John 1:9-45

⁹The true light was coming into the world to give light to everyone.

¹⁰He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world didn't know who he was.

¹¹He came to his own people, but they didn't accept him.

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

²⁵asked him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you're not the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”

²⁶John replied, “I baptize with water, but standing among you is someone you don't know.

²⁷He is coming after me, but I am not even worthy to untie his sandals.”

²⁸This all happened in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

²⁹The next day John saw Jesus approaching him, and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

³⁰This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man who is coming after me is more important than me, for before I ever existed he already was.’

³¹I didn't know myself who he was, but I came baptizing with water so that he could be revealed to Israel.”

³²John gave his evidence about him, saying, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove and rest upon him.

³³I wouldn't have known him except he who sent me to baptize with water had told me, ‘The one you see the Spirit descend to and rest upon, he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

³⁴I saw it happen and I declare that this is the Son of God.”

³⁵The next day John was standing there with two of his disciples.

³⁶He saw Jesus passing by, and said, “Look! This is the Lamb of God!”

³⁷When the two disciples heard what he said they went and followed Jesus.

³⁸Jesus turned round and saw them following him. “What are you looking for?” he asked them. “Rabbi (which means ‘Teacher’), where are you staying?” they asked in reply.

³⁹“Come and see,” he told them. So they went with him and saw where he was staying. It was about four p.m., and they spent the rest of the day with him.

⁴⁰Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of these two disciples who had heard what John said and followed Jesus.

⁴¹He went at once to find his brother Simon and told him, “We've found the Messiah!” (which means “Christ”).

⁴²He took him to Jesus. Looking directly at Simon, Jesus said, “You are Simon, son of John. But now you will be called Cephas,” (which means “Peter”).

⁴³The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. Jesus found Philip there, and told him, “Follow me.”

⁴⁴Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town that Andrew and Peter came from.

⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We've found the one that Moses wrote about in the law and that the prophets did too—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”