John 1

1  IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. 2  He was present originally with God.3  All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.4  In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.5  And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].6  There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7  This man came to witness, that he might testify of the Light, that all men might believe in it [adhere to it, trust it, and rely upon it] through him.8  He was not the Light himself, but came that he might bear witness regarding the Light.9  There it was--the true Light [was then] coming into the world [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] that illumines every person. 10  He came into the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him [did not know Him].11  He came to that which belonged to Him [to His own--His domain, creation, things, world], and they who were His own did not receive Him and did not welcome Him.12  But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name--13  Who owe their birth neither to bloods nor to the will of the flesh [that of physical impulse] nor to the will of man [that of a natural father], but to God. [They are born of God!]14  And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth. 15  John testified about Him and cried out, This was He of Whom I said, He Who comes after me has priority over me, for He was before me. [He takes rank above me, for He existed before I did. He has advanced before me, because He is my Chief.]16  For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.17  For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18  No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son , or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known]. 19  And this is the testimony of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you?20  He confessed (admitted the truth) and did not try to conceal it, but acknowledged, I am not the Christ!21  They asked him, What then? Are you Elijah? And he said, I am not! Are you the Prophet? And he answered, No! 22  Then they said to him, Who are you? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?23  He said, I am the voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness [the voice of one shouting in the desert], Prepare the way of the Lord [level, straighten out, the path of the Lord], as the prophet Isaiah said. 24  The messengers had been sent from the Pharisees.25  And they asked him, Why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?26  John answered them, I [only] baptize in (with) water. Among you there stands One Whom you do not recognize and with Whom you are not acquainted and of Whom you know nothing. 27  It is He Who, coming after me, is preferred before me, the string of Whose sandal I am not worthy to unloose.28  These things occurred in Bethany (Bethabara) across the Jordan [at the Jordan crossing], where John was then baptizing.29  The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, Look! There is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! 30  This is He of Whom I said, After me comes a Man Who has priority over me [Who takes rank above me] because He was before me and existed before I did.31  And I did not know Him and did not recognize Him [myself]; but it is in order that He should be made manifest and be revealed to Israel [be brought out where we can see Him] that I came baptizing in (with) water.32  John gave further evidence, saying, I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and it dwelt on Him [never to depart].33  And I did not know Him nor recognize Him, but He Who sent me to baptize in (with) water said to me, Upon Him Whom you shall see the Spirit descend and remain, that One is He Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.34  And I have seen [that happen--I actually did see it] and my testimony is that this is the Son of God!35  Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples,36  And he looked at Jesus as He walked along, and said, Look! There is the Lamb of God!37  The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Him.38  But Jesus turned, and as He saw them following Him, He said to them, What are you looking for? [And what is it you wish?] And they answered Him, Rabbi--which translated is Teacher--where are You staying?39  He said to them, Come and see. So they went and saw where He was staying, and they remained with Him that day. It was then about the tenth hour (about four o’clock in the afternoon).40  One of the two who heard what John said and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.41  He first sought out and found his own brother Simon and said to him, We have found (discovered) the Messiah!--which translated is the Christ (the Anointed One).42  Andrew then led (brought) Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, You are Simon son of John. You shall be called Cephas--which translated is Peter [Stone].43  The next day Jesus desired and decided to go into Galilee; and He found Philip and said to him, Join Me as My attendant and follow Me.44  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the same city as Andrew and Peter.45  Philip sought and found Nathanael and told him, We have found (discovered) the One Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote about--Jesus from Nazareth, the [legal] son of Joseph!46  Nathanael answered him, [Nazareth!] Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip replied, Come and see!47  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said concerning him, See! Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor falsehood nor duplicity!48  Nathanael said to Jesus, How do You know me? [How is it that You know these things about me?] Jesus answered him, Before [ever] Philip called you, when you were still under the fig tree, I saw you.49  Nathanael answered, Teacher, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!50  Jesus replied, Because I said to you, I saw you beneath the fig tree, do you believe in and rely on and trust in Me? You shall see greater things than this!51  Then He said to him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you all, you shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man!

John 1

Chapter 1

Prologue: Christ, the Eternal Word

1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.2 He existed in the beginning with God.3 God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,t
and his life brought light to everyone.5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.t6 God sent a man, John the Baptist,t7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light.

9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

14 So the Word became humant and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.t And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

15 John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”
16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.t17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God,t is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

The Testimony of John the Baptist

19 This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistantst from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you?”

20 He came right out and said, “I am not the Messiah.”

21 “Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?”
“No,” he replied.
“Are you the Prophet we are expecting?”t
“No.”

22 “Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?”

23 John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah:
“I am a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Clear the way for the LORD’s coming!’”t24 Then the Pharisees who had been sent

25 asked him, “If you aren’t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?”
26 John told them, “I baptize witht water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize.

27 Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.”

28 This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.

Jesus, the Lamb of God

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!30 He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’

31 I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him.33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.t”

The First Disciples

35 The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples.36 As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!”

37 When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.

38 Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.
They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

39 “Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus.

41 Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”t).

42 Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”t).
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.”

44 Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown.

45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Mosest and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”

46 “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
“Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.

47 As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.”

48 “How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”

49 Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!”
50 Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.”

51 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.t”