John 10
Jesus as the Good Shepherd
10:1 “I tell you the solemn truth,1 the one who does not enter the sheepfold2 by the door,3 but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 10:2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 10:3 The doorkeeper4 opens the door5 for him,6 and the sheep hear his voice. He7 calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.8 10:4 When he has brought all his own sheep9 out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize10 his voice. 10:5 They will never follow a stranger,11 but will run away from him, because they do not recognize12 the stranger’s voice.”13 10:6 Jesus told them this parable,14 but they15 did not understand16 what he was saying to them.
10:7 So Jesus said to them again, “I tell you the solemn truth,17 I am the door for the sheep.18 10:8 All who came before me were19 thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.20 10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out,21 and find pasture.22 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill23 and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.24
10:11 “I am the good25 shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life26 for the sheep. 10:12 The hired hand,27 who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons28 the sheep and runs away.29 So the wolf attacks30 the sheep and scatters them. 10:13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep,31 he runs away.32
10:14 “I am the good shepherd. I33 know my own34 and my own know me – 10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life35 for36 the sheep. 10:16 I have37 other sheep that do not come from38 this sheepfold.39 I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice,40 so that41 there will be one flock and42 one shepherd. 10:17 This is why the Father loves me43 – because I lay down my life,44 so that I may take it back again. 10:18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down45 of my own free will.46 I have the authority47 to lay it down, and I have the authority48 to take it back again. This commandment49 I received from my Father.”
10:19 Another sharp division took place among the Jewish people50 because of these words. 10:20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind!51 Why do you listen to him?” 10:21 Others said, “These are not the words52 of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see,53 can it?”54
Jesus at the Feast of Dedication
10:22 Then came the feast of the Dedication55 in Jerusalem.56 10:23 It was winter,57 and Jesus was walking in the temple area58 in Solomon’s Portico.59 10:24 The Jewish leaders60 surrounded him and asked,61 “How long will you keep us in suspense?62 If you are the Christ,63 tell us plainly.”64 10:25 Jesus replied,65 “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds66 I do in my Father’s name testify about me. 10:26 But you refuse to believe because you are not my sheep. 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 10:28 I give67 them eternal life, and they will never perish;68 no one will snatch69 them from my hand. 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,70 and no one can snatch71 them from my Father’s hand. 10:30 The Father and I72 are one.”73
10:31 The Jewish leaders74 picked up rocks again to stone him to death. 10:32 Jesus said to them,75 “I have shown you many good deeds76 from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?” 10:33 The Jewish leaders77 replied,78 “We are not going to stone you for a good deed79 but for blasphemy,80 because81 you, a man, are claiming to be God.”82
10:34 Jesus answered,83 “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’?84 10:35 If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ (and the scripture cannot be broken),85 10:36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apart86 and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 10:37 If I do not perform87 the deeds88 of my Father, do not believe me. 10:38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds,89 so that you may come to know90 and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” 10:39 Then91 they attempted92 again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches.93
10:40 Jesus94 went back across the Jordan River95 again to the place where John96 had been baptizing at an earlier time,97 and he stayed there. 10:41 Many98 came to him and began to say, “John99 performed100 no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man101 was true!” 10:42 And many believed in Jesus102 there.