John 1:15–28

¹⁵(John testified concerning Him and exclaimed,

“This was the One of whom I said,

‘The One coming after me ^rhas surpassed me, ^s

because He existed before me.’ ”) ^t

¹⁶Indeed, we have all received grace ^uafter grace

from His fullness,

¹⁷for the law was given through Moses, ^v

grace and truth ^wcame through Jesus Christ.

¹⁸No one has ever seen God. ^x

The One and Only ^ySon ^z—

the One who is at the Father’s ^aside ^b—

He has revealed Him. ^c

John the Baptist’s Testimony

¹⁹This is John’s testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem ^dsent priests ^eand Levites ^fto ask him, “Who are you?”

²⁰He did not refuse to answer, but he declared: “I am not the Messiah.” ^g

²¹“What then?” they asked him. “Are you Elijah?” ^h

“I am not,” he said.

“Are you the Prophet?” ^ij

“No,” he answered.

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

²³He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord ^kl—just as Isaiah ^mthe prophet said.”

²⁴Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. ⁿ²⁵So they asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”

²⁶“I baptize with ^owater,” ^pJohn answered them. “Someone stands among you, but you don’t know Him. ²⁷He is the One coming after me, ^qrwhose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.”

²⁸All this happened in Bethany ^sacross the Jordan, ^tuwhere John was baptizing.