John
1
The Word existed before the universe existed. The Word was with God. The Word also was God. 2 He, the Word, was with God before the universe existed. 3 God made everything through him. God made every single thing in the universe with him. 4 The Word gives eternal life, and that eternal life is {God’s good and true} light {that he revealed} to humans. 5 God revealed {his good and true} light to the evil world, and that evil world did not vanquish it.6 God sent a man named John {who was known as John the Baptizer}. 7 He came in order to declare to people about {Jesus, who is} the light. {He declared this} so that everyone might trust in the light by means of his {testimony}. 8 John himself was not that light, but he came in order to tell people about the light. 9 That true light was {Jesus,} who revealed God’s truth and goodness to everyone. {He was} that light that was coming into the world.
10 The Word was in the world, and he created the universe. Nevertheless, the people of the world did not recognize him. 11 The Word came to his own people, {the Jews,} but they rejected him. 12 But to everyone who accepted him and trusted in him he gave the right to become God’s children. 13 These children of God were not spiritually born by means of normal human birth, nor by human desire, nor by the desire of their fathers. Rather, they were spiritually born by God.
14 The Word became a real human being and temporarily lived here {where we live}. We have seen him display his glorious nature. {That is} the glorious nature of the Unique Son who came from the Father. He fully possesses God’s kind acts and true teachings.
15 John the Baptizer was telling people about the Word. And he shouted {to those around him}, “I told you that someone would come after me {and that} he is much more important than I am because he existed long before me.” 16 {We know the Word fully possesses God’s kind acts and true teachings} because all of us have benefited from what he fully possesses, {having benefited from} one kind act after another. 17 {This is} because God gave his laws {to the Israelites} by Moses. But God’s kind acts and true message came into full existence by Jesus the Messiah. 18 No one has ever seen God. But Jesus, the Unique One, is God. He is close to God the Father, and he himself has revealed the Father.
19 This is what John the Baptizer testified when the Jewish leaders sent some priests and Levites from the city of Jerusalem in order to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 {At that time} John emphatically confessed, “I am not the Messiah!” 21 Then they asked him, “{If that is so,} then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “No.” They asked again, “Are you the Prophet {whom God said would come}?” John answered, “No.” 22 So these priests and Levites asked John once more, “Who are you? {Tell us} so that we can report {what you say} to those leaders who sent us. Who do you claim to be?” 23 John told them, “I am the person shouting in the desolate area to prepare yourselves to receive the Lord when he comes. {I am whom} the prophet Isaiah foretold.”
24 These priests and Levites whom the leaders in Jerusalem sent to John were Pharisees. 25 They asked him, “If you are not the Messiah nor Elijah nor the Prophet, then why are you baptizing people?” 26 John replied, “I am baptizing people with water, but there is someone now among you whom you do not know. 27 He follows after me, but I am not important enough even to untie his sandals.”
28 These events occurred at the village of Bethany over {on the east side of} the Jordan River. {That is the place} where John was baptizing people.
29 The day after that happened, John saw Jesus coming toward him. Then he said to the people, “Look! {He is} the Lamb of God! He will sacrifice himself to forgive the sins of the people in this world. 30 This man is the one about whom I said, ‘Someone will come after me who is more important than I am, because {he existed long}before me.’ 31 I did not know who he was {at first}. Nevertheless, I have been baptizing people with water for the very purpose of revealing him to the people of Israel.”
32 And John declared, “I saw God’s Spirit coming down from heaven appearing like a dove. Then the Spirit remained on Jesus. 33 I did not know who he was {at first}, but God sent me to baptize {people} with water and told me, ‘The man on whom you see my Spirit come down and remain is the man who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen this, and I declare to you that this man, Jesus, is the Son of God.”
35 The day after that happened, John the Baptizer was again with two of his students. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look! {He is} the Lamb of God!” 37 Then John’s two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned around and saw them coming behind him, he asked them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi (which means ‘teacher’ {in Jewish Aramaic}), where are you lodging?” 39 He replied, “Come with me, and you will see!” So they came and saw where Jesus was lodging. They stayed with him that day because it was getting late. (It was about 4:00 PM)
40 One of those two disciples who had heard what John had said and followed Jesus was Andrew. {He was} Simon Peter’s brother. 41 Andrew first {went and} found his brother Simon. {When he came to him,} he said, “We have found the Messiah!” (Messiah is “Christ” in the Greek language.) 42 Andrew took Simon to Jesus. When Jesus looked at Peter, he said, “You are Simon. Your father’s name is John. {From now on} your name will {also} be Cephas.” ({Cephas is an Aramaic word that is} “Peter” in Greek {and means “rock”}.)
43 The day after that happened Jesus decided to leave that area. He went to the region of Galilee and found a man named Philip. Jesus said to him, “Come be my disciple.” 44 Philip was from the city of Bethsaida {in Galilee}. {This is also the city that} Andrew and Peter were from. 45 {Then} Philip {went and} found Nathaniel. {When he came to him,} he said, “We have found the Messiah whom Moses wrote about in the law {God gave the Israelites} and {whom} the prophets {said would come}. {The Messiah is} Jesus. His father’s name is Joseph. He is from the town of Nazareth.” 46 Nathaniel replied, “From Nazareth? Certainly nothing good can come out of that town!” Philip replied, “Come and see for yourself!” 47 When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching him, he said to him, “Look! {Here is} an honest Israelite! He never deceives anyone!” 48 Nathaniel asked him, “How do you know what kind of man I am?” Jesus replied, “I saw you before Philip called you, when you were sitting {by yourself} under the fig tree.” 49 Then Nathaniel declared, “Teacher, you must be the Son of God! You are the King of Israel {whom we have been waiting for}!” 50 Jesus replied, “Do you trust in me just because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see me do things that are much greater than that!” 51 Then Jesus said to him, “I am telling you the truth: {Just like the vision your ancestor Jacob long ago saw,} you will see heaven opened up, and you will see God’s angels going up and coming down on me, the Son of Man.”