The Word Am I

The Gospel According to St. John

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- Chapter 1 -

(Genesis 1:1–2; Hebrews 11:1–3)
1
In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2
He was with God before he began to create anything.
3
He is the one who carried out God’s command to create everything, yes, absolutely everything that was made!
4
All life is in the Word, so he could give life to everything and everyone. The Word was God’s light that shone on everyone, everywhere.
5
This light shone in the darkness, and the darkness tried to put it out, but it could not.

The Witness of John

6
God sent a man named John.
7
He came to testify to the people about the light. What he said was true, and he proclaimed that message so that everyone might believe.
8
John himself was not the light, but he came to tell people about the light.
9
This was the true light that shines upon everyone, and that light was coming into the world.
10
The Word was in the world, and although he had made the world, none of its people knew who he was.
11
Although he came to the world he owned, and even to his own people, the Jews, they rejected him.
12
But all who took him into their lives and trusted in him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children.
13
These are children born from God. They were not born by means of a normal human birth nor out of a human desire or choice, nor because of a husband’s desire to become a father.

The Word Became Flesh

(Psalm 84:1–12)
14
Now the Word became a real human being and lived here where we live for a while. We have seen him display his splendid and amazing nature, the nature of the one and only Son of the Father, who shows us that God loves us faithfully and teaches us about his truth.
15
One day John the Baptizer was telling people about the Word, and Jesus came to him. John shouted to the crowd around him, “I told you someone would come after me, someone who is much more important than I am. He existed long before me, eternal ages before I was born. This man here! This is that man I was talking about!”
16
We have all benefited very much from what he has done. Again and again, he has acted very kindly toward us.
17
Moses proclaimed God’s laws to the Jewish people. Jesus the Messiah was kind to us far beyond what we deserved and he taught us true things about God.
18
No one has ever seen God. But, Jesus the Messiah, who himself is God, is always close to the Father, and he has made us know him.

The Mission of John the Baptist

(Isaiah 40:1–5; Matthew 3:1–12; Mark 1:1–8; Luke 3:1–20)
19
This is what John gave as his testimony: The Jews sent priests and the Levites from Jerusalem; they came to ask John, “Who are you?”
20
So John testified to them and said, “I am not the Messiah!”
21
Then they asked him, “What do you say about yourself? Are you Elijah?” He said, “No.” They asked again, “Are you the Prophet whom the prophets say will come?” John answered, “No.”
22
So they asked him once more, “Then who do you claim to be? Tell us so that we can go back and report to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23
He answered as Isaiah the prophet had written, “I am the one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make the road good for the Lord to come to us.’”
24
Some of these people came to John from the Pharisees.
25
They asked him, “Since you say you are not the Messiah nor Elijah nor the Prophet, then why are you baptizing?”
26
John replied, “I am baptizing people with water, but there is now someone standing among you whom you do not know.
27
He follows after me, but I am not important enough even to untie his sandals.”
28
These things happened at the village of Bethany over on the east side of the Jordan River. That is the place where John was baptizing.

Jesus the Lamb of God

(Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–22)
29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him. He said to the people, “Look! The Lamb of God, who will give his life as a sacrifice to take away the sins of the world.
30
He is the one of whom I said, ‘Someone will come after me who is more important than I am, because he existed long before me, eternal ages before I was born.’
31
I did not know him at first, but now I know who he is. My work was to come and baptize with water those who were sorry and turned from their sins. I want the people of Israel to know who he is.”
32
It was John’s work to tell us what he saw. He spoke like this: “I saw God’s Spirit as he was descending from heaven in the form of a dove. The Spirit came down and remained on Jesus.
33
At first, I myself did not know him, but God sent me to baptize people with water, people who said they wanted to turn from their sinful ways. God told me, ‘The man on whom you will see my Spirit descend and remain is the one who will baptize all of you with the Holy Spirit.’
34
I have seen and I bear witness to you that he is the Son of God.”

The First Disciples

(Matthew 4:18–22; Mark 1:16–20; Luke 5:1–11)
35
John the Baptizer was at the same place again the next day with two of his disciples.
36
When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look! The Lamb of God, the man whom God appointed to give his life, like a lamb killed by the people of Israel as a payment for their sins!”
37
The two disciples of John, when they heard John, left John and followed him.
38
Jesus turned around and saw them following him, and he asked them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi (which means ‘teacher’), tell us where you are staying.”
39
He replied, “Come with me, and you will see!” So they came and saw where Jesus was staying. They stayed with him that day because it was getting late (it was about 4 pm.)
40
One of those two disciples who followed Jesus was named Andrew; he was Simon Peter’s brother.
41
Andrew first went off to find his brother Simon. When he came to him, he said, “We have found the Messiah (which means ‘Anointed’)!”
42
Andrew took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked intently at Peter, and said, “You are Simon. Your father’s name is John. You will be given the name Cephas.” Cephas is an Aramaic name that means ‘solid rock.’ (Peter means the same thing in Greek.)

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43
The next day Jesus decided to leave the Jordan River valley. He went to the region around Galilee and found a man named Philip. Jesus said to him, “Come with me.”
44
Philip, Andrew, and Peter were all from the town of Bethsaida (in Galilee).
45
Then Philip went to search for his friend Nathaniel. When he came to him, he said, “We have found the one Moses wrote about, the Messiah. The prophets prophesied that he would come. The Messiah is Jesus. He is from the town of Nazareth. His father’s name is Joseph.”
46
Nathaniel replied, “From Nazareth? Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip replied, “Come and you will see!”
47
When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said this about him, “Look there! There is an honest and good Israelite! He never deceives anyone!”
48
Nathaniel asked him, “How do you know what kind of man I am? You do not know me.” Jesus replied, “I saw you before Philip called you, when you were sitting by yourself under the fig tree.”
49
Then Nathaniel declared, “Teacher, you must be the Son of God! You are the King of Israel we have been waiting for!”
50
Jesus replied to him, “Do you trust in me just because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see me do things that are much greater than that!”
51
Then Jesus said to him, “I am telling you the truth: Just like the vision your ancestor Jacob long ago saw, some day you will see heaven opened up, and you will see God’s angels going up and coming down on me, the Son of Man.”
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(Genesis 1:1–2; Hebrews 11:1–3)
1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2
The same was in the beginning with God.
3
All things were made through him. Without him, nothing was made that has been made.
4
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome(a) it.

The Witness of John

6
There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7
The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him.
8
He was not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the light.
9
The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.
10
He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and 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.

The Word Became Flesh

(Psalm 84:1–12)
14
The Word became flesh and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the only born (b) Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15
John testified about him. He cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.’”
16
From his fullness we all received grace upon grace.
17
For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.(c)
18
No one has seen God at any time. The only born(d) Son,(e) who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared him.

The Mission of John the Baptist

(Isaiah 40:1–5; Matthew 3:1–12; Mark 1:1–8; Luke 3:1–20)
19
This is John’s testimony, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20
He declared, and didn’t deny, but he declared, “I am not the Christ.”
21
They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.”
22
They said therefore to him, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23
He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’(f) as Isaiah the prophet said.”
24
The ones who had been sent were from the Pharisees.
25
They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”
26
John answered them, “I baptize in water, but among you stands one whom you don’t know.
27
He is the one who comes after me, who is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to loosen.”
28
These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Jesus the Lamb of God

(Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–22)
29
The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold,(g) the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
30
This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is preferred before me, for he was before me.’
31
I didn’t know him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water, that he would be revealed to Israel.”
32
John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him.
33
I didn’t recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘On whomever you will see the Spirit descending and remaining on him is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’
34
I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

The First Disciples

(Matthew 4:18–22; Mark 1:16–20; Luke 5:1–11)
35
Again, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples,
36
and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
37
The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38
Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), “where are you staying?”
39
He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour.(h)
40
One of the two who heard John and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
41
He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is, being interpreted, Christ (i)).
42
He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is by interpretation, Peter).(j)

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43
On the next day, he was determined to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus 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 him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets, wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46
Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom 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 God! You are King of Israel!”
50
Jesus answered him, “Because I told you, ‘I saw you underneath the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these!”
51
He said to him, “Most certainly, I tell you all, hereafter you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Footnotes

(a)1:5 The word translated “overcome” (κατέλαβεν) can also be translated “comprehended.” It refers to getting a grip on an enemy to defeat him.
(b)1:14 The phrase “only born” is from the Greek word “μονογενους”, which is sometimes translated “only begotten” or “one and only”.
(c)1:17 “Christ” means “Anointed One”.
(d)1:18 The phrase “only born” is from the Greek word “μονογενη”, which is sometimes translated “only begotten” or “one and only”.
(e)1:18 NU reads “God”
(f)1:23 ℘ Isaiah 40:3
(g)1:29 “Behold”, from “ἰδοὺ”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
(h)1:39 p.m.
(i)1:41 “Messiah” (Hebrew) and “Christ” (Greek) both mean “Anointed One”.
(j)1:42 “Cephas” (Aramaic) and “Peter” (Greek) both mean “Rock”.
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