New Believer's Bible Sample - Flipbook - Page 57
page 1009
J ohn 10
Spiritual Blindness
Jesus heard what had happened, he
found the man and asked, “Do you believe in
the Son of Man?*”
36 The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I
want to believe in him.”
37 “You have seen him,” J
esus said, “and he
is speaking to you!”
38 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And
he worshiped Jesus.
39 Then
Jesus told him,* “I entered this
world to render judgment—to give sight to the
blind and to show those who think they see*
that they are blind.”
40 Some Phar
i
sees who were standing
nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying
we’re blind?”
41 “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be
guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty
because you claim you can see.
didn’t understand what he meant, 7 so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am
the gate for the sheep. 8All who came before
me* were thieves and robbers. But the true
sheep did not listen to them. 9 Yes, I am the
gate. Those who come in through me will be
saved.* They will come and go freely and will
find good pastures. 10 The thief’s purpose is to
steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to
give them a rich and satisfying life.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12A hired
hand will run when he sees a wolf coming.
He will abandon the sheep because they don’t
belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd.
And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the
flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because
he’s working only for the money and doesn’t
really care about the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my
own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my
Father knows me and I know the Father. So I
sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other
sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I
must bring them also. They will listen to my
voice, and there will be one flock with one
shepherd.
17 “The Father loves me because I sacrifice
my life so I may take it back again. 18 No one
can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down
when I want to and also to take it up again.
For this is what my Father has commanded.”
19 When he said these things, the people*
were again divided in their opinions about
him. 20 Some said, “He’s demon possessed
and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like
that?” 21 Others said, “This doesn’t sound like
a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon
open the eyes of the blind?”
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks
over the wall of a sheepfold, rather
than going through the gate, must surely be
a thief and a robber! 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the
sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for
him, and the sheep recognize his voice and
come to him. He calls his own sheep by name
and leads them out. 4After he has gathered
his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and
they follow him because they know his voice.
5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run
from him because they don’t know his voice.”
6 Those who heard J
esus use this illustration
Jesus Claims to Be the Son of God
was now winter, and Jesus was in Jeru
salem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival
of Dedication. 23 He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s
Colonnade. 24 The people surrounded him
and asked, “How long are you going to keep
us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell
us plainly.”
25 Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and
you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do
in my Father’s name. 26 But you don’t believe
me because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep
listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will
once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to
hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
28 Then they cursed him and said, “You are
his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses!
29 We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t
even know where this man comes from.”
30 “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t
know where he comes from? 31 We know that
God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready
to hear those who worship him and do his
will. 32 Ever since the world began, no one
has been able to open the eyes of someone
born blind. 33 If this man were not from God,
he couldn’t have done it.”
34 “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they
threw him out of the synagogue.
35 When
10
22 It
:35 Some manuscripts read the Son of God? “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself. 9:38-39a Some manuscripts do
9
not include “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. Then Jesus told him.
9:39b Greek those who see.
10:8 Some manuscripts do not include before me.
10:9 Or will find safety.
10:19 Greek Jewish people; also in 10:24, 31.
