John 10 (NRSV) | Spark Bible (2024)

NRSV

Jesus the Good Shepherd

¹“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. ²The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

⁷So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. ¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

¹¹“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹²The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. ¹⁷For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. ¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

¹⁹Again the Jews were divided because of these words. ²⁰Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?” ²¹Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Jesus Is Rejected by the Jews

²²At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. ²⁴So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” ²⁵Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; ²⁶but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. ²⁷My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰The Father and I are one.”

³¹The Jews took up stones again to stone him. ³²Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” ³³The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.” ³⁴Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? ³⁵If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’—and the scripture cannot be annulled—³⁶can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? ³⁷If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. ³⁸But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” ³⁹Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands.

⁴⁰He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. ⁴¹Many came to him, and they were saying, “John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” ⁴²And many believed in him there.

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Explore John10

FAQs

What is the main point of John chapter 10? ›

This chapter makes clear, yet often-disputed statements, about doctrinal questions such as salvation through means other than Jesus, if salvation can be lost, and whether the Bible contains errors. First, Jesus points out that sheep only listen to the voice of their own particular shepherd.

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How can I apply John chapter 10 to my life? ›

How to Live the Abundant Life in John 10:10

Identify the Thief. The verse that ends exuberantly begins with a solemn warning: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” Taking time to examine who or what is a thief in your life is crucial. ...
Order Your Priorities—Begin with God. ...
Immerse Yourself in the Sacraments.

Aug 11, 2023

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What are the lessons of John 10? ›

Jesus is the good shepherd and gives His life for the sheep. The false Christs don't care about the sheep, but run when they see danger. They care not for the sheep. Jesus is the good shepherd and knows His sheep, who also know Him.

Why is John 5 4 missing from some Bibles? ›

The NIV omits John 5:4 because it (basically) uses the NA28/USB5 text of GNT. 9 tc The majority of later mss (C Θ Ψ 078 ƒ M) add the following to 5:3: “waiting for the moving of the water. 5:4 For an angel of the Lord went down and stirred up the water at certain times.

What is the key verse of John 10? ›

I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” a. I am the good shepherd: Jesus said it so plainly there could be no mistake what He meant.

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What was John's main message? ›

The purpose of John's Gospel is that people might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing might have life in his name (20:30-31). Throughout the Gospel, Jesus' words and actions are designed to bring about faith.

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What is the abundant life in John 10? ›

This is one aspect of the abundant life Jesus offers: it lasts forever. It abounds in duration. But just as important, Jesus says the abundant life is one in which we are known by Him and we follow Him. In other words, the abundant life is one not only of greatest quantity (eternal) but also of greatest quality.

What did Jesus mean in John 10:10? ›

In the prior analogy, Jesus claimed that as the one and only door, He was the means by which a person could "be saved." That Greek term, sōthēsetai, suggests rescue, protection, and healing. Here, Jesus deepens that claim by saying that His purpose is not only tied to life, but to an abundant life.

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Who is the watchman in John 10? ›

Who is the watchman? The person hired to protect the sheep from their enemies. In the case of Jesus' ministry the watchman corresponds to John the Baptist.

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What does the Bible say about John 10? ›

[10] The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. [11] I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

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Who is the doorkeeper in John 10? ›

The doorkeeper is the Holy Spirit. Enters through the door means that the Lord Jesus came according to the law and the prophecies of the prophets. To him the doorkeeper opens refers to the Holy Spirit opening the door for Him to meet the Jews whom He should meet.

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Who is the hired hand in John 10? ›

That hired hand is only interested in the sheep so long as he benefits; when serving the sheep means personal risk, he abandons them. This describes those who purposefully take advantage of others using spiritual deception.

What is the most accurate translation of the Bible in the world? ›

No single English translation will ever represent the original biblical languages perfectly. Why? In part because the Bible's ancient languages do not function like English. A word in Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic might not have an exact English word to match.

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Which Bible is the closest to the original? ›

King James I and the Geneva Bible.

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Is the NKJV Bible accurate? ›

The NKJV is described by Thomas Nelson as being "scrupulously faithful to the original, yet truly updated to enhance its clarity and readability."

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What is the message of John 10 10? ›

John 10:10 (NIV)

Make no bones about it; Satan is our vicious adversary whose mode of operandi is to seek and to destroy. If he cannot keep us from being saved, he strives to keep us from being used. Satan is ever seeking opportunities for his savage attacks therefore we are to not be fearful rather on our guard.

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What does John 10 9 teach us? ›

Sheep are either "in" or "out"; they are "saved" or "unsaved." There are no other categories, and no other options. This, also, supports the New Testament's consistent teaching that Jesus Christ is the one and only means by which any person can be eternally saved.

What is John's message to us? ›

John's Gospel confronts us with the reality of Jesus' identity as the incarnate Word of God. This revelation demands a response. To believe in Jesus is not just to assent to a set of doctrines; it is to trust in Him, to rely on Him, and to commit to Him as Lord and Savior.

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