Jesus Is The True

Shepherd

By

The Twelve Apostles

The True Shepherd
A multitude of people pressed about the Lord, and He stood forth and said, “You men of Israel, I say to you, the fold of God is large. Its walls are strong, it has a gateway in the east, and he who does not enter by the gate into the fold, but climbs into the fold some other way, is thief and comes to rob. The shepherd of the sheep stands by the gate. He gives the secret sign. He knocks. The watchman opens up the gate. And then the shepherd calls his sheep by name. They hear his voice and follow him. They enter through the gate into the fold. The sheep know not a stranger's voice. They will not follow him. They flee away.”

The people did not understand the parable that Jesus spoke, and then He said,
“Christ is the gateway of the fold. I am the true shepherd of the sheep, and he who follows me, the Christ, shall come into the fold where living waters flow, and where rich pastures are. False prophets come and go. They claim to be the shepherds of the sheep. They claim to know the way. But they do not know the word of power. The watchman does not opens the gate to them. The sheep heed not their call.

“The shepherd of the sheep will give his life to save the sheep. A hireling flees to save his life, when wolves infest the fold. And then the tender lambs are snatched away, the sheep are scattered everywhere. I am the true shepherd of the sheep. I know the sheep of God. They know my voice, as God knows me and I know Him.

“The Father loves me with a deathless love, because I lay my life down for the sheep. I lay my life down when I will, but I may take it up again. For every son of God by faith has power to lay his mortal flesh aside and take it up again. These words I have received from God.”

"Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

"I am the good shepherd . The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd , one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 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. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd .

"Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

Again the people strove among themselves. They were divided in their views concerning Christ. They could not comprehend the words that Jesus spoke.
Some said again, “He is obsessed, or He is mad. Why listen to his words?” And others said, “His words are not the words of somebody who is possessed. Can unclean spirits open up the eyes of one born blind?”

Then Jesus left Jerusalem, and with Massalian He tarried certain days.