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 by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

1In the beginning was the Word, & the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2The same was in the beginning with God.

3All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5And the light shineth in darknesse, and the darknesse comprehended it not.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was Iohn.

7The same came for a witnesse, to beare witnesse of the light, that all men through him might beleeue.

8Hee was not that light, but was sent to beare witnesse of that light.

9That was the true light, which lighteth euery man that commeth into the world.

10Hee was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11Hee came vnto his owne, and his owne receiued him not.

12But as many as receiued him, to them gaue hee power to become the sonnes of God, euen to them that beleeue on his Name:

13Which were borne, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among vs (& we beheld his glory, the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father) full of grace and trueth.

15 Iohn bare witnesse of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that commeth after me, is preferred before me, for he was before me.

16And of his fulnesse haue all wee receiued, and grace for grace.

17For the Law was giuen by Moses, but grace and trueth came by Iesus Christ.

18No man hath seene God at any time: the onely begotten Sonne, which is in the bosome of the Father, he hath declared him.

19 And this is the record of Iohn, when the Iewes sent Priests and Leuites from Hierusalem, to aske him, Who art thou?

20And he confessed, and denied not: but confessed, I am not the Christ.

21And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that Prophet? And hee answered, No.

22Then said they vnto him, Who art thou, that we may giue an answere to them that sent vs? What sayest thou of thy selfe?

23He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wildernesse: Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the Prophet Esaias.

24And they which were sent, were of the Pharises.

25And they asked him, and said vnto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that Prophet?

26Iohn answered them, saying, I baptize with water, but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not,

27He it is, who comming after me, is preferred before me, whose shoes latchet I am not worthy to vnloose.

28These things were done in Bethabara beyond Iordane, where Iohn was baptizing.

29 The next day, Iohn seeth Iesus comming vnto him, and saith, Behold the Lambe of God, which taketh away the sinne of the world.

30This is he of whom I said, After me commeth a man, which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

31And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therfore am I come baptizing with water.

32And Iohn bare record saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heauen, like a Doue, and it abode vpon him.

33And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said vnto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, & remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the holy Ghost.

34And I saw, and bare record, that this is the sonne of God.

35 Againe the next day after, Iohn stood, and two of his disciples.

36And looking vpon Iesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lambe of God.

37And the two disciples heard him speake, and they followed Iesus.

38Then Iesus turned, and saw them following, and saith vnto them, What seeke ye? They said vnto him, Rabbi, (which is to say being interpreted, Master) where dwellest thou?

39He saith vnto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth houre.

40One of the two which heard Iohn speake, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peters brother.

41He first findeth his owne brother Simon, and saith vnto him, We haue found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

42And he brought him to Iesus. And when Iesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the sonne of Iona, thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, a stone.

43 The day following, Iesus would goe foorth into Galilee, & findeth Philip, & saith vnto him, Follow me.

44Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the citie of Andrew and Peter.

45Philip findeth Nathaneel, and saith vnto him, We haue found him of whom Moses in the Law, and the Prophets did write, Iesus of Nazareth the sonne of Ioseph.

46And Nathaneel said vnto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith vnto him, Come and see.

47Iesus saw Nathaneel comming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile.

48Nathaneel sayeth vnto him, Whence knowest thou me? Iesus answered, and said vnto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast vnder the figge tree, I saw thee.

49Nathaneel answered, and saith vnto him, Rabbi, thou art the Sonne of God, thou art the king of Israel.

50Iesus answered, and said vnto him, Because I said vnto thee, I saw thee vnder the figge tree, beleeuest thou? thou shalt see greater things then these.

51And hee saith vnto him, Uerily, verily I say vnto you, heereafter yee shall see heauen open, and the Angels of God ascending, and descending vpon the sonne of man.

 

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be 4 through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; 5 the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 A man named John was sent from God. 7 He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. 12 But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man's decision but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified to him and cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.'" 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, 17 because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father's side, has revealed him. 19 And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites (to him) to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, "I am not the Messiah." 21 So they asked him, "What are you then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." 22 So they said to him, "Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?" 23 He said: "I am 'the voice of one crying out in the desert, "Make straight the way of the Lord,"' as Isaiah the prophet said." 24 Some Pharisees were also sent. 25 They asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?" 26 John answered them, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, 27 the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." 28 This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. 30 He is the one of whom I said, 'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.' 31 I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel." 32 John testified further, saying, "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. 33 I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit.' 34 Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God." 35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God." 37 The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" 39 He said to them,"Come, and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon. 40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed). 42 Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Kephas" (which is translated Peter). 43 The next day he decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, "Follow me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth." 46 But Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him." 48 Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." 49 Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." 50 Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this."51 And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." 

John preached at Ephesus many years and his book was probably written there about AD 85 - AD 95. He was accepted as the writer by other early writers, and is identified as the one “Jesus loved”. Of the three close disciples, Peter spoke to the disciple Jesus loved, and James was dead. John records important personal conversations. Matthew and Luke detail Jesus’ birth. John stresses Deity, “Word was made flesh and dwelt among us”. His main purpose is stated in 20:31. While the Synoptic Gospels overlap, John is 93 percent new material. Key word, “Believe”. Creation is fundamental to belief, and he sums up Genesis creation  by God in 1:1-3.
v 1,2. Simply put, Christ is part of the Godhead and has existed through eternity.
v 3. Christ, in relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is the creator of all things. Gen. 1:26, “Us”. Col. 1:16,17, He created all things and keeps them going.
v 4,5. Physical and spiritual life both come from Him. He is also our light, and light dispels darkness. Satan is represented by darkness, but Light will eventually triumph.
v 6-8. John the Baptist was sent from God to be the forerunner of Christ. Great as John was, his goal was to point men to Christ, the true Light.
v 9-11. Christ is the Light that shines on all men and brings about salvation, or shows them their sin. He went to His own people, the nation of Israel, and some did believe, but nationally they rejected Him, not obeying or believing He came from God.
v 12,13. Jews and all others who believe Him become children of God. They are not born by the natural desire of the flesh, but by regeneration of the Holy Spirit.
v 14. “Word”, 1:1 and Rev. 19:13, “His name is called the Word of God. ”Without laying aside His Deity, Christ became man, not just like a man. John had been an eyewitness to His glory involving His life, miracles, transfiguration, death, resurrection. We become “sons of God” by the new birth, but Christ is eternal, the second person of the Trinity, and with the same essence as the Father. 
v 15. John Baptist was the earthly forerunner of Christ, Lk. 7:14, but Christ was eternal. John had already developed a prominent ministry, but it was inferior to Christ.
v 16,17. As ocean waves repeat on the shore, God’s grace comes on and on.  Under Law given through Moses, blessings came through obedience, but to believers in Christ today, grace bestows blessing as a free gift. Salvation under Law was faith in anticipation of the Redeemer. Today it is faith in the Redeemer who has paid our debt, but it is all of the grace of God.
v 18. God has been seen in theophany, and Christ incarnate, so men have seen God and lived, but none have seen Him in His essential nature, His spiritual being. Moses saw only the back side of God’s glory, Ex. 33:20-23.
v 19,20. John’s ministry had become so popular that priests and Levites were sent to investigate, but he declared plainly he was not the Christ. In trying to take attention away from himself, John became more brief. I am not the Christ. I am not. No.
v 21,22. Many Jews did not understand that the “prophet” of Deut. 18:15 was the same as Messiah. John had an Elijah like ministry, Mal. 4:5, but he declared he was not Elijah and not that prophet. Then they asked bluntly who He was, for their report to the Pharisees. They were very strict, and probably would have alerted the entire Sanhedrin.
v 23. He declared himself to be the one described in Isa. 40:3 as the one crying in the wilderness to make straight the way of the Lord. Workers cleared the roads for the Jews to return from Babylon and cleared the roads for those who came to Jerusalem to the feasts, but here John is preparing the way for Christ. He was clad like Elijah and ate the diet of the poor, locusts and wild honey. Many repented.
v 24,25. The gist of these Pharisees questions was, “If you don’t have an official title of one of these groups, why are you baptizing?”
v 26-28. John knew his work was just in anticipation of the Worthy One who was to come. He only baptized with water, but Christ and the Holy Spirit would baptize by fire. Pentecost would be a preview of the outpouring of the Spirit, Joel 2:28-30. Bethabara means “House of the Ford”, or the Ford of Abara. The location is not known, but may have been across the river from Jericho.
v 29. The next day when Jesus came by, the Holy Spirit revealed to John that Jesus was the Lamb of God, the sacrifice all the previous sacrifices anticipated. This sacrifice would take away not only the sins of those past, but of those future.
v 30,31. John repeats about what he had said the day before. ( Mt 3;14 notes)
v 32-34. God had informed John that the one on whom he saw the Spirit from heaven descending and abiding would be the Christ. When this happened, he knew Jesus was the Son of God. The Bible does not record any contacts with Jesus and John before this, and Jesus did not attend the feasts as a small child. John’s parents probably died when he was young, and he may have gone off to live in the wilderness areas of the Essenes. Their life styles were simple, separated, but different diet and rules.  Like them, he probably sent offerings to the temple but didn’t personally attend.
v 35,36.  Matt. 4:1 and Mark 1:12 make it clear that after John baptized Jesus, the Spirit immediately drove Him into the wilderness where He fasted 40 days and endured temptations by Satan. So Jn. 1:35 does not refer to the next day after Jesus was baptized, but to a series of days God wanted called to our attention. On the day Jesus returned from temptations, John again bore witness, “this is the Son of God.”
v 37. Two of John’s disciples literally followed, & turned their allegiance to Jesus.
v 38. Jesus’ simple question may have also implied, what do you want in life?
v 39. His invitation may have implied more than just seeing where He stayed, but to see the truths He wanted to teach. Common belief and context indicates 4:00 PM Jewish time. If John consistently used Roman time, it would have been 10:00 AM, and Jesus would have had the “day” to teach them, not just two hours until 6:00. We can come to Him any time
v 40,41. One disciple was probably John, who characteristically did not use his own name. Andrew immediately went & found his brother, Peter. From John’s words, “Lamb of God”, he concluded that Jesus was the Messiah, but none of them connected Messiah with sacrifice. In 6:4-9 Andrew brought the lad with bread and fish to Jesus, and in 12:20-22 he and Philip brought Greeks.
v 42. Hebrew for Simon is probably Simeon. Peter is the Greek translation of the Aramaic Cephas, or rock. Peter became a little rock in the Church, Christ the Rock.
v 43,44. The first disciples were from Galilee, but were in Judea listening to John. Jesus found Philip as they headed north. Philip, Andrew and Peter were all from the same town, Bethsaida, on the northeast side of the Sea of Galilee.
v 45,46. Like many others, Lk. 3:23, Philip considered Jesus of Nazareth to be the son of Joseph. He did recognize Him as the one Moses and the prophets wrote of, but was soon to recognize Him as the Son of God. He brought Nathaniel to Jesus,   knowing the poor reputation of Nazareth, Nathaniel doubted it home to a good man. (Jonah was from Gath-hepher, a few miles north of Nazareth.)
v 47-49. Nathaniel was amazed at supernatural knowledge Jesus had of him and his location, and called Him Rabbi, the Son of God, the King of Israel. 
v 50,51. Nathaniel would see greater miracles than that, If literal, it is not recorded. Perhaps it alludes that all of them would see Christ replacing angels on Jacob’s ladder as the link between heaven and earth. Perhaps it refers to His ascension, His coming in glory or other event not recorded. We don’t know for sure, but we do know, 1 Cor. 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.