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10:1-21
"Truly, truly I tell you the one who does not enter the sheep
fold through the door but goes there by another way, that one is a thief
and a robber. But the one who
goes through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The door keeper opens up to this one
and the sheep hear his voice.
He calls each of his sheep by name and he leads them out. When he has collected all those who
belong to him he sets out in
front of the sheep and they follow him because they know his
voice. But as for a stranger,
they will not follow him but rather run away from him because they do not
know the voice of strangers."
Jesus told them this as an allegory but those men did not know what
he was saying to them. Jesus
therefore said again "Truly, truly I tell you that I am the door of
the sheep. All who came before
me are thieves and robbers but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters, it is through
me. He will be saved and will
go in (to the sheep fold) and will (then) go out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to
steal and kill and destroy. I
came that they (the sheep) may have life and may have it in abundance. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life
for the sheep. The hireling (on
the other hand), is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. He sees the wolf coming and leaving
the sheep he flees. (Then) the
wolf seizes the sheep and scatters them. Because such a man is a hireling
what happens to the sheep does not matter to him. I am the good shepherd. I know mine
and mine know me. This is just
as the Father knows me and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the
sheep. I have other sheep that
are not of this fold and it behoves me to bring them (into this fold)
also. They will hear my voice
and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore the Father loves me
because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. No one took it (my life) from me. I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up
again. I received the commandment (to do this) from my Father." Again there was a division amongst
the Jews because of these words.
Many of them said "He has a demon and is raving. Why do you listen to him?" Others said "These are not the
words of someone who is possessed by a demon. A demon cannot open the eyes of blind men."
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12:44-50 But Jesus cried out and said
"The one who believes in me believes not in me but in the one who has
sent me, and the one who sees me sees the one who has sent me. I have come as a light
into the world and everyone who believes in me will not remain in
darkness. And as for anyone who
hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the
world, but so that I might save the world. The one who rejects me and does
not receive my words has one judging him (that is) the word which I spoke. That will judge him in the last
day. This is because I did not
speak of myself. The Father who
has sent me. He has commanded me about what I may say and what I may speak.
I know that his commandment is
eternal life. What things
therefore I say, are according to
what the Father has told me to say."
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