Book of Common Prayer
The messianic challenge
26 “My brothers and sisters,” Paul continued, “children of Abraham’s family, and the godfearers among you: it is to us that the word of this salvation has been sent! 27 The people who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, didn’t recognize him, and they fulfilled the words of the prophets which are read to them every sabbath by condemning him. 28 Even though they found no reason to condemn him to death, they asked Pilate to have him killed. 29 When they had completed everything that had been written about him in prophecy, they took him down from the cross and put him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and he was seen for several days by those who had come with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people.
32 “We are here now to bring you the good news which was promised to our ancestors, 33 that God has fulfilled this promise to us, their children, by raising Jesus. This corresponds, indeed, to what is written in the second Psalm:
You are my son; this day I have begotten you.
34 “That he raised him from the dead, never more to return to corruption, conforms to what was written:
I will give you the holy and faithful mercies of David.
35 “Because, as it says in another place,
You will not hand over your holy one to see corruption.
36 “Now David served his own generation, and in the purposes of God he fell asleep and was gathered to his fathers. He did experience corruption. 37 But the one God raised up did not experience corruption. 38,39 “So let it be known to you, my brothers and sisters, that forgiveness of sins is announced through him.
“Everyone who believes is set right in relation to all the things which the law of Moses could not put right.
40 “Beware, then, lest what the prophets foretold comes true of you:
41 Look out, you scoffers—be amazed, and disappear!
I am doing something in your days, a work which you wouldn’t believe
even if someone were to explain it to you.”
42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving, they begged them to come back the next sabbath and tell them more about these things. 43 Many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed them once the synagogue was dismissed. They spoke to them some more, and urged them to remain in God’s grace.
The good shepherd
10 “I’m telling you the solemn truth,” said Jesus. “Anyone who doesn’t come into the sheepfold by the gate, but gets in by some other way, is a thief and a brigand. 2 But the one who comes in through the gate is the sheep’s own shepherd. 3 The doorkeeper will open up for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all that belong to him, he goes on ahead of them. The sheep follow him, because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; instead, they will run away from him, because they don’t know the stranger’s voice.”
6 Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what it was he was saying to them.
7 So he spoke to them again.
“I’m telling you the solemn truth,” he said. “I am the gate of the sheep. 8 All the people who came before me were thieves and brigands, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the gate. If anyone comes in by me, they will be safe, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief only comes to steal, and kill, and destroy. I came so that they could have life—yes, and have it full to overflowing.”
The shepherd and the sheep
11 “I am the good shepherd,” Jesus continued. “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 But supposing there’s a hired servant, who isn’t himself the shepherd, and who doesn’t himself own the sheep. He will see the wolf coming, and leave the sheep, and run away. Then the wolf will snatch the sheep and scatter them. 13 He’ll run away because he’s only a hired servant, and doesn’t care about the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep, and my own know me— 15 just as the father knows me and I know the father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep, too, which don’t belong to this sheepfold. I must bring them, too, and they will hear my voice. Then there will be one flock, and one shepherd.
17 “That’s why the father loves me, because I lay down my life, so that I can take it again. 18 Nobody takes it from me; I lay it down of my own accord. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to receive it back again. This is the command I received from my father.”
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.