The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

10 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.^{(A) 2} The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.^{(B) 3} The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice.^(C) He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.^{(D) 4} When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.^{(E) 5} But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” ⁶ Jesus used this figure of speech,^(F) but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.^(G)

⁷ Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am^(H) the gate^(I) for the sheep. ⁸ All who have come before me^(J) are thieves and robbers,^(K) but the sheep have not listened to them. ⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.^[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life,^(L) and have it to the full.^(M)

¹¹ “I am^(N) the good shepherd.^(O) The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.^{(P) 12} The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away.^(Q) Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd;^(R) I know my sheep^(S) and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father^(T)—and I lay down my life for the sheep.^{(U) 16} I have other sheep^(V) that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock^(W) and one shepherd.^{(X) 17} The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life^(Y)—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.^(Z) I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”^(AA)

¹⁹ The Jews who heard these words were again divided.^{(AB) 20} Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed^(AC) and raving mad.^(AD) Why listen to him?”

²¹ But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon.^(AE) Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”^(AF)

Further Conflict Over Jesus’ Claims

²² Then came the Festival of Dedication^[b] at Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.^{(AG) 24} The Jews^(AH) who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”^(AI)

²⁵ Jesus answered, “I did tell you,^(AJ) but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me,^{(AK) 26} but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.^{(AL) 27} My sheep listen to my voice; I know them,^(AM) and they follow me.^{(AN) 28} I give them eternal life,^(AO) and they shall never perish;^(AP) no one will snatch them out of my hand.^{(AQ) 29} My Father, who has given them to me,^(AR) is greater than all^[c];^(AS) no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”^(AT)

³¹ Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him,^{(AU) 32} but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

³³ “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”^(AV)

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law,^(AW) ‘I have said you are “gods”’^[d]?^{(AX) 35} If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God^(AY) came—and Scripture cannot be set aside^(AZ)— ³⁶ what about the one whom the Father set apart^(BA) as his very own^(BB) and sent into the world?^(BC) Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?^{(BD) 37} Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father.^{(BE) 38} But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”^{(BF) 39} Again they tried to seize him,^(BG) but he escaped their grasp.^(BH)

⁴⁰ Then Jesus went back across the Jordan^(BI) to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, ⁴¹ and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign,^(BJ) all that John said about this man was true.”^{(BK) 42} And in that place many believed in Jesus.^(BL)

The Death of Lazarus

11 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany,^(BM) the village of Mary and her sister Martha.^{(BN) 2} (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.)^{(BO) 3} So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love^(BP) is sick.”

⁴ When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory^(BQ) so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” ⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, ⁷ and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”^(BR)

⁸ “But Rabbi,”^(BS) they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you,^(BT) and yet you are going back?”

⁹ Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light.^{(BU) 10} It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

¹¹ After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend^(BV) Lazarus has fallen asleep;^(BW) but I am going there to wake him up.”

¹² His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” ¹³ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.^(BX)

¹⁴ So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵ and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

¹⁶ Then Thomas^(BY) (also known as Didymus^[e]) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus

¹⁷ On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.^{(BZ) 18} Now Bethany^(CA) was less than two miles^[f] from Jerusalem, ¹⁹ and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.^{(CB) 20} When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.^(CC)

²¹ “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.^{(CD) 22} But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”^(CE)

²³ Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

²⁴ Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection^(CF) at the last day.”^(CG)

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am^(CH) the resurrection and the life.^(CI) The one who believes^(CJ) in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing^(CK) in me will never die.^(CL) Do you believe this?”

²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah,^(CM) the Son of God,^(CN) who is to come into the world.”^(CO)

²⁸ After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher^(CP) is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” ²⁹ When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰ Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him.^{(CQ) 31} When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her,^(CR) noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

³² When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”^(CS)

³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved^(CT) in spirit and troubled.^{(CU) 34} “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

³⁵ Jesus wept.^(CV)

³⁶ Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”^(CW)

³⁷ But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man^(CX) have kept this man from dying?”^(CY)

Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved,^(CZ) came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.^{(DA) 39} “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”^(DB)

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe,^(DC) you will see the glory of God?”^(DD)

⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up^(DE) and said, “Father,^(DF) I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here,^(DG) that they may believe that you sent me.”^(DH)

⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”^{(DI) 44} The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen,^(DJ) and a cloth around his face.^(DK)

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

⁴⁵ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary,^(DL) and had seen what Jesus did,^(DM) believed in him.^{(DN) 46} But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ Then the chief priests and the Pharisees^(DO) called a meeting^(DP) of the Sanhedrin.^(DQ)

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs.^{(DR) 48} If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

⁴⁹ Then one of them, named Caiaphas,^(DS) who was high priest that year,^(DT) spoke up, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰ You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”^(DU)

⁵¹ He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, ⁵² and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.^{(DV) 53} So from that day on they plotted to take his life.^(DW)

⁵⁴ Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea.^(DX) Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

⁵⁵ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,^(DY) many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing^(DZ) before the Passover. ⁵⁶ They kept looking for Jesus,^(EA) and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” ⁵⁷ But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.