The Life of Jesus

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was with God in the beginning.

Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.

In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.

The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John.

He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe.

He himself was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

The true Light who gives light to every man was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—

children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’”

From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.

And this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”

He did not refuse to confess, but openly declared, “I am not the Christ.”

“Then who are you?” they inquired. “Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”

So they said to him, “Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: “I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

Then the Pharisees who had been sent

asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”