The Ideal Shepherd

10 “I assure you: Anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the door but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.^{(A) 2} The one who enters by the door is the shepherd^(B) of the sheep.^{(C) 3} The doorkeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. ⁵ They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t recognize the voice of strangers.”

⁶ Jesus gave them this illustration, but they did not understand^(D) what He was telling them.

The Good Shepherd

⁷ So Jesus said again, “I assure you: I am^(E) the door of the sheep.^{(F) 8} All who came before Me^[a] are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. ⁹ I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. ¹⁰ A thief comes only to steal^(G) and to kill and to destroy.^(H) I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd.^(I) The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.^{(J) 12} The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them^[b] and runs away when he sees a wolf^(K) coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. ¹³ This happens because he is a hired man and doesn’t care about the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, ¹⁵ as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father.^(L) I lay down My life^(M) for the sheep. ¹⁶ But I have other sheep^(N) that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.^{(O) 17} This is why the Father loves Me,^(P) because I am laying down My life^(Q) so I may take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father.”^(R)

¹⁹ Again a division^(S) took place among the Jews because of these words. ²⁰ Many of them were saying, “He has a demon^(T) and He’s crazy! Why do you listen to Him?” ²¹ Others were saying, “These aren’t the words of someone demon-possessed. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”^(U)

Jesus at the Festival of Dedication

²² Then the Festival of Dedication^[c] took place in Jerusalem, and it was winter. ²³ Jesus was walking in the temple complex in Solomon’s Colonnade.^{[d](V) 24} Then the Jews surrounded Him and asked, “How long are You going to keep us in suspense?^[e] If You are the Messiah,^(W) tell us plainly.”^[f](X)

²⁵ “I did tell you and you don’t believe,” Jesus answered them. “The works^(Y) that I do in My Father’s name testify about Me. ²⁶ But you don’t believe because you are not My sheep.^{[g](Z) 27} My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life,^(AA) and they will never perish^(AB)—ever! No one will snatch^(AC) them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father,^(AD) who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰ The Father and I are one.”^[h](AE)

Renewed Efforts to Stone Jesus

³¹ Again the Jews picked up rocks to stone Him.^(AF)

³² Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works^(AG) from the Father. Which of these works are you stoning Me for?”

³³ “We aren’t stoning^(AH) You for a good work,” the Jews answered, “but for blasphemy, because You—being a man—make Yourself God.”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your scripture,^[i] I said, you are gods?^{(AI)[j] 35} If He called those whom the word^(AJ) of God came to ‘gods’—and the Scripture^(AK) cannot be broken— ³⁶ do you say, ‘You are blaspheming’ to the One the Father set apart and sent into the world, because I said: I am the Son of God?^{(AL) 37} If I am not doing My Father’s works,^(AM) don’t believe Me. ³⁸ But if I am doing them and you don’t believe Me, believe the works. This way you will know and understand^[k] that the Father is in Me and I in the Father.”^{(AN) 39} Then they were trying again to seize Him,^(AO) yet He eluded their grasp.^(AP)

Many beyond the Jordan Believe in Jesus

⁴⁰ So He departed again across the Jordan^(AQ) to the place where John^(AR) had been baptizing earlier, and He remained there. ⁴¹ Many came to Him^(AS) and said, “John never did a sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” ⁴² And many believed in Him there.