John 10:1-21 - Jesus As The Good Shepherd
1 VERILY, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheep-fold, but getteth in some other way, that person is a thief and a robber. 2 He that entereth by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own peculiar sheep by name, and leadeth them forth. 4 And when he bringeth out his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: because they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will fly from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they knew nothing of the things which he spake to them.
7 Therefore Jesus said unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that I am the door of the sheep. 8 All, as many as have gone before me, are thieves and robbers: but the sheep hearkened not to them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved; and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep. 12 But the hireling, and he that is not the shepherd, whose own property the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth; and the wolf seizes upon them, and disperseth the sheep. 13 Now the hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my own [sheep], and am known of my own. 15 As the Father knoweth me, so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: these also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, one shepherd. 17 Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment I have received from my Father.
19 There was therefore a division again among the Jews, on account of these sayings. 20 Then many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hearken to him? 21 Others said, These are not the discourses of a demoniac. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?