John 1:12-24

¹²But to all those who accepted him and trusted in him, he gave the right to become God's children.

¹³These are the children born not in the usual way, not as the result of human desire or a father's decision, but born of God.

¹⁴The Word became human and lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son, full of grace and truth.

¹⁵John gave his testimony about him, shouting out to the people, “This is the one I was telling you about when I said, ‘The one who is coming after me is more important than me, for before I ever existed he already was.’”

¹⁶We have all been recipients of his generous nature, one gracious gift after another.

¹⁷The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

¹⁸While no one has ever seen God, God the one and only, who is close to the Father, has shown us what God is like.

¹⁹This is what John publicly stated when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

²⁰John declared plainly and clearly without hesitation, “I am not the Messiah.”

²¹“So then, who are you?” they asked. “Elijah?” “No, I'm not,” he answered. “Are you the Prophet?” “No,” he replied.

²²“Well, who are you, then?” they asked. “We have to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

²³“I am a voice calling in the desert, ‘Make the Lord's way straight!’” he said, using the words of the prophet Isaiah.

²⁴The priests and Levites sent by the Pharisees