The Good News According to
John
1
1 In the beginning was the Word,* The Greek word translated “word” (Logos) means more than just a collection of a few letters. It means an entire message and the thought behind it. and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 Everything was made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and that life was the light of mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness hasn’t overcome†The Greek word translated “overcome” (katelaben) also means overcome, comprehend, and overtake (to grasp and defeat an enemy or to grasp and understand an idea). it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came as a witness, to testify about the light, that all through him might believe. 8 He wasn’t that light, but was sent as a witness of that light. 9 The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.
10 The Word was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world didn’t recognize Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own didn’t receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified about Him. He cried out, saying, “This was He who I told you about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’ ” 16 From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace. 17 The Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but God’s only born Son, who is near to the heart of His Father, has made Him known.
19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites‡ Levites are descendants of Levi, who were commissioned to help the priests in their duties. (Numbers 18:23; Deuteronomy 18:1). from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and didn’t deny, but confessed, “I’m not the Christ.” 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
22 Then they asked him, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”§ Isaiah 40:3 24 Now those who were sent were Pharisees.** Pharisees were one of two main religious parties at this time, the other being the Sadducees. The Pharisees emphasized strict compliance with the Jewish Law and the traditions of the elders. Acts 23:8. 25 They asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but One stands among you that you don’t know. 27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.” 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Look! God’s Lamb who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the One I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me is preferred before me because He existed before me.’ 31 I didn’t know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.” 32 John testified, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I wouldn’t have known Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘Whoever you see the Spirit descending upon, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Son.”
35 The next day, John again stood with two of His disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, God’s Lamb!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned, and seeing them following, asked them, “What are you looking for?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which, when translated, means Teacher), “Where are You staying?”
39 He told them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour.†† The tenth hour since sunrise, or about 4:00 p.m. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother, Simon, and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, translated, the Christ‡‡“Messiah” (Hebrew) and “Christ” (Greek) both mean “Anointed One.”).
42 Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter§§“Cephas” (Aramaic) and “Peter” (Greek) both mean “Rock.”).
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he told him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found Him who Moses in the Law, and also the prophets, wrote about — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46 Nathanael asked Philip, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Philip told Nathanael, “Come and see.”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of Nathanael, “Look! An Israelite indeed, who has no deceit in him!”
48 Nathanael asked Him, “How do You know me?”
Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
49 Nathanael answered, “Rabbi,***Rabbi is Hebrew for “teacher.” You are God’s Son. You are the King of Israel.”
50 Jesus said to him, “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He told him, “Most assuredly, I tell you, you will see Heaven opened, and God’s angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
*1:1 The Greek word translated “word” (Logos) means more than just a collection of a few letters. It means an entire message and the thought behind it.
†1:5 The Greek word translated “overcome” (katelaben) also means overcome, comprehend, and overtake (to grasp and defeat an enemy or to grasp and understand an idea).
‡1:19 Levites are descendants of Levi, who were commissioned to help the priests in their duties. (Numbers 18:23; Deuteronomy 18:1).
§1:23 Isaiah 40:3
**1:24 Pharisees were one of two main religious parties at this time, the other being the Sadducees. The Pharisees emphasized strict compliance with the Jewish Law and the traditions of the elders. Acts 23:8.
††1:39 The tenth hour since sunrise, or about 4:00 p.m.
‡‡1:41 “Messiah” (Hebrew) and “Christ” (Greek) both mean “Anointed One.”
§§1:42 “Cephas” (Aramaic) and “Peter” (Greek) both mean “Rock.”
***1:49 Rabbi is Hebrew for “teacher.”