Jesus the Good Shepherd
(Psalm 23:1-6; Ezekiel 34:11-24)
1Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. 6This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
7Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 17Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
19There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. 20And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? 21Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?
The Unbelief of the Jews
22And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. 23And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. 24Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. 25Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. 26But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30I and my Father are one.
31Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. 34Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? 35If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; 36Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? 37If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. 39Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,
Many across the Jordan Believe
40And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode. 41And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true. 42And many believed on him there.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
Jesus the Good Shepherd
(Psalm 23:1–6; Ezekiel 34:11–24)
1 “Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. 4 Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them.
7 Jesus therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s door. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture. 10 The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them. 13 The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn’t care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own; 15 even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd. 17 Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.”
19 Therefore a division arose again among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane! Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. It isn’t possible for a demon to open the eyes of the blind, is it?”
Jesus at the Feast of Dedication
22 It was the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem. 23 It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. 24 The Jews therefore came around him and said to him, “How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you don’t believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, these testify about me. 26 But you don’t believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I told you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
31 Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “We don’t stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’ 35 If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture can’t be broken), 36 do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’ 37 If I don’t do the works of my Father, don’t believe me. 38 But if I do them, though you don’t believe me, believe the works; that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” 39 They sought again to seize him, and he went out of their hand.
John’s Testimony Confirmed
40 He went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John was baptizing at first, and there he stayed. 41 Many came to him. They said, “John indeed did no sign, but everything that John said about this man is true.” 42 Many believed in him there.
Jesus the Good Shepherd
(Psalm 23:1–6; Ezekiel 34:11–24)
1 “Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 But the one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will flee from him because they do not recognize his voice.”
6 Jesus spoke to them using this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them. 7 So He said to them again, “Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before Me a were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for 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 have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.
17 The reason the Father loves Me is that I lay down My life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father.”
19 Again there was division among the Jews because of Jesus’ message. 20 Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and insane. Why would you listen to Him?”
21 But others replied, “These are not the words of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
Jesus at the Feast of Dedication
22 At that time the Feast of Dedication b took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple courts c in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 So the Jews gathered around Him and demanded, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
25 “I already told you,” Jesus replied, “but you did not believe. The works I do in My Father’s name testify on My behalf. 26 But because you are not My sheep, you refuse to believe. 27 My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
31 At this, the Jews again picked up stones to stone Him. 32 But Jesus responded, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?”
33 “We are not stoning You for any good work,” said the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because You, who are a man, declare Yourself to be God.”
34 Jesus replied, “Is it not written in your Law: ‘I have said you are gods’ d? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken— 36 then what about the One whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world? How then can you accuse Me of blasphemy for stating that I am the Son of God?
37 If I am not doing the works of My Father, then do not believe Me. 38 But if I am doing them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works themselves, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I am in the Father.”
39 At this, they tried again to seize Him, but He escaped their grasp.
John’s Testimony Confirmed
40 Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had first been baptizing, and He stayed there. 41 Many came to Him and said, “Although John never performed a sign, everything he said about this man was true.” 42 And many in that place believed in Jesus.
Footnotes:
8 a BYZ All who came
22 b That is, Hanukkah, the historic celebration of the Maccabean Revolt and rededication of the temple
23 c Literally the temple
34 d Psalm 82:6
Jesus the Good Shepherd
(Psalm 23:1-6; Ezekiel 34:11-24)
1'Verily, verily, I say to you, He who is not entering through the door to the fold of the sheep, but is going up from another side, that one is a thief and a robber; 2and he who is entering through the door is shepherd of the sheep; 3to this one the doorkeeper doth open, and the sheep hear his voice, and his own sheep he doth call by name, and doth lead them forth; 4and when his own sheep he may put forth, before them he goeth on, and the sheep follow him, because they have known his voice; 5and a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, because they have not known the voice of strangers.' 6This similitude spake Jesus to them, and they knew not what the things were that he was speaking to them;
7Jesus said therefore again to them, 'Verily, verily, I say to you -- I am the door of the sheep; 8all, as many as came before me, are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them; 9I am the door, through me if any one may come in, he shall be saved, and he shall come in, and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief doth not come, except that he may steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.
11'I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd his life layeth down for the sheep; 12and the hireling, and not being a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, doth behold the wolf coming, and doth leave the sheep, and doth flee; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep; 13and the hireling doth flee because he is an hireling, and is not caring for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and am known by mine, 15according as the Father doth know me, and I know the Father, and my life I lay down for the sheep, 16and other sheep I have that are not of this fold, these also it behoveth me to bring, and my voice they will hear, and there shall become one flock -- one shepherd. 17'Because of this doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that again I may take it; 18no one doth take it from me, but I lay it down of myself; authority I have to lay it down, and authority I have again to take it; this command I received from my Father.'
19Therefore, again, there came a division among the Jews, because of these words, 20and many of them said, 'He hath a demon, and is mad, why do ye hear him?' 21others said, 'These sayings are not those of a demoniac; is a demon able blind men's eyes to open?'
The Unbelief of the Jews
22And the dedication in Jerusalem came, and it was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the porch of Solomon, 24the Jews, therefore, came round about him, and said to him, 'Till when our soul dost thou hold in suspense? if thou art the Christ, tell us freely.' 25Jesus answered them, 'I told you, and ye do not believe; the works that I do in the name of my Father, these testify concerning me; 26but ye do not believe, for ye are not of my sheep, 27according as I said to you: My sheep my voice do hear, and I know them, and they follow me, 28and life age-during I give to them, and they shall not perish -- to the age, and no one shall pluck them out of my hand; 29my Father, who hath given to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to pluck out of the hand of my Father; 30I and the Father are one.'
31Therefore, again, did the Jews take up stones that they may stone him; 32Jesus answered them, 'Many good works did I shew you from my Father; because of which work of them do ye stone me?' 33The Jews answered him, saying, 'For a good work we do not stone thee, but for evil speaking, and because thou, being a man, dost make thyself God.' 34Jesus answered them, 'Is it not having been written in your law: I said, ye are gods? 35if them he did call gods unto whom the word of God came, (and the Writing is not able to be broken,) 36of him whom the Father did sanctify, and send to the world, do ye say -- Thou speakest evil, because I said, Son of God I am? 37if I do not the works of my Father, do not believe me; 38and if I do, even if me ye may not believe, the works believe, that ye may know and may believe that in me is the Father, and I in Him.' 39Therefore were they seeking again to seize him, and he went forth out of their hand,
Many across the Jordan Believe
40and went away again to the other side of the Jordan, to the place where John was at first baptizing, and remained there, 41and many came unto him, and said -- 'John, indeed, did no sign, and all things, as many as John said about this one were true;' 42and many did believe in him there.
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
¹ Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. ² The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate 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, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
⁶ Jesus used this figure of speech, but the people didn’t understand what He was telling them. ⁷ So He explained, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who have come before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. ⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full!*
The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life
¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. ¹² The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for 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 have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to My voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.*
¹⁷ The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down My life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father.”
¹⁹ At these words, the people were again divided. ²⁰ Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to Him?” ²¹ But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
Jesus at the Festival of Dedication
²² Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was walking in the temple courts in Solomon’s Colonnade. ²⁴ The Jewish leaders gathered around Him, saying, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
²⁵ Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in My Father’s name testify about Me, ²⁶ but you do not believe because you are not My sheep. ²⁷ My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”
Jesus’ Claim to Be God’s Son
³¹ Again His Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone Him, ³² but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?”
³³ “We are not stoning You for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because You, a mere man, claim to be God.”
³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’?* ³⁵ If He called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— ³⁶ what about the one whom the Father set apart as His very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse Me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? ³⁷ Do not believe Me unless I do the works of My Father. ³⁸ But if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” ³⁹ Again they tried to seize Him, but He escaped their grasp.
Jesus Returns Across the Jordan
⁴⁰ Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There He stayed, ⁴¹ and many people came to Him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” ⁴² And in that place, many believed in Jesus.
Footnotes:
10:10: Jesus promises not just life, but life in abundance—a life filled with His presence, peace, and purpose.
10:16: The “other sheep” refers to Gentiles, expanding the message of salvation beyond Israel to the whole world.
10:34: Jesus quotes Psalm 82:6, where God calls certain people “gods” (representing authority or divine calling), to defend His claim of being the Son of God.
10:4: The ancient Near Eastern shepherd’s relationship with his sheep was intimate and personal, as sheep recognized their shepherd’s voice and followed only him.
10:22: The Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) commemorates the rededication of the temple after the Maccabean revolt. Jesus uses this moment to reveal more about His identity as the Messiah.
10:29: Jesus’ promise of eternal security—that no one can take His sheep from His or the Father’s hand—speaks to the assurance of salvation for those who believe in Him.
10:40: The return across the Jordan refers to the location where John the Baptist had initially begun his ministry, a symbolic place of renewal and preparation.
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