In the Beginning, the Word
1 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with our Father, and the Word was God. a a v1 ‘The Word’ (Greek logos) is the Son, who became flesh and is named Jesus in v. 14. 2 He was in the beginning with our Father. 3 All things were made through him, and without him not one thing was made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There came a man sent from our Father, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of our Father b b v12 Those who receive Jesus are given the right to become children of our Father — restored to the family of the One who sent his Son. 13 —children born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of our Father.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory—the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. c c v14 Here John calls Jesus the 'one of a kind' Son — not a Son who began somewhere, but the eternal Son the Father has always had. 15 John testified about him, and cried out, "This was the one I was speaking of when I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'" 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen our Father; the one and only Son, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. d d v18 Only the Son who has always lived close to our Father's heart can show us who our Father truly is — every glimpse of the Father comes through Jesus.
Who Are You, John?
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."
21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No."
22 So they said to him, "Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
23 He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said."
24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
26 John answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Behold, the Lamb
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Look! The Lamb of our Father—Jesus—who takes away the sin of the world!" e e v29 John names Jesus "the Lamb of our Father" because it is the Father who provides the Lamb — the same Father who promised Abraham "God will provide for himself the lamb," now fulfilling that promise in his own Son. 30 "He is the one I was speaking of when I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.'" 31 "I myself did not know him, but this is why I came baptizing with water — so that he might be revealed to Israel." 32 And John testified: "I saw the Holy Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and he remained on him." 33 "I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'The one on whom you see the Holy Spirit descend and remain — he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'" 34 "And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of our Father." f f v34 John's testimony names Jesus the Son of our Father — not just "a son of God" but the eternal Son the Father has loved from before the world began.
Come and See
35 The next day John was standing again with two of his disciples, 36 and looking at Jesus as he walked by, he said, "Look! The Lamb of our Father!" 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, "What are you looking for?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
39 He said to them, "Come and you will see." So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about four o'clock in the afternoon.
40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which means Peter).
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and the prophets too — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
46 Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Look — truly an Israelite, in whom there is no deceit!"
48 Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."
49 Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of our Father! You are the King of Israel!"
50 Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51 And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and our Father's angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man." g g v51 Jesus echoes Jacob's vision at Bethel (Gen 28:12), where angels moved between heaven and earth on a ladder — now fulfilled in him.