Him.
Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these works are you stoning Me?"
The Jewish leaders answered Him, "We are not stoning You for a good work, but for blasphemy — because You, being a man, make Yourself God."
Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I said, you are gods'?
If He called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came — and the Scripture cannot be broken —
do you say of the One whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming' — because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?
If I am not doing the works of My Father, do not believe Me.
But if I am doing them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works — so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father."
Then they tried again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.
He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and stayed there.
Many came to Him. And they kept saying, "John did no sign — but everything John said about this Man was true."