Jesus the Good Shepherd (Psalm 23:1–6; Ezekiel 34:11–24)
1 UST “I am telling you the truth: Anyone who enters into the sheep pen by any way other than the pen’ s gate is a thief or bandit{ who has come to steal the sheep}. BSB BSB: “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 UST The man who enters the sheep pen through the gate is the shepherd{ who takes care} of the sheep. BSB BSB: But the one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 UST The man who guards the gate{ when the shepherd is away} opens the gate for the shepherd{ when he comes}. The sheep hear the sound of the shepherd’ s voice. He summons by name{ each of} the sheep that belong to him and leads them out of the pen. BSB BSB: 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 UST After the shepherd has brought out of the pen all of the sheep that belong to him, he walks in front of them. His sheep follow him{ from behind} because they recognize the sound of his voice. BSB BSB: 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 UST His sheep will never follow someone whom they do not know. Rather, they will run away from him because they do not recognize the voices of people they do not know.” BSB BSB: But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will flee from him because they do not recognize his voice.”
6 UST Jesus told this illustration{ from the work that shepherds do} to the Pharisees. Nevertheless, they did not understand what the illustration meant. BSB BSB: Jesus spoke to them using this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them.
7 UST So Jesus spoke to them again,“I am telling you the truth: I am the gate through which the sheep enter into the sheep pen. BSB BSB: So He said to them again, “Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
8 UST All the leaders who came before me{ without God’ s authority} were thieves and bandits. However, the true sheep did not obey them. BSB BSB: All who came before Me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
9 UST I myself am the gate{ to heaven}. God will save{ from eternal punishment} anyone who comes to him by trusting in me.{ Whoever trusts in me} will be like a sheep who walks around safely and finds food. BSB BSB: I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.
10 UST Your leaders are like thieves who come only to steal, kill, and destroy the sheep. I have come to give the sheep eternal life, which will be full{ of blessings}. BSB BSB: 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.
12 UST { Suppose that} someone hires a man who is not a shepherd to protect sheep that do not belong to that man. When he sees a wolf coming{ to kill the sheep}, he leaves the sheep and runs away, so the wolf snatches some of them and causes some others to scatter. BSB BSB: 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 UST { The hired man runs away} because he was{ only protecting the sheep} in order to receive money. He does not care about what happens to the sheep. BSB BSB: The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep.
14 UST I myself am like a good shepherd.{ Just like a good shepherd knows his sheep and his sheep know him,} I know those who belong to me, and they know me. BSB BSB: I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me,
15 UST { We know each other} in the same way that my Father and I know each other. I am willing to die for the benefit of those sheep{ who belong to me}. BSB BSB: just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep.
19 UST The Jewish leaders divided{ into opposing groups} again on account of what Jesus had said. BSB BSB: Again there was division among the Jews because of Jesus’ message.
20 UST Many of the Jewish leaders said,“A demon is controlling him, and he is crazy! Do not listen to him!” BSB BSB: Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and insane. Why would you listen to Him?”
21 UST Some other people said,“What he is saying is not something a man controlled by a demon would ever say. Surely a demon cannot possibly enable a blind person to see!” BSB BSB: 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 23 UST Jesus was walking in the temple courtyard in the place called Solomon’ s Porch. BSB BSB: and Jesus was walking in the temple courts in Solomon’s Colonnade.
24 UST The Jewish leaders gathered around Jesus and said,“How long will you keep us wondering about who you are? If you are the Messiah, then tell us plainly{ so that we can know}.” BSB BSB: 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 UST Jesus answered them,“I have told you, but you still do not believe me. The miraculous deeds I do by my Father’ s authority tell you what you need to know about me. BSB BSB: “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 UST However, you people still do not believe in me, because you do not belong to me. You are like sheep that are not part of my flock. BSB BSB: But because you are not My sheep, you refuse to believe.
28 UST I enable them to live forever{ with God in heaven}. No one can ever destroy them, and{ no one can ever} take them away from me. BSB BSB: I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.
29 UST My Father gave them to me. He is greater than anyone, and no one is able to take them away from him. BSB BSB: My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
31 UST The Jewish leaders again picked up stones in order to throw them at him and kill him. BSB BSB: At this, the Jews again picked up stones to stone Him.
32 UST Jesus said to them,“You have seen me do many miraculous good deeds that my Father told me to do. For which one of them are you going to kill me with stones?” BSB BSB: But Jesus responded, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?”
33 UST The Jewish leaders replied,“We do not want to kill you with stones because you did a good deed. Rather,{ we want to kill you} because you blaspheme God by claiming to be God even though you are just a man!” BSB BSB: “We are not stoning You for any good work,” said the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because You, who are a man, make Yourself out to be God.”
34 UST Jesus replied to them,“In the Old Testament a prophet wrote that God said,‘I have said that you are gods.’ BSB BSB: Jesus replied, “Is it not written in your Law: ‘I have said you are gods’?
35 UST Since God called those to whom he spoke‘gods’ and no one can prove that the Scripture is false, BSB BSB: If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken—
36 UST why do you say that I am blaspheming God because I said that I am the Son of God? I am the one whom my Father specially selected{ to belong to him} and sent into this world. BSB BSB: 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 UST If I am not doing the miraculous works that my Father wants me to do, then you should not trust me. BSB BSB: If I am not doing the works of My Father, then do not believe Me.
38 UST However, because I am doing these{ miraculous} deeds, you should trust{ what} these deeds{ reveal about me} even though you do not trust me.{ You should do that} in order to learn and comprehend that my Father and I are completely united.” BSB BSB: 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 UST Because{ he said these things}, the Jewish leaders tried again to arrest Jesus, but he got away from them. BSB BSB: At this, they tried again to seize Him, but He escaped their grasp.
John’s Testimony Confirmed 40 UST Then Jesus went back over{ on the east side of} the Jordan River. He went to the place where John the Baptizer had baptized people at the beginning{ of his ministry}. Jesus stayed there for a while. BSB BSB: Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had first been baptizing, and He stayed there.
41 UST Many people came to Jesus there. They said,“John the Baptizer never performed a miraculous sign, but everything that John said about this man is true!” BSB BSB: Many came to Him and said, “Although John never performed a sign, everything he said about this man was true.”
42 UST Many people trusted in him in that place. BSB BSB: And many in that place believed in Jesus.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.