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.”