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The Word Became Flesh
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
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He was with God in the beginning.
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Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
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In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
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The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
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There was a man sent from God whose name was John.
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He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
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The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
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He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
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He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
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Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
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children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
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The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
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(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”)
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Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.
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No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
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John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah
Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.
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He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”
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They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”
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John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
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questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
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“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know.
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He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
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John Testifies About Jesus
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
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This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’
