The light keeps shining in the dark, and darkness has never put it out.

God sent a man named John,

The true light that shines on everyone was coming into the world.

Yet some people accepted him and put their faith in him. So he gave them the right to be the children of God.

The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him the complete gifts of undeserved grace and truth have come down to us.

John spoke about him and shouted, “This is the one I told you would come! He is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born.”

Because of all that the Son is, we have been given one blessing after another.

No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like.

John the Baptist Tells about Jesus

(Matthew 3.1-12; Mark 1.1-8; Luke 3.15-17)

The religious authorities in Jerusalem sent priests and temple helpers to ask John who he was. He told them plainly, “I am not the Messiah.”

Then when they asked him if he were Elijah, he said, “No, I am not!” And when they asked if he were the Prophet, he also said “No!”

Finally, they said, “Who are you then? We have to give an answer to the ones who sent us. Tell us who you are!”

John answered in the words of the prophet Isaiah, “I am only someone shouting in the desert, ‘Get the road ready for the Lord!’ ”

Some Pharisees had also been sent to John.

John told them, “I use water to baptize people. But here with you is someone you don't know.

Even though I came first, I am not good enough to untie his sandals.”

John said this as he was baptizing east of the Jordan River in Bethany.

The Lamb of God

The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said: Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

He is the one I told you about when I said, “Someone else will come, who is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born.”

I didn't know who he was. But I came to baptize you with water, so that everyone in Israel would see him.

I was there and saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven. And the Spirit stayed on him.

Before this I didn't know who he was. But the one who sent me to baptize with water had told me, “You will see the Spirit come down and stay on someone. Then you will know that he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.”

I saw this happen, and I tell you that he is the Son of God.

When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Here is the Lamb of God!”

When Jesus turned and saw them, he asked, “What do you want?” They answered, “Rabbi, where do you live?” The Hebrew word “Rabbi” means “Teacher.”

Jesus replied, “Come and see!” It was already about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with him and saw where he lived. So they stayed on for the rest of the day.