John 10:1-21

John 10

The Good Shepherd

¹ “Amen, Amen, I tell you: Anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the door, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. ² The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The doorkeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own sheep, he walks ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶ Jesus used this illustration in speaking to the people, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

⁷ So Jesus said again, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: I am the door for the sheep. ⁸ All who came before me ^[1] were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹ I am the door. Whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.

¹⁰ “A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

¹¹ “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² The hired man, who is not a shepherd, does not own the sheep. He sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. ¹³ Because he works for money, he does not care about the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me ¹⁵ (just as the Father knows me and I know the Father). And I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I also have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷ This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again. This is the commission I received from my Father.”

¹⁹ There was a division among the Jews again because of these words. ²⁰ Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind! Why listen to him?” ²¹ Others said, “These are not the sayings of someone demon-possessed. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”