¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.^{(A) 14} You are my friends^(B) if you do what I command.^{(C) 15} I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.^{(D) 16} You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you^(E) so that you might go and bear fruit^(F)—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.^(G)

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word,^(A) and the Word was with God,^(B) and the Word was God.^{(C) 2} He was with God in the beginning.^{(D) 3} Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.^(E)

¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him,^(A) the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.^{(B) 12} Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed^(C) in his name,^(D) he gave the right to become children of God^(E)— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.^(F)

¹⁴ The Word became flesh^(G) and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory,^(H) the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace^(I) and truth.^(J)

John Testifies About Jesus

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God,^(A) who takes away the sin of the world!^(B)

⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.^{(A) 6} Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[a] gives birth to spirit.^{(B) 7} You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[b] must be born again.’

¹¹ For the life of a creature is in the blood,^(A) and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.^[a](B)

² He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,^(A) and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.^(B)

¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us^(A) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.^(B)

Righteousness Through Faith

²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God^(A) has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.^{(B) 22} This righteousness^(C) is given through faith^(D) in^[a] Jesus Christ^(E) to all who believe.^(F) There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,^{(G) 23} for all have sinned^(H) and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified^(I) freely by his grace^(J) through the redemption^(K) that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,^[b](L) through the shedding of his blood^(M)—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished^(N)— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.