Christmas Plan

¹“Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.

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

³To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep listen to his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

⁴When he puts all his own sheep outside, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

⁵However, a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

⁶Jesus told them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what the things which He was saying to them meant.

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

⁸All those 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 out and find pasture.

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

¹¹“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

¹²He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters the flock.

¹³He flees because he is a hired hand and does not care about the sheep.

¹⁴I am the good shepherd, and 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.

¹⁶And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd.

¹⁷For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it back.

¹⁸No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it back. This commandment I received from My Father.”

¹⁹Dissension occurred again among the Jews because of these words.

²⁰Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?”

²¹Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who is demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of those who are blind, can it?”

¹¹Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in the fold of His robe; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

¹The LORD is my shepherd, I will not be in need.

²He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

³He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For the sake of His name.

⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.

⁶Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life, And my dwelling will be in the house of the LORD forever.