⁷ So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am ^(A)the door of the sheep. ⁸ All those who came before Me are ^(B)thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. ^9 (C)I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they ^(D)would have life, and ^[a]have it abundantly.

¹¹ “^(E)I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd ^(F)lays down His life for the sheep.

¹⁷ For this reason the Father loves Me, because I ^(A)lay down My life so that I may take it back. ^18 (B)No one has taken it away from Me, but I ^(C)lay it down on My own. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it back. ^(D)This commandment I received from My Father.”

^19 (E)Dissension occurred again among the Jews because of these words. ²⁰ Many of them were saying, “He ^(F)has a demon and ^(G)is insane. Why do you listen to Him?” ²¹ Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who is ^(H)demon-possessed. ^(I)A demon cannot open the eyes of those who are blind, can it?”

Jesus Asserts His Deity

²² At that time the ^[a]Feast of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem; ²³ it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple area, in the portico of ^(J)Solomon. ^24 (K)The Jews then surrounded Him and began saying to Him, “How long ^[b]will You keep us in suspense? If You are the ^[c]Christ, tell us ^(L)plainly.” ²⁵ Jesus answered them, “^(M)I told you, and you do not believe; ^(N)the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. ²⁶ But you do not believe, because ^(O)you are not of My sheep. ²⁷ My sheep ^(P)listen to My voice, and ^(Q)I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸ and I give them ^(R)eternal life, and they will never perish; and ^(S)no one will snatch them out of My hand.