The Incarnation of Christ

14 sAnd the Word tbecame uflesh and dwelt among us, and vwe beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, wfull of grace and truth.

15 xJohn bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, y‘He who comes after me 6is preferred before me, zfor He was before me.’ ”

16 7And of His afullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For bthe law was given through Moses, but cgrace and dtruth came through Jesus Christ. 18 eNo one has seen God at any time. fThe only begotten 8Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

John’s Witness to the Priests and Levites

Matt. 3:1–12; Mark 1:2–8; Luke 3:3–16

19 Now this is gthe testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

20 hHe confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you ithe Prophet?”

And he answered, “No.”

22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”

23 He said: j“I am

k‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

“Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’

as the prophet Isaiah said.”

24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

26 John answered them, saying, l“I baptize with water, mbut there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 nIt is He who, coming after me, 9is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”

28 These things were done oin 1Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.