Jesus the True Shepherd

10 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ² But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by ^(A)name and leads them out. ⁴ And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ⁵ Yet they will by no means follow a ^(B)stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶ Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

Jesus the Good Shepherd

⁷ Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All who ever came ^[a]before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. ^9 (C)I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

^11 (D)“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. ¹² But a ^[b]hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and ^(E)leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. ¹³ The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd; and ^(F)I know My sheep, and ^(G)am known by My own. ^15 (H)As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; ^(I)and I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶ And ^(J)other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; ^(K)and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

¹⁷ “Therefore My Father ^(L)loves Me, ^(M)because I lay down My life that I may take it again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I ^(N)have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. ^(O)This command I have received from My Father.”

¹⁹ Therefore ^(P)there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. ²⁰ And many of them said, ^(Q)“He has a demon and is ^[c]mad. Why do you listen to Him?”

²¹ Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. ^(R)Can a demon ^(S)open the eyes of the blind?”

The Shepherd Knows His Sheep

²² Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. ²³ And Jesus walked in the temple, ^(T)in Solomon’s porch. ²⁴ Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in ^[d]doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

²⁵ Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. ^(U)The works that I do in My Father’s name, they ^(V)bear witness of Me. ²⁶ But ^(W)you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, ^[e]as I said to you. ^27 (X)My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. ^29 (Y)My Father, ^(Z)who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

A Friend Comes at Midnight

⁵ And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; ⁶ for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; ⁷ and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? ⁸ I say to you, ^(A)though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking^(B)

^9 (C)“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; ^(D)seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ^11 (E)If a son asks for ^[a]bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, being evil, know how to give ^(F)good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

^30 (A)I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because ^(B)I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.