John 1

The Word Becomes Human

1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was already with God in the beginning.
3 Everything came into existence through him. Not one thing that exists was made without him.4 He was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity.5 The light shines in the dark, and the dark has never extinguished it.t6 God sent a man named John to be his messenger.7 John came to declare the truth about the light so that everyone would become believers through his message.

8 John was not the light, but he came to declare the truth about the light.
9 The real light, which shines on everyone, was coming into the world.10 He was in the world, and the world came into existence through him. Yet, the world didn’t recognize him.11 He went to his own people, and his own people didn’t accept him.12 However, he gave the right to become God’s children to everyone who believed in him.

13 These are people who haven’t been born in a physical way—from a human impulse or from a husband’s desire to have a child. Their birth was from God.
14 The Word became human and lived among us. We saw his glory. It was the glory that the Father shares with his only Son, a glory full of kindnesst and truth.15 (John declared the truth about him when he said loudly, “This is the person about whom I said, ‘The one who comes after me was before me because he existed before I did.’ ”)16 Each of us has received one gift after another because of all that the Word is.17 The Teachings were given through Moses, but kindness and truth came into existence through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has ever seen God. God’s only Son, the one who is closest to the Father’s heart, has made him known.

John Prepares the Way—Matthew 3:1–12; Mark 1:1–8; Luke 3:1–18

19 This was John’s answer when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

20 John didn’t refuse to answer. He told them clearly, “I’m not the Messiah.”
21 They asked him, “Well, are you Elijah?”John answered, “No, I’m not.”Then they asked, “Are you the prophet?”John replied, “No.”22 So they asked him, “Who are you? Tell us so that we can take an answer back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”23 John said, “I’m a voice crying out in the desert, ‘Make the way for the Lord straight,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”24 Some of those who had been sent were Pharisees.

25 They asked John, “Why do you baptize if you’re not the Messiah or Elijah or the prophet?”
26 John answered them, “I baptize with water. Someone you don’t know is standing among you.

27 He’s the one who comes after me. I am not worthy to untie his sandal strap.”
28 This happened in Bethany on the east side of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.

John Identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God

29 John saw Jesus coming toward him the next day and said, “Look! This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.30 He is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘A man who comes after me was before me because he existed before I did.’

31 I didn’t know who he was. However, I came to baptize with water to show him to the people of Israel.”
32 John said, “I saw the Spirit come down as a dove from heaven and stay on him.33 I didn’t know who he was. But God, who sent me to baptize with water, had told me, ‘When you see the Spirit come down and stay on someone, you’ll know that person is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

34 I have seen this and have declared that this is the Son of God.”

Calling of the First Disciples

35 The next day John was standing with two of his disciples.36 John saw Jesus walk by. John said, “Look! This is the Lamb of God.”

37 When the two disciples heard John say this, they followed Jesus.
38 Jesus turned around and saw them following him. He asked them, “What are you looking for?”They said to him, “Rabbi” (which means “teacher”), “where are you staying?”39 Jesus told them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went to see where he was staying and spent the rest of that day with him. It was about ten o’clock in the morning.40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two disciples who heard John and followed Jesus.41 Andrew at once found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”).

42 Andrew brought Simon to Jesus.
Jesus looked at Simon and said, “You are Simon, son of John. Your name will be Cephas” (which means “Peter”).43 The next day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee. He found Philip and told him, “Follow me!”

44 (Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter.)
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the man whom Moses wrote about in his teachings and whom the prophets wrote about. He is Jesus, son of Joseph, from the city of Nazareth.”46 Nathanael said to Philip, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”Philip told him, “Come and see!”47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and remarked, “Here is a true Israelite who is sincere.”48 Nathanael asked Jesus, “How do you know anything about me?”Jesus answered him, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.”49 Nathanael said to Jesus, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the king of Israel!”50 Jesus replied, “You believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.”

51 Jesus said to Nathanael, “I can guarantee this truth: You will see the sky open and God’s angels going up and coming down to the Son of Man.”

John 1

The Prologue to the Gospel

1 In the beginnings was the Word, and the Word was with God,t and the Word was fully God.ts2 The Wordt was with God in the beginning.3 All things were createdt by him, and apart from him not one thing was createdt that has been created.st4 In him was life,ts and the life was the light of mankind.t

5 And the light shines onts in the darkness,s butt the darkness has not mastered it.t
6 A man came, sent from God, whose name was John.s7 He came as a witnessts to testifyt about the light, so that everyonet might believe through him.8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testifyt about the light.9 The true light, who gives light to everyone,t was coming into the world.ts10 He was in the world, and the world was createdt by him, butt the world did not recognizet him.11 He came to what was his own,t butt his own peoplet did not receive him.s12 But to all who have received him – those who believe in his namet – he has given the right to become God’s children

13 – children not bornt by human parentst or by human desiret or a husband’st decision,t but by God.
14 Nowt the Word became flesht and took up residencets among us. Wet saw his glory – the glory of the one and only,t full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.15 Johns testifiedt about him and shouted out,t “This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am,t because he existed before me.’”16 For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another.ts17 For the law was given through Moses, butt grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has ever seen God. The only one,st himself God, who is in closest fellowship witht the Father, has made Godt known.s

The Testimony of John the Baptist

19 Nowt this wast John’ss testimonyts when the Jewish leaderst sents priests and Levites from Jerusalems to ask him, “Who are you?”s20 He confessed – he did not deny but confessed – “I am not the Christ!”ts21 So they asked him, “Then who are you?t Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not!”s “Are you the Prophet?”s He answered, “No!”

22 Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell ust so that we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 Johnt said, “I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straightsthe way for the Lord,’s as Isaiah the prophet said.”24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.s)s

25 So they asked John,t “Why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ,ts nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 John answered them,t “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not recognize,t27 who is coming after me. I am not worthyts to untie the strapt of his sandal!”

28 These things happened in Bethanys across the Jordan Rivert where John was baptizing.
29 On the next day Johnt saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of Gods who takes away the sin of the world!30 This is the one about whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is greater than I am,t because he existed before me.’

31 I did not recognizet him, but I came baptizing with water so that he could be revealed to Israel.”s
32 Thent John testified,t “I saw the Spirit descending like a doves from heaven,t and it remained on him.s33 And I did not recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining – this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

34 I have both seen and testified that this man is the Chosen One of God.”s
35 Again the next day Johns was standing theret with two of his disciples.36 Gazing at Jesus as he walked by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”s37 When John’st two disciples heard him say this,t they followed Jesus.s38 Jesus turned around and saw them following and said to them, “What do you want?”t So they said to him, “Rabbi” (which is translated Teacher),s “where are you staying?”

39 Jesust answered,t “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about four o’clock in the afternoon.ts

Andrew’s Declaration

40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two disciples who heard what John saidt and followed Jesus.t41 He firsts found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah!”s (which is translated Christ).ts

42 Andrew brought Simont to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, the son of John.s You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).s

The Calling of More Disciples

43 On the next day Jesust wanted to set out for Galilee.s Het found Philip and saidt to him, “Follow me.”44 (Now Philip was from Bethsaida,s the town oft Andrew and Peter.)45 Philip found Nathanaels and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets alsot wrote about – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

46 Nathanaelt replied,t “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”ss Philip replied,t “Come and see.”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and exclaimed,t “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!”ts48 Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied,t “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree,s I saw you.”49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the kingt of Israel!”s50 Jesus said to him,t “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”s

51 He continued,t “I tell all of you the solemn trutht – you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”s