Christ Comes to the World

1   ¹Before the world began, the Word* was there. The Word was there with God. The Word was God. ²He was there with God in the beginning. ³All things were made through him (the Word). Nothing was made without him. ⁴In him there was life. That life was light (understanding, goodness) for the people of the world. ⁵The Light shines in the darkness. The darkness has not defeated* the Light. ⁶There was a man named John.* He was sent by God. ⁷John came to tell people about the Light (Christ). Through John all people could [hear about the Light and] believe. ⁸John was not the Light. But John came to tell people about the Light. ⁹The true Light was coming into the world. This is the true Light that gives light to all people. ¹⁰The Word* was already in the world. The world was made through him. But the world (people) did not know him. ¹¹He came to the world that was his own. But his own people did not accept him. ¹²Some people did accept him. They believed in him. He gave something to those people who believed. He gave them the right to become children of God. ¹³These children were not born like little babies are born. They were not born from the wish or plan of a [mother and] father. These children were born from God. ¹⁴The Word* became a man and lived among us. We saw his glory--the glory that belongs to the only Son of the Father. The Word was full of grace (kindness) and truth. ¹⁵John told people about him. John said, "This is the One I was talking about. I said, 'The One who comes after me is more important than I am. He was living before me.'" ¹⁶The Word* (Christ) was full of grace and truth. From him we all received more and more blessings. ¹⁷The law was given through Moses. But grace and [the way of] truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No man has ever seen God. But the only Son (Jesus) is God. He is very close to the Father* (God). And the Son has shown us what God is like.

John Tells People About Jesus 
(Mt. 3:1-12; Mk. 1:2-8; Lk. 3:15-17)

¹⁹The Jews in Jerusalem sent some priests and Levites* to John.* The Jews sent them to ask, "Who are you?" ²⁰John spoke freely. John did not refuse to answer. John said clearly, "I am not the Christ.* " That is what John told people. ²¹The Jews asked John, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah* ?" John answered, "No, I am not Elijah." The Jews asked, "Are you the Prophet* ?" John answered, "No, I am not the Prophet." ²²Then the Jews said, "Who are you? Tell us about yourself. Give us an answer to tell the people who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" ²³John told them the words of the prophet* Isaiah: "I am the voice of a person shouting in the desert: 'Make a straight road ready for the Lord.'"

²⁴These Jews were sent from the Pharisees.* ²⁵These men said to John: "You say you are not the Christ.* You say you are not Elijah* or the Prophet.* Then why do you baptize* people?" ²⁶John answered, "I baptize* people with water. But there is a person here with you that you don't know. ²⁷That person is the One who comes after me. I am not good enough to untie the strings on his shoes." ²⁸These things all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan River. This is where John was baptizing* people. ²⁹The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him. John said, "Look, the Lamb of God.* He takes away the sins of the world! ³⁰This is the One I was talking about. I said, 'A man will come after me, but he is greater than I am, because he was living before me--[he has always lived].' ³¹Even I did not know who he was. But I came baptizing* people with water so that Israel (the Jews) could know that Jesus is [the Christ]* ." ^32-33Then John said, "I also did not know who the Christ was. But God sent me to baptize* people with water. And God told me, 'You will see the Spirit.* come down and rest on a man. That man is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.* '" John said, "I have seen this happen. I saw the Spirit come down from heaven. The Spirit looked like a dove and sat on him (Jesus). ³⁴So this is what I tell people: 'He (Jesus) is the Son of God.'"

Word The Greek word is "logos," meaning any kind of communication. It could be translated "message." Here, it means Christ--the way God told people about himself. defeated Or, "understood." John John the Baptizer, the man that told people about Christ's coming (Read Mt. 3; Lk. 3). But the only Son ... Father Or, "But the only God is very close to the Father." Some Greek copies say, "But the only Son is very close to the Father." Levites Levites were men from the family group of Levi who helped the Jewish priests in the temple. John John the Baptizer, the man that told people about Christ's coming (Read Mt. 3; Lk. 3). Christ The "anointed one" (Messiah) or chosen one of God. Elijah A man that spoke for God about 850 B.C. The Jews thought Elijah would come before the Messiah. See Mal. 4:5-6. Prophet This probably meant the prophet that God told Moses he would send (Deut. 18:15-19). prophets People that spoke for God. Some of them wrote books that are part of the Old Testament. Pharisees The Pharisees were a Jewish religious group that claimed to follow carefully all Jewish laws and customs. baptize(d), baptizing Greek word meaning to immerse, dip, or bury a person or thing briefly under water. Lamb of God Name for Jesus. It means that Jesus is like the lambs that were offered for a sacrifice to God. Spirit, Holy Spirit Also called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, and the Comforter. Joined with God and Christ, he does God's work among people in the world.