Johannes 1

Die Woord het mens geword

1 Die tWoord was daar voor alles begin het. Die Woord was by God en die Woord was self God. 2 Hy was in die begin by God. 3 God en die Woord het alles gemaak. God het niks alleen gemaak nie. Hy en die Woord het alles gemaak. 4 Die Woord het die lewe gebring, en hierdie lewe was die lig vir die mense.

5 Hierdie lig skyn in die donker, en die donker kon nie die lig doodmaak nie.
6 God het ’n man gestuur, sy naam was Johannes. 7 Hy het gekom om vir die mense te vertel van die lig, sodat almal wat dit hoor, kon glo. 8 Johannes was nie self die lig nie, maar hy moes vir die mense kom vertel van die lig.

9 Die Woord was die ware lig. Hy moes vir al die mense lig bring. Hy het klaar begin om na die wêreld te kom.
10 Die Woord was in die wêreld. God en die Woord het die wêreld gemaak, maar die mense van die wêreld wou nie die Woord ken nie. 11 Hy het na sy eie mense toe gekom, maar hulle het Hom nie aanvaar nie. 12 Party mense het Hom aanvaar en hulle het in Hom geglo. Hy het vir hulle gesê hulle mag kinders van God wees.

13 Elke mens het ’n pa, maar die kinders van God het nóg ’n pa. Hulle Vader is God self.

14 Die Woord het mens geword en Hy het by ons kom woon. Toe ons die wonderlike dinge sien wat Hy doen, het ons geweet dat Hy God is. Niemand anders was soos die Woord nie, net Hy het van die Vader gekom. Hy het vir ons gewys dat God altyd tgenadig is.

15 Johannes het vir die mense vertel van die Woord. Hy het gesê: “Hy is die Een, ek het van Hom gepraat toe ek vir julle gesê het: ‘Iemand sal kom nadat ek gekom het. Maar Hy is belangriker as ek, want Hy was daar lank voor my.’ ”
16 Die Woord is vol tgenade. Ons het genade gekry van Hom, baie genade. 17 Moses het die wette gebring, maar Jesus Christus het die genade gebring wat nooit ophou nie.

18 Niemand het vir God gesien nie, nog nooit nie. Maar Jesus Christus het vir ons duidelik kom sê hoe God is. Niemand anders is soos Jesus nie, Hy is self God en Hy is altyd naby die Vader.

Die Jode probeer uitvind wie Johannes die Doper is

(Ook Matt 11:10; 3:3,11; Mark 1:2-3,7; Luk 7:27; 3:4,15-16)

19 Die Jode het tpriesters en tLeviete uit Jerusalem na Johannes toe gestuur. Hulle het vir hom gevra: “Wie is jy?”
Johannes het toe vir hulle vertel.

20 Hy het nie stilgebly daaroor nie, hy het reguit met hulle gepraat en gesê: “Ek is nie tdie Christus nie.”

21 Toe vra hulle vir Johannes: “Wie is jy? Is jy tElia?”
En hy sê: “Nee, ek is nie Elia nie.”
Toe vra hulle: “Is jy tdie tprofeet?”
Hy het geantwoord: “Nee.”

22 Hulle het vir hom gesê: “Wie is jy? Sê vir ons, want ons moet dit gaan vertel vir die mense wat ons gestuur het. Wat sê jy oor jouself?”

23 Johannes het gesê:
tEk is die man wat in
die woestyn skree en sê:
Maak die pad gereed vir die Here!
Dit is wat die profeet Jesaja gesê het.
24 Die Jode het die mense na Johannes toe gestuur. Party van die mense was tFariseërs.

25 Die Fariseërs het vir Johannes gesê: “Jy sê jy is nie die Christus of Elia of die profeet nie. Hoekom doop jy die mense?”
26 Johannes het hulle geantwoord: “Ek doop met water. Maar daar is Iemand by julle, julle ken Hom nie.

27 Hy is die Een wat sal kom nadat ek gekom het. Hy is baie belangrik, ek is nie belangrik genoeg om sy sandale los te maak nie.”

28 Dit het alles gebeur in die stad Betanië anderkant die Jordaan-rivier. Johannes het die mense daar gedoop.

Jesus is die Lam wat die sonde van die wêreld wegneem

(Ook Matt 3:13,16-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luk 3:21-22)

31 Ek het Hom nie geken nie, maar ek het gekom om die mense van Israel met water te doop sodat hulle sal weet wie Hy is.”
32 Johannes het ook gesê: “Ek het gesien die Heilige Gees kom soos ’n duif uit die hemel en bly op Hom. 33 Ek het Hom nie geken nie, maar God wat my gestuur het om met water te doop, het vir my gesê: ‘Jy sal sien die Gees kom af en bly op Hom. Dit is Hy wat die mense met die Heilige Gees sal doop.’

34 Ek het dit self gesien. Daarom sê ek vir julle: Hierdie Man is die Seun van God.”

Jesus se eerste dissipels

(Ook Matt 4:18,20; 16:17-18; Mark 1:16,18; 3:16; Luk 5:8-10; 6:14)

36 Johannes het gesien Jesus loop verby. Johannes het hard gesê: “Kyk, daar is die tLam wat God vir ons gee!”
37 Die twee dissipels het gehoor wat Johannes gesê het. Daarom het hulle begin om Jesus te volg.

38 Jesus het omgedraai en Hy het gesien hulle volg Hom. Hy vra toe vir hulle: “Wat soek julle?”
Hulle het geantwoord: “tRabbi, waar woon U?”
’n Rabbi is iemand wat vir mense leer hoe om God te dien.

39 Jesus sê toe vir hulle: “Kom kyk!”
Hulle het gegaan en hulle het die plek gesien waar Hy woon. Dit was omtrent vier-uur die middag. Hulle het daardie hele dag by Jesus gebly. 40 Andreas, die broer van Simon Petrus, was een van die twee dissipels wat gehoor het wat Johannes gesê het en wat toe saam met Jesus gegaan het.

41 Andreas het eers sy broer Simon gaan soek en hy het vir Simon gesê: “Ons het tdie Messias gekry!”
Messias beteken “Christus.”

42 Andreas het vir Simon na Jesus toe gebring. Toe Jesus vir Simon sien, sê Hy: “Jy is Simon seun van Johannes. Jou naam sal nou tSefas wees.”
tPetrus is die Griekse woord vir Sefas.

Filippus en Natanael volg vir Jesus

45 Filippus kry toe vir Natanael en sê vir hom: “Moses het in sy boeke geskryf oor die Man wat sal kom, en die tprofete het ook oor Hom geskryf. Ons het Hom gekry! Sy naam is Jesus. Hy is die seun van Josef en Hy kom van die stad Nasaret.”

46 Maar Natanael het vir hom gesê: “Nasaret? Kan daar uit Nasaret iets kom wat goed is?”
Filippus sê toe vir hom: “Kom kyk!”

47 Jesus het vir Natanael gesien nader kom en Hy het gesê: “Hierdie man is ’n ware Israeliet! Hy is nie vals nie.”

48 Natanael vra toe vir Jesus: “Hoe weet U dit? Ken U my?”
Jesus sê vir hom: “Ek het jou daar onder die vyeboom gesien voordat Filippus jou geroep het.”

49 Natanael het vir Jesus gesê: “tRabbi, U is die Seun van God! U is die Koning van Israel!”

50 Jesus het vir hom gesê: “Jy glo in My omdat Ek vir jou gesê het Ek het jou daar onder die vyeboom gesien, maar jy sal nog dinge sien wat baie wonderliker is!”
51 Jesus het ook vir hom gesê: “Ek sê vir julle, en dit is seker: Julle sal sien die hemel gaan oop en die tengele van God gaan van My na God toe, en hulle kom van Hom na My toe, na My, die tSeun van die mens.”

John 1

The Word Became Human

1 In the beginning, the Word was already there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 All things were made through him. Nothing that has been made was made without him.4 Life was in him, and that life was the light for all people.5 The light shines in the darkness. But the darkness has not understood it.
6 A man came who was sent from God. His name was John.7 He came to give witness about that light. He gave witness so that all people could believe.
8 John himself was not the light. He came only as a witness to the light.9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
10 The Word was in the world that was made through him. But the world did not recognize him.11 He came to what was his own. But his own people did not accept him.
12 Some people did accept him. They believed in his name. He gave them the right to become children of God.13 To be a child of God has nothing to do with human parents. Children of God are not born because of human choice or because a husband wants them to be born. They are born because of what God does.
14 The Word became a human being. He made his home with us. We have seen his glory. It is the glory of the one and only Son.
He came from the Father. And he was full of grace and truth.
15 John gives witness about him. He cries out and says, "This was the one I was talking about. I said, 'He who comes after me is more important than I am. He is more important because he existed before I was born.' "
16 We have all received one blessing after another. God's grace is not limited.17 Moses gave us the law. Jesus Christ has given us grace and truth.
18 No one has ever seen God. But God, the one and only Son, is at the Father's side. He has shown us what God is like.

John the Baptist Is Not the Christ

19 The Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask John who he was. John gave witness to them.20 He did not try to hide the truth. He spoke to them openly. He said, "I am not the Christ."
21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"
He said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet we've been expecting?" they asked.
"No," he answered.
22 They asked one last time, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
23 John replied, using the words of Isaiah the prophet. John said, "I'm the messenger who is calling out in the desert, 'Make the way for the Lord straight.' " (Isaiah 40:3)
24 Some Pharisees who had been sent25 asked him, "If you are not the Christ, why are you baptizing people? Why are you doing that if you aren't Elijah or the Prophet we've been expecting?"
26 "I baptize people with water," John replied. "But One is standing among you whom you do not know.27 He is the One who comes after me. I am not good enough to untie his sandals."
28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan River. That was where John was baptizing.

Jesus Is the Lamb of God

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him. John said, "Look! The Lamb of God! He takes away the sin of the world!30 This is the One I was talking about. I said, 'A man who comes after me is more important than I am. That's because he existed before I was born.'31 I did not know him. But God wants to make it clear to Israel who this person is. That's the reason I came baptizing with water."
32 Then John told them, "I saw the Holy Spirit come down from heaven like a dove. The Spirit remained on Jesus.33 I would not have known him. But the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'You will see the Spirit come down and remain on someone. He is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'34 I have seen it happen. I give witness that this is the Son of God."

Jesus Chooses the First Disciples

35 The next day John was again with two of his disciples.36 He saw Jesus walking by. John said, "Look! The Lamb of God!"
37 The two disciples heard him say this. So they followed Jesus.
38 Then Jesus turned around and saw them following. He asked, "What do you want?"
They said, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" Rabbi means Teacher.
39 "Come," he replied. "You will see."
So they went and saw where he was staying. They spent the rest of the day with him. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon.
40 Andrew was Simon Peter's brother. Andrew was one of the two disciples who heard what John had said. He had also followed Jesus.41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon. He told him, "We have found the Messiah." Messiah means Christ.42 And he brought Simon to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas." Cephas means Peter (or rock).

Jesus Chooses Philip and Nathanael

43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me."
44 Philip was from the town of Bethsaida. So were Andrew and Peter.45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the One that Moses wrote about in the Law. The prophets also wrote about him. He is Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.
"Come and see," said Philip.
47 Jesus saw Nathanael approaching. Here is what Jesus said about him. "He is a true Israelite. There is nothing false in him."
48 "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree. I saw you there before Philip called you."
49 Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel."
50 Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that."
51 Then he said to the disciples, "What I'm about to tell you is true. You will see heaven open. You will see the angels of God going up and coming down on the Son of Man."