The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without
him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the
light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not
overcome it.[a]

6
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to
testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not
the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the
world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize
him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all
who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become
children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a
husband’s will, but born of God.

14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the
glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15
(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about
when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before
me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already
given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus
Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God
and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
[b]

John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

19
Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and
[c]

Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am
not the Messiah.”

21
They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered, “No.”

Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us.
22

What do you say about yourself?”

John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the
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wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” [d]

24
Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if
you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

26
“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not
[e]

know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy
to untie.”

This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was
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baptizing.

John Testifies About Jesus

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 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man
who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not
know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to
Israel.”

32
Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove
and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to
baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and
remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that
this is God’s Chosen One.” [f]

John’s Disciples Follow Jesus

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
35 36
When he saw Jesus
passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

37
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38
Turning around,
Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39
“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was
about four in the afternoon.

40
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and
who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and
tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to
Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be
called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter ).
[g]

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow
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me.”

44
Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found
Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and
about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

46
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in
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whom there is no deceit.”

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

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called
you.”

49
Then Nathanael declared, “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
[h]

greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven
[i] [j]

open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”
[k]