John

The Deity of Christ

1 In the beginning awas the Word, and the bWord was cwith God, and the Word was dGod. 2 eHe was in the beginning with God.

The Preincarnate Work of Christ

3 fAll things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 gIn Him was life, and hthe life was the light of men. 5 And ithe light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not 1comprehend it.

The Forerunner of Christ

6 There was a jman sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a kwitness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might lbelieve. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that mLight.

The Rejection of Christ

9 nThat 2was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and othe world did not know Him. 11 pHe came to His 3own, and His 4own did not receive Him.

The Acceptance of Christ

12 But qas many as received Him, to them He gave the 5right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 rwho were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

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.

John’s Witness at Christ’s Baptism

Matt. 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21, 22

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! pThe Lamb of God qwho takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who 2is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ 31 I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, rtherefore I came baptizing with water.”

32 sAnd John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, tthis is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and testified that this is the uSon of God.”

Andrew and Peter Follow Christ

35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, v“Behold the Lamb of God!”

37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they wfollowed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”

They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”

39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).

40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was xAndrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the 3Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of 4Jonah. yYou shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, 5A Stone).

Philip and Nathanael Follow Christ

43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found zPhilip and said to him, “Follow Me.” 44 Now aPhilip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found bNathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom cMoses in the law, and also the dprophets, wrote—Jesus eof Nazareth, the fson of Joseph.”

46 And Nathanael said to him, g“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, han Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”

48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, iYou are the Son of God! You are jthe King of Israel!”

50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, khereafter 6you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Christ Changes Water to Wine

2 On the third day there was a awedding in bCana of Galilee, and the cmother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

4 Jesus said to her, d“Woman, ewhat does your concern have to do with Me? fMy hour has not yet come.”

5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, gaccording to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted hthe water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

The Disciples Believe

11 This ibeginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, jand 1manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

12 After this He went down to kCapernaum, He, His mother, lHis brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.

Christ Cleanses the Temple

13 mNow the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 nAnd He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers 2doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make oMy Father’s house a house of merchandise!” 17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, p“Zeal for Your house 3has eaten Me up.”

18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, q“What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”

19 Jesus answered and said to them, r“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”

21 But He was speaking sof the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, tHis disciples remembered that He had said this 4to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the usigns which He did. 24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He vknew all men, 25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for wHe knew what was in man.

Christ Witnesses to Nicodemus

3 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 aThis man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for bno one can do these signs that You do unless cGod is with him.”

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, dunless one is born 1again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, eunless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is fflesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 gThe wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, h“How can these things be?”

10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 iMost assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and jyou do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 kNo one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son