0860616 Jesus finds the man, questions him and then speaks how he is the good shepherd – John 9:35-10:21, October A.D. 28 Jerusalem
And Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” And he answered and said, “And who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?” And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen him, and it is he who speaks with you.” And he said, “Lord, I believe!” and he worshiped him. And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see; and that those who see may become blind.” And those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” And Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore, your sin remains. “Most certainly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
But he who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. And the gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. And he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger they will not follow but will flee from him; for they do not know the voice of strangers.” And Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they did not understand the things which he spoke to them. And Jesus therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If any man enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture. And the thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life and may have it abundantly.
I am the good shepherd. And the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees. And the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. And the hired hand flees because he is a hired hand and does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know my own, and I am known by my own; even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. And they will become one flock with one shepherd. Therefore, the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment I received from my Father.” There arose a division again among the Jews because of these words. And many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane! Why do you listen to him?” Others said, “These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. Can a demon to open the eyes of the blind?”
