Book of Common Prayer

²⁶ `Men and brothers, sons of Abraham, and all of you who worship God, the news of this way to be saved has been sent to us.

²⁷ The people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers did not know who this Jesus really was. They did not understand the words of the prophets of God long ago which were read every Sabbath day. But even so, they did what the prophets had said they would do. They judged him.

²⁸ They could not prove that he did anything wrong for which he should die. Yet they begged Pilate to kill him.

²⁹ They did all the things that the prophets had written about him. Then they took him down from the cross made from a tree. They laid him in a grave cut from the rock.

³⁰ But God raised him from death.

³¹ People had come with Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem. They saw him many days. Now they tell people what they saw.

³² And we are bringing you this good news. God made a promise to our fathers long ago. Now he has made his promise come true.

³³ We, their children, have now received the promise. He sent Jesus just as it was written in the second, "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father."

³⁴ `God raised Jesus from death. His body did not go back to the grave to be spoiled. Here is what God said about it. "I will give to you the blessings which I promised David."

³⁵ `In another psalm it says, "You will not let the body of your Holy One be spoiled."

³⁶ `As for David, he did the work God wanted him to do for the people in his time. Then, after that, he died. He was buried with his fathers. His body spoiled.

³⁷ But God has raised one from death. His body did not spoil.

³⁸ `Men and brothers, understand this. It is because of this Jesus that we tell you your wrong ways will be forgiven you.

³⁹ The law of Moses could not make you free. But this man makes you free. You will not be judged if you believe in him.

⁴⁰ Be careful then, so that what the prophets said will not happen to you.

⁴¹ They said, "Look, you people who despise everything. You will look in wonder before you die. I will do something in your time. I will do something that you will not believe even if someone told you what it is." '

⁴² As Paul and Barnabas left the meeting house the people said, `Tell us these things again next Sabbath day.'

⁴³ The meeting was finished. There were many Jews, also those who were not Jews but worshipped God. They followed Paul and Barnabas. Paul and Barnabus kept talking to the people and told them to keep on living in the way that will bring God's blessing.

10 Then Jesus went on to say, `I tell you the truth. A person must get to the sheep through the door. Anyone who climbs over the wall to get in is a bad man and steals things. He has come to steal the sheep.

² But the man who comes in through the door, he is the one who takes care of the sheep.

³ The guard will open the door for him. The sheep will listen to him. He calls his own sheep by their names and leads them out.

⁴ When all his own sheep are out of the house, he goes ahead of them. The sheep come behind him because they know his voice.

⁵ They will not go after a stranger. They will run away from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.'

⁶ Jesus told this story to the Pharisees, but they did not understand what he was trying to tell them.

⁷ So Jesus told them again. He said, `I tell you the truth. I am the door of the sheep house.

⁸ All those who came before me are bad people and steal things. They came to steal the sheep. But the sheep did not listen to them.

⁹ I am the door. Anyone who comes in through me will be saved. He will go in and out as he wants to, and will have food to eat.

¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal the sheep and to kill them and spoil them. I have come so that people may live and that they may enjoy life to the full.

¹¹ `I am the good shepherd. I am the one who really cares for the sheep. The good shepherd is willing to die to save his sheep.

¹² Some people work for pay. The one who does that is not the one who really cares. The sheep do not belong to him. When he sees a bad animal coming, he will leave the sheep and run away. He will let the animal take the sheep and make the sheep run away.

¹³ He does that because he is only working for pay and does not care what happens to the sheep.

¹⁴ `I am the good shepherd, the one who really cares for the sheep. I know my sheep and my sheep know me.

¹⁵ So my Father knows me and I know him. I am willing to die to save the sheep.

¹⁶ `I have some other sheep which are not with these sheep. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice. Then all the sheep will be together and there will be one person who cares for all of them.

¹⁷ My Father loves me because I am willing to die. But when I die, I will live again.

¹⁸ No one kills me. I die only because I choose to die. I have power to die and I have power to live again. This is what my Father has told me to do.'