John 10:1-18 NAS
"Truly,
truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of
the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.
But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the
doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep
by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes
ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because
they do not know the voice of strangers." This
figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what
those things were which He had been saying to them.
So
Jesus said to them again, "Truly,
truly, I say to you, 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 through Me, he will be saved, and will go in
and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and
destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I
am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the
sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the
owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees,
and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees
because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. I
am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the
Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the
sheep. I have no other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must
bring them also and they will hear My voice; and they will become one
flock with one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me,
because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has
taken it away from Me, but I lay down My life so that I may take it
again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own
initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to
take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father."
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