10:1 |
"Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn't enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. |
10:2 |
But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. |
10:3 |
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. |
10:4 |
Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. |
10:5 |
They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don't know the voice of strangers." |
10:6 |
Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn't understand what he was telling them. |
10:7 |
Jesus therefore said to them again, "Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep's door. |
10:8 |
All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn't listen to them. |
10:9 |
I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture. |
10:10 |
The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. |
10:11 |
I am the good shepherd. { Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:11-12,15,22 } The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. |
10:12 |
He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn't own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them. |
10:13 |
The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn't care for the sheep. |
10:14 |
I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I'm known by my own; |
10:15 |
even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. |
10:16 |
I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. { Isaiah 56:8 } I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd. |
10:17 |
Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, { Isaiah 53:7-8 } that I may take it again. |
10:18 |
No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father." |
10:19 |
Therefore a division arose again among the Jews because of these words. |
10:20 |
Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is insane! Why do you listen to him?" |
10:21 |
Others said, "These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. It isn't possible for a demon to open the eyes of the blind, is it?" { Exodus 4:11 } |
10:22 |
It was the Feast of the Dedication { The "Feast of the Dedication" is the Greek name for "Chanukkah," a celebration of the rededication of the Temple. } at Jerusalem. |
10:23 |
It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon's porch. |
10:24 |
The Jews therefore came around him and said to him, "How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." |
10:25 |
Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you don't believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, these testify about me. |
10:26 |
But you don't believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I told you. |
10:27 |
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. |
10:28 |
I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. |
10:29 |
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father's hand. |
10:30 |
I and the Father are one." |
10:31 |
Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him. |
10:32 |
Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?" |
10:33 |
The Jews answered him, "We don't stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God." |
10:34 |
Jesus answered them, "Isn't it written in your law, 'I said, you are gods?' { Psalm 82:6 } |
10:35 |
If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture can't be broken), |
10:36 |
do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You blaspheme,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God?' |
10:37 |
If I don't do the works of my Father, don't believe me. |
10:38 |
But if I do them, though you don't believe me, believe the works; that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." |
10:39 |
They sought again to seize him, and he went out of their hand. |
10:40 |
He went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John was baptizing at first, and there he stayed. |
10:41 |
Many came to him. They said, "John indeed did no sign, but everything that John said about this man is true." |
10:42 |
Many believed in him there. |