John Chapter 1
The Pre-Existence and
Incarnation of the Messiah
1 In the beginning the Word was there. The Word was with God, and the Word was deity. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 He made everything; nothing came into existence without him. What has come 4 in him was life, life that gave people light. 5 The light shinedp in the darkness, but the darkness tended not to accept it.
6 God sent a man named John 7 to tell about the light so everybody would believe. 8 He wasn’t the light, but came to reveal 9 it, the true light for enlightening everyone in the world. 10 The Word was in the world and made the world, but it didn’t know him. 11 He came into his own things, but his own people tended not to accept him. 12 But, to as many as did accept and believe in him, he gave the right to become God’s offspring, 13 not born by blood, physical desire, or a husband’s will, but by God.
14 The Word took on a physical nature and lived with us. We saw his glory, glory like the only One from the Father, full of grace and reality.
15 John testifiedp about him, shouting, “He’s the One I was talking about when I said, ‘After me a man is coming that has become before me because he existed before me!’” 16 From his full measure we’ve all received grace on top of grace. 17 Moses gave law, but Jesus the Messiah brought grace and reality. 18 Nobody’s ever seen God, but the unique deity—the One dear to the Father—has shown what he’s like.
Jn 1:1-18
John’s Defense of His Ministry
19 This is what John said when Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.
20 “I’m not the Messiah.”
21 “Are you Elijah, then?”
“I’m not Elijah.”
“Are you ‘the prophet’?”
“No.”
22 “Who are you, so we can answer the ones that sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
23 “I’m one shouting in the desert, ‘Make the LORD’s road straight!’ [Is 40:3] like Isaiah the prophet said.”
24 The Pharisees had sent the ones that came. 25 They asked him, “Why are you baptizing if you’re not the Messiah, Elijah, or ‘the prophet’?”
26 “I’m baptizing in water, but there’s a man you don’t know standing among you. 27 He’ll succeed me, a man whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to unfasten.”
28 That happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.
Jn 1:19-282:1
John’s Identification of Jesus as the Messiah
29 The next day he sawp Jesus coming,
“Look, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world! 30 He’s the One I was talking about when I said, ‘After me a man is coming that has become before me because he existed before me.’ 31 I didn’t know who he was; but to point him out to Israel, I came immersing in water. 32 I’ve seen the Spirit coming down from the sky like a dove and remaining on him. 33 The One that sent me to immerse people in water told me, ‘Whoever you see the Spirit coming down and remaining on is the One that will ‘immerse’ them in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I’ve seen that, and I’m telling you, this is God’s Son.”
Jn 1:29-34
The First Disciples of Jesus
35 The next day John was standing with a couple disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus walk by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 His two disciples followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned around and saw them,
“What are you looking for?”
“Rabbi (Teacher), where are you staying?”
39 “I’ll show you.”
So they went and stayed with him that day. It was about 4 o’clock.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two that followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was gop and findp his brother Simon, “We’ve found the Messiah (the Christ).” 42 When he brought him to Jesus, Jesus looked at him, “You’re Simon Barjonah; you’ll be called Cephas (Peter).”
43 The next day Jesus wanted to leave for Galilee. He foundp Philip, “Come with me.” 44 Philip was from Bethsaida, where Andrew and Peter lived. 45 Philip foundp Nathanael, “We’ve found the One that Moses and the Prophets wrote about in the Law: Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.”
46 Nathanael said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
“I’ll show you.”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming, “A true Israelite with no deceit in him.”
48 Nathanael saidp, “Where do you know me from?”
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
49 Nathanael answered, “Rabbi, you’re the Son of God, the king of Israel!”
50 “You believe because I said I saw you under the fig tree? You’re going to see greater things than that. 51 You’ll see the sky opened up and God’s angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Jn 1:35-51