John

1 ¹In the beginning the Word already was. The Word was together with God, and the Word was God. ²From the very beginning he was with God. ³ Everything came into existence through him; nothing was made without him. ⁴In him was life, the life that is the light of humanity. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not snuffed it out. *

⁶A man named John, sent by God, ⁷came as a witness to tell people of this light so that all might believe through him. ⁸He himself was not the light, but came to witness to the light. ⁹This light—the true light—was coming into the world to enlighten everyone. ¹⁰Though he was in the world, and even though the world was made through him, the world didn’t know him. ¹¹He came to his own native land, but his own people didn’t receive him. ¹²But to those who actually did receive him—those who really put their trust in him—he gave the right to become God’s children ¹³These are the children born not by natural means or human desires, but born of God. ¹⁴The Word took on humanity as a man living among us, and we saw his brilliant goodness—that of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.

¹⁵John spoke about him, saying, “This is the one I was telling about when I announced he would come after me, but he is actually ahead of me—because he was before I ever existed.” ¹⁶Because of his totally generous nature we have all received grace—and even more grace. ¹⁷The law came through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸While no-one has ever seen God, the one and only Son of God, who is close to the Father’s heart, has revealed to us what God is like.* ¹⁹This is what John said when Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ ²⁰John declared plainly and clearly, “I am not the Messiah.”

²¹Then they asked him, “So who are you? Elijah?”

“No, I’m not,” he replied.

“Are you the Prophet, then?”

“No,” he answered.

²²“Who are you, then?” they asked. “We need to give an answer to those sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

²³ “As the prophet Isaiah said,” he replied. “I am a voice shouting in the desert, ‘Make the Lord’s way straight!’”

²⁴Those sent by the Pharisees asked him, ²⁵“So why are you baptizing, if you are not the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”

²⁶John answered, “I baptize with water, but standing among you is someone you don’t recognize. ²⁷He comes after me, but I am not worthy even to untie his shoes.” ²⁸All this happened in Bethany-beyond-Jordan, where John was baptizing.

²⁹The following day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Look, here is the Lamb of God, who is taking away the sin of the world!” ³⁰This is the one I was speaking about: coming after me, he is actually ahead of me —because he was before I ever existed. ³¹I myself didn’t know who he was. That’s the reason I came baptizing with water—so that he could be revealed to Israel.

³²John gave his testimony, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it rested on him. ³³I wouldn’t have known him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The one you see the Spirit descending upon, and resting on—he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴This is what I saw, and I declare that this is the Son of God.”

³⁵The following day John was standing with two of his disciples. ³⁶He saw Jesus as he passed by, and said, “Look! Here is the Lamb of God!” ³⁷The two disciples paid attention to what he said and went and followed Jesus. ³⁸Jesus turned and saw them following him. He asked them, “What are you looking for?” They said, “Rabbi (meaning “Teacher”), where are you staying?” ³⁹He replied, “Come and you’ll see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent the day with him. It was about four p.m.

⁴⁰Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of these two disciples. ⁴¹Right away he went and found his brother Simon and told him, “We’ve found the Messiah!” (“Messiah” means “Anointed,” or “Christ.”) ⁴²He took him to Jesus. Looking straight at him, Jesus said, “You’re named Simon, son of John. But now you will be called Peter, (meaning “rock”).

⁴³The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and there he found Philip. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” ⁴⁴Philip came from Bethsaida, the same city as Andrew and Peter.

⁴⁵Philip went and found Nathanael and told him, “We’ve found the one described by Moses in the law and by the prophets. It’s Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”

⁴⁶Nathaniel replied, “Really? Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

Philip answered, “Just come and take a look.”

⁴⁷As Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he called out, “Look, here’s a true Israelite—not one who is fake!”

⁴⁸“How do you know me?” asked Nathanael.

“I saw you even before Philip called you, sitting there under the fig tree,” Jesus replied.

⁴⁹“Rabbi, you are the Son of God, the king of Israel,” Nathaniel declared.

⁵⁰“You’re trusting in me because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see much more than this,” Jesus replied. ⁵¹“In fact, all of you here will see heaven opened, and God’s angels ascending and descending on the Son of man.”