Jesus is our Shepherd
1Jesus talked to the Pharisees and said: ‘I tell you this and it is sure: A thief or a robber does not come in at the gate of the kraal to steal the sheep. He gets in at another place. 2-3But the man at the gate opens the gate for the shepherd of the sheep and the shepherd goes in at the gate. The shepherd calls the name of each sheep and the sheep listen to his voice and come to him and he takes them out.
4When he has led all his sheep out of the kraal, he walks in front of them and they follow him because they know his voice. 5But the sheep will not follow a person if they do not know him. They will run away from him because they do not know the voices of other people.’
6Jesus told this story to the Pharisees to explain something to them, but they did not understand what He said.
Jesus is the Good_Shepherd
7Jesus said: ‘I tell you this and it is sure: I am the Gate for the sheep. 8The people who came before Me were thieves and robbers but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the Gate for the sheep. God will save everyone who believes in Me. They will be like sheep that go in and out of a gate and find grass to eat.
10A thief comes only to steal the sheep and kill them. I came so that the sheep can live, and so that they can have real_life. 11I am the Good_Shepherd. The Good_Shepherd will die so that his sheep can live. 12A person who gets money to look after the sheep will not do the same as the Good_Shepherd does. A person who gets money to look after the sheep is not a shepherd and the sheep do not belong to him. When he sees a wolf coming, he runs away and leaves the sheep. Then the wolf attacks the sheep and chases them away. 13Yes, someone who gets money to look after the sheep runs away, because he does not_really care about the sheep.
14I am the Good_Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know Me, 15just like the Father knows Me and I know the Father. I will die so that my sheep can live. 16I also have other sheep that are not with these sheep in this kraal. I must also lead them. They will listen to my voice and later all my sheep will be in one flock and they will all have the same Shepherd.
17The Father loves Me because I give my life for the sheep. I will die and I will rise and live again. 18No one takes my life from Me. I give my life because I want to do it. I can decide to give my life and I can decide to live again. This is what my Father told Me to do.’
19When the Jews heard what Jesus said, they argued with each other. 20Some Jews said: ‘He has a demon in Him. It is the demon who speaks. He is mad. Don't listen to Him.’
21But other Jews said: ‘No, a man who has a demon can not speak as Jesus speaks. A demon can not make blind people see.’
The Jews do not accept Jesus
22It was time for the Temple-feast in Jerusalem. It was winter time and 23Jesus went to the temple. He was walking in Solomon's_Porch. 24Some Jews came to Jesus and they were standing around Him. They asked Him: ‘How long must we wait before we can be sure who You are? If You are the Christ, then You must tell us now.’
25Jesus said to them: ‘I have already told you, but you do not believe Me. I do things that my Father says I must do and those things show you who I am. 26You don't believe Me because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice. I know my sheep and they follow Me. 28I give them eternal_life and they will never be lost. No one can take them out of my hand. 29The people that my Father gave to Me are the most important of everyone. That is why no one can take them out of the Father's hand. 30I and the Father are One.’
31The Jews picked up stones to throw at Jesus. They wanted to kill Him. 32Jesus said to them: ‘The Father said I must do a lot of good things and I did them all. Tell Me: Why do you want to kill Me? What good thing have I done that made you so angry that you want to kill Me?’
33The Jews said to Jesus: ‘It is not something that You did that makes us angry. We want to kill You because You are speaking against God. You are only a man, but You say that You are God.’
34Jesus said to them: ‘In the Old_Testament it is written:
“God said you are gods.” ’
35Then Jesus said: ‘This means: The Old_Testament says those people to whom God speaks are gods. We can not change this. 36God chose Me to do a special work. He sent Me to the world. Why do you say I speak against God when I say I am the Son of God? 37The Father told Me what I must do. If I don't do it, then you must not believe Me. 38But if I do the things that the Father told Me to do, then you must believe what I do, even if you don't want to believe in Me. Then you will really know that the Father is with Me and I am with the Father.’
39The Jews again tried to arrest Jesus, but they could not do it, because Jesus went away. 40Jesus then went back to the other side of the Jordan River to the place where John had baptised the people before. Jesus stayed there 41and a lot of people went to Him. They said: ‘John has never done a miracle, but everything that he said about Jesus is true.’
42A lot of people started to believe in Jesus.
