THE Word, who Himself is God, was with God in the beginning. All things, without any exception, were created by Him — there was nothing that was created that was not created by Him.

Life was in Him and the life was the light meant to lighten men.

The light shines in darkness; the darkness can never extinguish it.

There was a man sent by God, named John.

His coming to the world was to introduce the Light to men, so that all might believe through him.

He was not the Light; he came just for the purpose of introducing [lending credence to] the Light –

that this Man was the true Light, who gives light to everyone who comes to the world.

He [the Light] was in the world and though the world was made by Him, the world did not recognize Him.

His own to whom He came even rejected Him.

but He gave those who received Him, as well as those who believed in His Name [Emissary] — the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit — the right to become children of God:

Children born of God, not of blood, or of carnal nature, or man’s desire.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Now, what we see is His Glory [the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit – His Emissary] who is exactly like the only begotten Son of God - full of grace and truth.

(John, lending credence to Him, declared: “This is the One of whom I said, ‘A greater One — One who existed before me — is coming after me’.”)

Of His full grace, we have all now received abundant grace,

establishing that, as the law came through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus the Anointed.

No one has ever seen God. His only begotten Son, who is now [back] at the Father’s side, told us about Him

Now, this is what John said when the Jews from the habitation of prosperity - Jerusalem - sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”

He owned up — he did not withhold the truth; he confessed: “I am not the Anointed.”

“Who are you then?” they asked him, “Are you Elijah?” “I am not,” he replied. “Are you that prophet?” “No,” he responded.

“Who are you, then?” they asked again. “We need to give answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?”

He said, “I am the voice crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight way for the Self-existent, the Son of man,’ as prophesied by Isaiah.”

Being Pharisees, those who were sent.

asked him, “Why then do you perform sacred washing if you are not the Anointed or Elijah or that Prophet?”

“Though I perform sacred washing, it is with water,” John answered them, “Someone stands among you, only that you don’t know Him.

He is the One coming to limelight after me, who is better than me - whose sandal strap I am not qualified to untie. He will perform sacred washing on you [purify you] with holy spirit [breath] — the breath of the Holy Spirit.”

All these took place in Bethany across the Jordan [east of the Jordan – the territory settled for by the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half Manasseh, formerly, the kingdom of Sihon, king of Heshbon, and of Og, king of Bashan], where John used for sacred washing.

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!

This is the One I told you about, that, ‘After me comes Someone who is greater than me, in that He existed before me.’

I didn’t know Him, yet I am here performing sacred washing so that He might be revealed to Israel.

I mean it: I didn’t know Him, but the One [the Self-existent] who sent me to perform sacred washing told me, ‘Anyone above whom you see the Self-existent , the Holy Spirit [the Glory of the Self-existent] come and stay is the One who performs sacred washing with holy spirit [the breath of the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit].’ I looked closely and witnessed the Self-existent , the Holy Spirit [the Glory of the Self-existent] descended from the sky like doves descend , and He stayed above Him. So, I have seen, and hereby testify that He is the Son of God.”

Also, on the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.

Looking upon Jesus as He walked and the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit still there, he said, “See the Lamb of God!”

As the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

When Jesus turned and noticed them following Him, He asked them, What are you looking for? They said to Him, “Teacher, where are You staying?”

Come and see, He replied. So, they went and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day. It was about four in the afternoon.

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed Him.

He first found his own brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Anointed,”

and he brought him to Jesus. When Jesus saw him, He said, You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas [Rock].

On the day following, that He decided to leave for Galilee, Jesus found Philip and told him, Follow Me!

Now, Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter.

Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One of whom Moses, in the Book Containing the Law, and prophets, wrote about - Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.

“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael asked him. “Come and see,” Philip answered.

As Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, He  said about him, Here is a true Israelite in whom is no deceit.

“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you, Jesus answered.

“Teacher,” Nathanael replied, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel.

Jesus responded to him, Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.

He has dethroned the mighty and exalted the lowly.