Interwoven Scripture: John 10:11-18 and 1 John 3:16-24 (Year B Easter 4)
Below are interwoven readings of John 10:11-18 and 1 John 3:16-24, the Gospel and New Testament lectionary texts for the Third Sunday After Easter. I have provided three different versions (NRSV, CEB, and The Message), and there are verse citations in case you would like to recreate it with your preferred translation. I would recommend using two readers of varied demographics–whether by age, race, or gender–to differentiate between the words of Jesus and of the writer of 1 John. You can download a PDF of this resource by clicking here.
NRSV
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11)
We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. (1 John 3:16)
The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. (John 10:12-13)
How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? (1 John 3:17)
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:14-15)
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. (1 John 3:18)
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. (John 10:16)
And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. (1 John 3:19-20)
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. (John 10:17)
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. (1 John 3:21-22)
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father. (John 10:18)
And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us. (1 John 3:23-24)
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
CEB
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11)
This is how we know love: Jesus laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:16)
When the hired hand sees the wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and runs away. That’s because he isn’t the shepherd; the sheep aren’t really his. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. He’s only a hired hand and the sheep don’t matter to him. (John 10:12-13)
But if a person has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need and that person doesn’t care—how can the love of God remain in him? (1 John 3:17)
I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep and they know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. I give up my life for the sheep. (John 10:14-15)
Little children, let’s not love with words or speech but with action and truth. (1 John 3:18)
I have other sheep that don’t belong to this sheep pen. I must lead them too. They will listen to my voice and there will be one flock, with one shepherd. (John 10:16)
This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts in God’s presence. Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows all things. (1 John 3:19-20)
This is why the Father loves me: I give up my life so that I can take it up again. (John 10:17)
Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence in relationship to God. We receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. (1 John 3:21-22)
No one takes it from me, but I give it up because I want to. I have the right to give it up, and I have the right to take it up again. I received this commandment from my Father. (John 10:18)
This is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love each other as he commanded us. The person who keeps his commandments remains in God and God remains in him; and this is how we know that he remains in us, because of the Spirit that he has given to us. (1 John 3:23-24)
Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
The Message
I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. (John 10:11)
This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. (1 John 3:16)
A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He’s only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him. (John 10:12-13)
If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. And you made it disappear. (1 John 3:17)
I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. (John 10:14-15)
My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. (1 John 3:18)
You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They’ll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. (John 10:16)
This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. (1 John 3:19-20)
This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. (John 10:17)
And friends, once that’s taken care of and we’re no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we’re bold and free before God! We’re able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we’re doing what he said, doing what pleases him. (1 John 3:21-22)
No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father. (John 10:18)
Again, this is God’s command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us. (1 John 3:23-24)
The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
Lectionary Connection: This Scripture is utilized during Year B on the Third Sunday After Easter (Easter 4).
Header image by Flickr user Rob Franksdad. Used under Creative Commons License. Edited from Original.
