The Shepherd and the Door

The Good Shepherd · John 10

Story guide: This is an illustration of Jesus' figure of speech, not a narrated encounter with a shepherd. The anonymous shepherd, sheepfold and landscape are reconstructed visual aids to his teaching.

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1Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who does not enter through the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up from somewhere else—that man is a thief and a robber.

2But the one who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3To him the gatekeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

4When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice.

5But they will certainly not follow a stranger; instead, they will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.

6Jesus spoke this figure of speech to them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door for the sheep.”

8All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

9I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out and find pasture.

10The thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

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