Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁵ The next day their rulers, leaders, and scribes met in Jerusalem.

⁶ Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all of the high priest's family were there also.

⁷ Peter and John were brought before them. They asked the apostles, `By what power or in what name have you done this?'

^8-9 hen Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, `Rulers of the people and leaders of Israel, have you brought us to court today because of the good thing that was done to the lame man? Do you want to find out how he was healed?

¹⁰ Well, let it be known by all the people of Israel. This man standing before you is healed by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He has done this. You nailed him to a cross, but God raised him from death.

¹¹ Jesus Christ is the stone which you, the builders, would not use. But he is now the chief corner stone.

¹² No one else can save us. Of all the people in the world, God chose him to save us. It is by him we must be saved.'

¹⁶ Christ died for us. That is how we know what love is. We also should be willing to die for our brothers.

¹⁷ Perhaps a man has plenty of food and things. He sees that his brother needs some. If he does not want to help his brother, does he love God?

¹⁸ My children, we must not only talk about loving people; we must show we love people by what we do for them. We must really love them.

¹⁹ And this is how we will know that we are true. This is why we will not be afraid in front of God.

²⁰ Even if our hearts think we are wrong, God is greater than our hearts and he knows everything.

²¹ My dear brothers, if our hearts do not think we are wrong, we will not be afraid in front of God.

²² If we ask God for something, we get it. We get it because we obey his laws. We get it because we do what pleases him.

²³ This is his law. We must believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ. And we must love one another as he told us to do.

²⁴ If anyone obeys his laws, he belongs to God and God belongs to him. God has given us the Holy Spirit. That is how we know that God is with us.

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.'