The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
1“What I’m about to tell you Pharisees is true. What if someone does not enter the sheep pen through the gate but climbs in another way? That person is a thief and a robber. 2The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him. The sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own sheep, he goes on ahead of them. His sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger. In fact, they will run away from him. They don’t recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6Jesus told this story. But the Pharisees didn’t understand what he was telling them.
7So Jesus said again, “What I’m about to tell you is true. I am like a gate for the sheep. 8All who have come before me are thieves and robbers. But the sheep have not listened to them. 9I’m like a gate. Anyone who enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out. And they will find plenty of food. 10A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so they may have life. I want them to have it in the fullest possible way.
11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. 12The hired man is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when the hired man sees the wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13The man runs away because he is a hired man. He does not care about the sheep.
14“I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and my sheep know me. 15They know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I give my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that do not belong to this sheep pen. I must bring them in too. They also will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17The reason my Father loves me is that I give up my life. But I will take it back again. 18No one takes it from me. I give it up myself. I have the authority to give it up. And I have the authority to take it back again. I received this command from my Father.”
19The Jews who heard these words could not agree with one another. 20Many of them said, “He is controlled by a demon. He has gone crazy! Why should we listen to him?”
21But others said, “A person controlled by a demon does not say things like this. Can a demon open the eyes of someone who is blind?”
Another Challenge to Jesus’ Claims
22Then came the Feast of Hanukkah at Jerusalem. It was winter. 23Jesus was in the temple courtyard walking in Solomon’s Porch. 24The Jews who were gathered there around Jesus spoke to him. They said, “How long will you keep us waiting? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
25Jesus answered, “I did tell you. But you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name are a witness for me. 26But you do not believe, because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never die. No one will steal them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than anyone. No one can steal them out of my Father’s hand. 30I and the Father are one.”
31Again the Jews who had challenged him picked up stones to kill him. 32But Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. Which good work are you throwing stones at me for?”
33“We are not throwing stones at you for any good work,” they replied. “We are stoning you for saying a very evil thing. You are only a man. But you claim to be God.”
34Jesus answered them, “Didn’t God say in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ’? (Psalm 82:6) 35We know that Scripture is always true. God spoke to some people and called them ‘gods.’ 36If that is true, what about the one the Father set apart as his very own? What about this one the Father sent into the world? Why do you charge me with saying a very evil thing? Is it because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37Don’t believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 38But what if I do them? Even if you don’t believe me, believe these works. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39Again they tried to arrest him. But he escaped from them.
40Then Jesus went back across the Jordan River. He went to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed. 41Many people came to him. They said, “John never performed a sign. But everything he said about this man was true.” 42And in that place many believed in Jesus.
Mchungaji Mwema
110:1 Yn 10:8, 10“Amin, amin nawaambia, yeye asiyeingia katika zizi la kondoo kwa kupitia kwenye lango, lakini akwea kuingia ndani kwa njia nyingine, ni mwizi na mnyangʼanyi. 210:2 Mk 6:34; Yn 10:11, 14Yeye anayeingia kwa kupitia kwenye lango ndiye mchungaji wa kondoo. 310:3 Yn 10:4, 5, 14Mlinzi humfungulia lango na kondoo huisikia sauti yake. Huwaita kondoo wake kwa majina yao na kuwatoa nje ya zizi. 410:4 Yn 10:3Akiisha kuwatoa wote nje, hutangulia mbele yao na kondoo humfuata kwa kuwa wanaijua sauti yake. 510:5 Yn 10:27Lakini kondoo hawatamfuata mgeni bali watamkimbia, kwa sababu hawaijui sauti ya mgeni.” 610:6 Yn 16:25; 16:25Yesu alitumia mfano huu, lakini wao hawakuelewa hayo aliyokuwa akiwaambia.
710:7 Za 118:20; Yn 14:6; Mt 7:13; 14Kwa hiyo Yesu akasema nao tena akawaambia, “Amin, amin nawaambia, mimi ndimi lango la kondoo. 810:8 Yer 23:1-2; Eze 34:2Wote walionitangulia ni wevi na wanyangʼanyi, lakini kondoo hawakuwasikia. 910:9 Za 118:20; Yn 14:6; 1Kor 3:15Mimi ndimi lango, yeyote anayeingia zizini kwa kupitia kwangu ataokoka, ataingia na kutoka, naye atapata malisho. 1010:10 Yn 1:4; 3:15, 16; 5:40; 20:31; Za 65:11; Rum 5:17Mwizi huja ili aibe, kuua na kuangamiza. Mimi nimekuja ili wapate uzima kisha wawe nao tele.
1110:11 Za 23:1; Mt 2:6; Yn 15:13; 1Yn 3:16“Mimi ndimi mchungaji mwema. Mchungaji mwema huutoa uhai wake kwa ajili ya kondoo. 1210:12 Zek 11:16-17Mtu wa kuajiriwa sio mchungaji mwenye kondoo. Amwonapo mbwa mwitu akija, yeye hukimbia na kuwaacha kondoo. Naye mbwa mwitu hulishambulia kundi na kulitawanya. 13Yeye hukimbia kwa sababu ameajiriwa wala hawajali kondoo.
1410:14 Kut 33:12; 2Tim 2:19“Mimi ndimi mchungaji mwema. Ninawajua kondoo wangu nao kondoo wangu wananijua. 1510:15 Mt 11:27; Yn 15:16Kama vile Baba anavyonijua mimi, nami ninavyomjua Baba, nami nautoa uhai wangu kwa ajili ya kondoo. 1610:16 Isa 56:8; Mdo 10:34-35; Yn 17:20-21; Efe 2:11-19; Eze 34:23; 1Pet 2:25Ninao kondoo wengine ambao si wa zizi hili, inanipasa kuwaleta, nao wataisikia sauti yangu, hivyo patakuwa na kundi moja na mchungaji mmoja. 1710:17 Isa 53:7, 8, 12; Ebr 2:9Baba yangu ananipenda kwa kuwa ninautoa uhai wangu ili niupate tena. 1810:18 Mt 26:53; Flp 2:8; Ebr 5:8Hakuna mtu aniondoleaye uhai wangu, bali ninautoa kwa hiari yangu mwenyewe. Ninao uwezo wa kuutoa uhai wangu na pia ninao uwezo wa kuutwaa tena. Amri hii nimepewa na Baba yangu.”
1910:19 Yn 6:52Kwa maneno haya Wayahudi waligawanyika. 2010:20 Mk 3:22; Yn 7:20; 2Fal 9:11Wengi wao wakasema, “Huyu amepagawa na pepo mchafu, naye amechanganyikiwa.”
2110:21 Mt 4:24; Kut 4:11; Yn 9:32-33Wengine wakasema, “Haya si maneno ya mtu aliyepagawa na pepo mchafu. Je, pepo mchafu aweza kufungua macho ya kipofu?”
Yesu Akataliwa Na Wayahudi
22Wakati huo ilikuwa Sikukuu ya Kuwekwa wakfu kwa Hekalu10:22 Sikukuu ya Kuwekwa wakfu kwa Hekalu ni Hanukkah kwa Kiebrania. huko Yerusalemu, nao ulikuwa wakati wa majira ya baridi. 2310:23 Mdo 3:11; 5:12Naye Yesu alikuwa akitembea ndani ya Hekalu katika ukumbi wa Solomoni. 2410:24 Yn 1:19; Lk 22:67Wayahudi wakamkusanyikia wakamuuliza, “Utatuweka katika hali ya mashaka mpaka lini? Kama wewe ndiye Kristo10:24 Kristo maana yake ni Masiya, yaani Aliyetiwa mafuta. tuambie waziwazi.”
2510:25 Yn 4:26; 4:11Yesu akawajibu, “Nimewaambia, lakini hamwamini. Mambo ninayoyatenda kwa jina la Baba yangu yananishuhudia. 2610:26 Yn 8:47Lakini hamwamini, kwa sababu ninyi si wa kundi la kondoo wangu. 2710:27 Yn 10:4, 14Kondoo wangu huisikia sauti yangu nami nawajua, nao hunifuata, 2810:28 Yn 6:39nami ninawapa uzima wa milele, hawataangamia kamwe wala hakuna mtu atakayewapokonya kutoka mikono yangu. 2910:29 Yn 17:2, 6, 24; 14:28Baba yangu aliyenipa hawa ni mkuu kuliko wote na hakuna awezaye kuwapokonya kutoka mikononi mwake. 3010:30 Kum 6:4; Yn 17:21-24Mimi na Baba yangu tu umoja.”
3110:31 Yn 8:59Kwa mara nyingine Wayahudi wakainua mawe ili wampige nayo, 32lakini Yesu akawaambia, “Nimewaonyesha miujiza mingi mikubwa kutoka kwa Baba yangu. Ni ipi katika hiyo mnataka kunipiga mawe?”
3310:33 Law 24:16; Mt 26:63-66Wayahudi wakamjibu, “Hatukupigi mawe kwa sababu ya mambo mema uliyotenda, bali ni kwa kuwa umekufuru. Wewe ingawa ni mwanadamu unajifanya kuwa Mungu.”
3410:34 Rum 3:19; 1Kor 14:21; Za 82:6Yesu akawajibu, “Je, haikuandikwa katika Sheria ya kwamba, ‘Nimesema kuwa, ninyi ni miungu?’ 3510:35 Rum 13:1; Mt 5:17, 18Kama aliwaita ‘miungu,’ wale ambao neno la Mungu liliwafikia, nayo Maandiko hayawezi kutanguka, 3610:36 Yer 1:5; Yn 6:69; 3:17je, mwawezaje kusema kwamba yule ambaye Baba amemweka wakfu na kumtuma ulimwenguni anakufuru, kwa sababu nilisema, ‘Mimi ni Mwana wa Mungu?’ 3710:37 Yn 15:24Ikiwa sifanyi kazi za Baba yangu, basi msiniamini, 3810:38 Yn 14:10-11; 20:17-21lakini ikiwa nazifanya kazi za Mungu, hata kama hamniamini mimi ziaminini hizo kazi, ili mpate kujua na kuelewa kwamba Baba yu ndani yangu, nami ndani yake.” 3910:39 Yn 7:30; Lk 4:30; Yn 8:59Ndipo wakajaribu kumkamata kwa mara nyingine, lakini akaponyoka kutoka mikononi mwao.
4010:40 Yn 1:28Akaenda tena ngʼambo ya Mto Yordani mpaka mahali pale ambapo Yohana alikuwa akibatiza hapo awali, naye akakaa huko. 4110:41 Yn 2:1; 1:26-34Watu wengi wakamjia, nao wakawa wakisema, “Yohana hakufanya muujiza wowote, lakini kila jambo alilosema kumhusu huyu mtu ni kweli.” 4210:42 Yn 7:31Nao wengi wakamwamini Yesu huko.
