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| 1 Verily, verily, I say to you, He that enters not in by the door to the fold of the sheep, but mounts up elsewhere, *he* is a thief and a robber;
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| 2 but he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
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| 3 To him the porter opens; and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.
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The Porter – In the Harvest of the Jewish Age the porter was the Law Covenant that kept the Jews penned in. In the Harvest of the Gospel Age the porter would seem to be the false claim that the only way to God was through the nominal church.
Hear his voice – This is the voice of our Lord Jesus, especially at both the first and second advents. In both cases Jesus stands outside the nominal church system and calls to his sheep.
His voice is the Harvest Message.
He leadeth them out – It is Jesus who calls us to "Come out of her, my people." |
| 4 When he has put forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice.
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He goeth before them – Showing that the sheep need no longer remain in the system. Before the Bride leaves the system, the Lord has already left it as indicated by this phrase: "He goeth before them".
The sheep follow him – As always. The true sheep always follow the leading of their Master.
"Come out of her, my people."
They know his voice – They do not guess at his voice, they know it, thus indicating that these make the Truth their own. "Prove all things, hold fast that which is good." |
| 5 But they will not follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they know not the voice of strangers.
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| 6 This allegory spoke Jesus to them, but they did not know what it was of which he spoke to them. |
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| 7 Jesus therefore said again to them, Verily, verily, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
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| 8 All whoever came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not hear them.
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| 9 I am the door: if any one enter in by me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and shall go out and shall find pasture.
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| 10 The thief comes not but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I am come that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.
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| 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep:
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| 12 but he who serves for wages, and who is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf seizes them and scatters the sheep.
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| 13 Now he who serves for wages flees because he serves for wages, and is not himself concerned about the sheep.
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| 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know those that are mine, and am known of those that are mine,
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| 15 as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
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| 16 And I have other sheep which are not of this fold: those also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one flock, one shepherd.
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| 17 On this account the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it again.
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| 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it again. I have received this commandment of my Father.
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| 19 There was a division again among the Jews on account of these words; |
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| 20 but many of them said, He has a demon and raves; why do ye hear him? |
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| 21 Others said, These sayings are not those of one that is possessed by a demon. Can a demon open blind people's eyes? |
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| 22 Now the feast of the dedication was celebrating at Jerusalem, and it was winter. |
The feast of the dedication – "Today this festival is called Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights." See What is the Feast of Dedication? |
| 23 And Jesus walked in the temple in the porch of Solomon. |
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| 24 The Jews therefore surrounded him, and said to him, Until when dost thou hold our soul in suspense? If thou art the Christ, say so to us openly. |
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| 25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye do not believe. The works which I do in my Father's name, these bear witness concerning me:
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| 26 but ye do not believe, for ye are not of my sheep, as I told you.
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| 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me;
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| 28 and I give them life eternal; and they shall never perish, and no one shall seize them out of my hand.
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| 29 My Father who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one can seize out of the hand of my Father.
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| 30 I and the Father are one.
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| 31 The Jews therefore again took stones that they might stone him. |
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| 32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewn you of my Father; for which work of them do ye stone me?
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| 33 The Jews answered him, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, and because thou, being a man, makest thyself God. |
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| 34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
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| 35 If he called *them* gods to whom the word of God came (and the scripture cannot be broken),
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| 36 do ye say of him whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, because I said, I am Son of God?
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| 37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not;
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| 38 but if I do, even if ye believe not me, believe the works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him.
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| 39 They sought therefore again to take him; and he went away from out of their hand |
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| 40 and departed again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptising at the first: and he abode there. |
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| 41 And many came to him, and said, John did no sign; but all things which John said of this man were true. |
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| 42 And many believed on him there. |
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