John 1:1–28

The Deity of Christ

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

The Preincarnate Work of Christ

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

The Forerunner of Christ

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

The Rejection of Christ

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

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

The Acceptance of Christ

¹²But ^qas many as received Him, to them He gave the ⁵right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ^13rwho 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

^14sAnd 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.

^15xJohn 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.’ ”

¹⁶⁷And of His ^afullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷For ^bthe law was given through Moses, but ^cgrace and ^dtruth came through Jesus Christ. ^18eNo 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

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

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

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

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you ⁱthe Prophet?”

And he answered, “No.”

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

²³He 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.”

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

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

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