“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up from some other place on the stone wall, that one is ^aa thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is ^athe shepherd of the sheep the protector and provider. 3 The ¹doorkeeper opens the gate for this man, and the sheep hear ^ahis voice and pay attention to it. And knowing that they listen he calls his own sheep by name and ^bleads them out to pasture. 4 When he has brought all his own sheep outside, he walks on ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know ^ahis voice and recognize his call. 5 They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not know ^athe voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this ^afigure of speech with them, but they did not understand what He was talking about.

7 So Jesus said again, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, I am ^1athe Door for the sheep leading to life. 8 All who came before Me as false messiahs and self-appointed leaders are ^athieves and robbers, but the true sheep did not hear them. 9 ^aI am the Door; anyone who enters through Me will be saved and will live forever, and will go in and out freely, and find pasture (spiritual security) . 10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they ^amay have life, and have it in abundance to the full, till it overflows.

11 “^1aI am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd ^2blays down His own life for the sheep. Ps 23; Is 40:11 12 But the hired man who merely serves for wages, who is neither the ^ashepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away; and the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The man runs because he is a hired hand who serves only for wages and is not concerned about the safety of the sheep. 14 ^aI am the Good Shepherd, and ^bI know without any doubt those who are My own and My own know Me and have a deep, personal relationship with Me— 15 even as ^athe Father knows Me and I know the Father—and ^bI lay down My very own life sacrificing it for the benefit of the sheep. 16 I have ^1aother sheep beside these that are not of this fold. I must bring those also, and they will listen to My voice and pay attention to My call, and they will become ^2bone flock with ^cone Shepherd. Ezek 34:23; Eph 2:13-18 17 For this reason the Father loves Me, because I ^alay down My own life so that I may take it back. 18 ^aNo one takes it away from Me, but I ^blay it down voluntarily. I am authorized and have power to lay it down and to give it up, and I am authorized and have power to take it back. ^cThis command I have received from My Father.”

19 ^aA division of opinion occurred again among the Jews because of these words of His. 20 Many of them said, “He ^ahas a demon and He ^bis mad insane—He raves and rambles. Why listen to Him?” 21 Others were saying, “These are not the words and thoughts of one ^apossessed by a demon. Can ^ba demon open the eyes of the blind?”

22 At that time the ¹Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. 23 It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple area in ^1aSolomon’s portico. 24 So ^athe Jews surrounded Him and began saying to Him, “How long are You going to keep us in suspense? If You are really the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) , tell us so ^bplainly and openly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “^aI have told you so, yet you do not believe. ^bThe works that I do in My Father’s name testify concerning Me they are My credentials and the evidence declaring who I am. 26 But you do not believe Me so you do not trust and follow Me because ^ayou are not My sheep. 27 The sheep that are My own ^ahear My voice and listen to Me; ^bI know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them ^aeternal life, and they will never, ever by any means perish; and ^bno one will ever snatch them out of My hand. 29 ¹My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 ^aI and the Father are One in essence and nature.”

31 Again the Jews ^apicked up stones to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works and many acts of mercy from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, “We are not going to stone You for a good work, but for ^ablasphemy, because You, a mere man, ^bmake Yourself out to be God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in ^ayour ^bLaw, ‘^cI SAID, YOU ARE GODS human judges representing God, not divine beings’? Ps 82:6 35 If He ¹called them gods, men to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be undone or annulled or broken), 36 if that is true then do you say of Him whom the Father ^asanctified and set apart for Himself and ^bsent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘^cI am the Son of God’? 37 ^aIf I do not do the works of My Father that is, the miracles that only God could perform, then do not believe Me. 38 But if I am doing them, even if you do not believe Me or have faith in Me, at least believe ^athe works that I do—admit that they are the works of God, so that you may know and keep on knowing clearly—without any doubt that ^bthe Father is in Me, and I am in the Father that is, I am One with Him.” 39 So ^athey tried again to seize Him, but He ^beluded their grasp.

40 He went back ^aagain across the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there. 41 Many came to Him, and they were saying, “John did not perform a single ^asign (attesting miracle) , but ^beverything John said about this Man was true and accurate.” 42 ^aAnd many there believed and confidently trusted in Him accepting Him as Savior, and following His teaching.