The Word of Life
1 In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 From the very beginning the Word was with God. 3 Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him. 4 The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.
6 God sent his messenger, a man named John, 7 who came to tell people about the light, so that all should hear the message and believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came to tell about the light. 9 This was the real light—the light that comes into the world and shines on all people.
10 The Word was in the world, and though God made the world through him, yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own country, but his own people did not receive him. 12 Some, however, did receive him and believed in him; so he gave them the right to become God's children. 13 They did not become God's children by natural means, that is, by being born as the children of a human father; God himself was their Father.
14 The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son.
15 John spoke about him. He cried out, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘He comes after me, but he is greater than I am, because he existed before I was born.’”
16 Out of the fullness of his grace he has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after another. 17 God gave the Law through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
John the Baptist's Message
(Matthew 3.1-12Mark 1.1-8Luke 3.1-18)19 The Jewish authorities in Jerusalem sent some priests and Levites to John to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 John did not refuse to answer, but spoke out openly and clearly, saying: “I am not the Messiah.”
21 “Who are you, then?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?”
“No, I am not,” John answered.
“Are you the Prophet?” they asked.
“No,” he replied.
22 “Then tell us who you are,” they said. “We have to take an answer back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 John answered by quoting the prophet Isaiah:
“I am ‘the voice of someone shouting in the desert:
Make a straight path for the Lord to travel!’”
24 The messengers, who had been sent by the Pharisees, 25 then asked John, “If you are not the Messiah nor Elijah nor the Prophet, why do you baptize?”
26 John answered, “I baptize with water, but among you stands the one you do not know. 27 He is coming after me, but I am not good enough even to untie his sandals.”
28 All this happened in Bethany on the east side of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.
The Lamb of God
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “There is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me, but he is greater than I am, because he existed before I was born.’ 31 I did not know who he would be, but I came baptizing with water in order to make him known to the people of Israel.”
32 And John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and stay on him. 33 I still did not know that he was the one, but God, who sent me to baptize with water, had said to me, ‘You will see the Spirit come down and stay on a man; he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen it,” said John, “and I tell you that he is the Son of God.”
The First Disciples of Jesus
35 The next day John was standing there again with two of his disciples, 36 when he saw Jesus walking by. “There is the Lamb of God!” he said.
37 The two disciples heard him say this and went with Jesus. 38 Jesus turned, saw them following him, and asked, “What are you looking for?”
They answered, “Where do you live, Rabbi?” (This word means “Teacher.”)
39 “Come and see,” he answered. (It was then about four o'clock in the afternoon.) So they went with him and saw where he lived, and spent the rest of that day with him.
40 One of them was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 At once he found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah.” (This word means “Christ.”) 42 Then he took Simon to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “Your name is Simon son of John, but you will be called Cephas.” (This is the same as Peter and means “a rock.”)
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come with me!” ( 44 Philip was from Bethsaida, the town where Andrew and Peter lived.) 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the book of the Law and whom the prophets also wrote about. He is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”
46 “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” answered Philip.
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, he said about him, “Here is a real Israelite; there is nothing false in him!”
48 Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered, “I saw you when you were under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
49 “Teacher,” answered Nathanael, “you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
50 Jesus said, “Do you believe just because I told you I saw you when you were under the fig tree? You will see much greater things than this!” 51 And he said to them, “I am telling you the truth: you will see heaven open and God's angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man.”
Kristus – dievišķais Vārds
1 Iesākumā bija Vārds, un Vārds bija pie Dieva, un Vārds bija Dievs. 2 Viņš bija iesākumā pie Dieva. 3 Viss ir radies caur viņu, un nekas, kas ir radies, nav radīts bez viņa. 4 Viņā bija dzīvība, un dzīvība bija cilvēku gaisma. 5 Gaisma spīd tumsā, un tumsa to nespēja satvert. 6 Nāca cilvēks, Dieva sūtīts, vārdā Jānis. 7 Viņš nāca liecības dēļ, lai liecinātu par gaismu, lai visi caur viņu ticētu. 8 Viņš pats nebija gaisma, bet viņš nāca, lai liecinātu par gaismu. 9 Viņš bija patiesā gaisma, kas nāca pasaulē un spīd visiem cilvēkiem. 10 Viņš, gaisma, bija pasaulē, un pasaule caur viņu radās, bet pasaule viņu nepazina. 11 Viņš nāca pie savējiem, bet tie viņu neuzņēma. 12 Tiem, kuri viņu uzņēma, kas ticēja viņa vārdā, viņš ļāva kļūt par Dieva bērniem, 13 kas nav no asinīm, nedz no miesas iegribas, nedz pēc cilvēka iegribas, bet ir dzimuši no Dieva. 14 Un Vārds tapa miesa un mājoja mūsu vidū, un mēs skatījām viņa godību, tādu godību kā Tēva vienpiedzimušajam Dēlam, pilnu žēlastības un patiesības. 15 Jānis liecina par viņu, saukdams: “Viņš bija tas, par kuru es sacīju: tas, kas nāk aiz manis, tagad iet man pa priekšu, jo viņš bija pirmāk nekā es!” 16 Mēs visi esam guvuši no viņa pilnības – žēlastību un vēl žēlastību, 17 jo bauslība ir dota caur Mozu, bet žēlastība un patiesība nākusi caur Jēzu Kristu. 18 Dievu neviens nekad nav redzējis. Vienpiedzimušais Dievs, kas ir pie Tēva krūts, viņu ir atklājis.
Jāņa Kristītāja liecība
(Mt 3:1–12Mk 1:2–8Lk 3:1–9, Lk 15–17)19 Un šī ir Jāņa liecība, kad jūdi no Jeruzālemes sūtīja pie viņa priesterus un levītus, lai viņam jautātu: “Kas tu esi?” 20 Viņš stingri apliecināja: “Es neesmu Kristus.” 21 Tad tie viņam jautāja: “Kas tad? Vai tu esi Elija?” Bet viņš sacīja: “Es tas neesmu.” – “Vai tu esi pravietis?” Viņš atbildēja: “Nē.” 22 Tad tie viņam jautāja: “Kas tu esi? – lai varam atbildēt tiem, kas mūs sūtījuši. Ko tu pats saki par sevi?” 23 Viņš teica: “Es esmu saucēja balss tuksnesī: dariet līdzenu ceļu Kungam , kā pravietis Jesaja sacījis.” 24 Bija atsūtīti arī farizeji, 25 un tie jautāja viņam: “Kādēļ tad tu kristī, ja tu neesi ne Kristus, ne Elija, ne pravietis?” 26 Jānis viņiem atbildēja: “Es kristīju ūdenī, bet jūsu vidū stāv kāds, ko jūs nepazīstat, 27 viņš, kas ir pirms manis, nāk pēc manis. Viņam es neesmu cienīgs atraisīt sandaļu siksnas.” 28 Tas notika Bētanijā, viņpus Jardānas, kur Jānis kristīja.
Dieva Jērs
29 Nākamajā dienā Jānis redzēja Jēzu nākam pie viņa un sacīja: “Redzi, Dieva Jērs, kas nes pasaules grēku. 30 Šis ir tas, par kuru es teicu: pēc manis nāk vīrs, kurš ir pirms manis, jo viņš bija pirmāk nekā es. 31 Un es viņu nepazinu, bet tādēļ es nācu, kristīdams ūdenī, lai viņš tiktu atklāts Israēlam.” 32 Un Jānis liecināja: “Es skatīju Garu nonākam kā balodi no debesīm un paliekam uz viņa. 33 Es viņu nepazinu, bet tas, kurš mani sūtījis kristīt ūdenī, man sacīja: uz ko tu redzēsi Garu nonākam un paliekam, ir tas, kas kristī Svētajā Garā. 34 Es esmu redzējis un liecinājis, ka šis ir Dieva Dēls.”
Pirmie mācekļi
35 Nākamajā dienā Jānis atkal stāvēja un arī divi viņa mācekļi. 36 Ieraudzījis Jēzu staigājam, viņš sacīja: “Redzi, Dieva Jērs!” 37 Abi mācekļi dzirdēja viņu tā runājam un sekoja Jēzum. 38 Bet Jēzus, apgriezies un ieraudzījis viņus sekojam, tiem jautāja: “Ko jūs meklējat?” Tie viņam sacīja: “Rabi (tulkojumā: Skolotāj), kur tu mājo?” 39 Viņš tiem sacīja: “Nāciet un redzēsiet!” Tad tie aizgāja un redzēja, kur viņš mājo, un palika to dienu pie viņa. Tas bija ap desmito stundu. 40 Bet Andrejs, Sīmaņa Pētera brālis, viens no tiem diviem, kas Jāni bija dzirdējuši un sekojuši Jēzum, 41 vispirms atrada savu brāli Sīmani un viņam sacīja: “Mēs esam atraduši Mesiju” (tulkojumā: Kristus ). 42 Viņš to aizveda pie Jēzus. Uzlūkojis viņu, Jēzus sacīja: “Tu esi Sīmanis, Jāņa dēls; tevi sauks Kēfa” (tulkojumā: Pēteris ).
Jēzus aicina Filipu un Natanaēlu
43 Nākamajā dienā Jēzus gribēja doties uz Galileju. Viņš atrada Filipu un tam sacīja: “Seko man!” 44 Bet Filips bija no Bētsaīdas, Andreja un Pētera pilsētas. 45 Filips atrada Natanaēlu un viņam sacīja: “Mēs esam atraduši to, par kuru Mozus rakstījis bauslībā un par kuru rakstījuši arī pravieši, – Jēzu, Jāzepa dēlu, no Nācaretes.” 46 Bet Natanaēls viņam jautāja: “Vai no Nācaretes var būt kas labs?” Filips tam atbildēja: “Nāc un paskaties!” 47 Jēzus redzēja Natanaēlu nākam un sacīja par viņu: “Redzi, patiesi israēlietis, kurā nav viltības.” 48 Natanaēls viņam jautāja: “Kā tu mani pazīsti?” Jēzus atbildēja: “Pirms Filips tevi sauca, es redzēju tevi zem vīģes koka.” 49 Natanaēls atbildēja viņam: “Rabi, tu esi Dieva Dēls, tu esi Israēla Ķēniņš!” 50 Jēzus tam sacīja: “Tu tici tādēļ, ka es tev teicu, ka redzēju tevi zem vīģes koka. Tu redzēsi vēl lielākas lietas par šīm.” 51 Un viņš tam sacīja: “Patiesi, patiesi es jums saku: jūs redzēsiet debesis atvērtas un Dieva eņģeļus uzkāpjam un nokāpjam uz Cilvēka Dēlu.”
