Jesus the Good Shepherd
Psalm 23:1–6; Ezekiel 34:11–24
1Truly I say to you, He who does not go through the door into the place where the sheep are kept, but gets in by some other way, is a thief and an outlaw.+ 2He who goes in by the door is the keeper of the sheep.+ 3The porter lets him in; and the sheep give ear to his voice; he says over the names of the sheep, and takes them out.+ 4When he has got them all out, he goes before them, and the sheep go after him, for they have knowledge of his voice.+ 5They will not go after another who is not their keeper, but will go from him in flight, because his voice is strange to them.+ 6In this Jesus was teaching them in the form of a story: but what he said was not clear to them.+ 7So Jesus said again, Truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.+ 8All who came before me are thieves and outlaws: but the sheep did not give ear to them.+ 9I am the door: if any man goes in through me he will have salvation, and will go in and go out, and will get food.+ 10The thief comes only to take the sheep and to put them to death: he comes for their destruction: I have come so that they may have life and have it in greater measure.+ 11I am the good keeper of sheep: the good keeper gives his life for the sheep.+ 12He who is a servant, and not the keeper or the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming and goes in flight, away from the sheep; and the wolf comes down on them and sends them in all directions:+ 13Because he is a servant he has no interest in the sheep.+ 14I am the good keeper; I have knowledge of my sheep, and they have knowledge of me,+ 15Even as the Father has knowledge of me and I of the Father; and I am giving my life for the sheep.+ 16And I have other sheep which are not of this field: I will be their guide in the same way, and they will give ear to my voice, so there will be one flock and one keeper.+ 17For this reason am I loved by the Father, because I give up my life so that I may take it again.+ 18No one takes it away from me; I give it up of myself. I have power to give it up, and I have power to take it again. These orders I have from my Father.+ 19There was a division again among the Jews because of these words.+ 20And a number of them said, He has an evil spirit and is out of his mind; why do you give ear to him?+ 21Others said, These are not the words of one who has an evil spirit. Is it possible for an evil spirit to make blind people see?+