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But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
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The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
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After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.
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They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
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Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant,
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so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.
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All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them.
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Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.
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The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
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“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.
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A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock.