Study Desk

In the beginning^(a) was the Word,^[a](b) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.^(c)

He was with God in the beginning.^(d)

All things were created^(e) through Him,^(f) and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.

Life was in Him,^[b](g) and that life was the light^(h) of men.

That light shines⁽ⁱ⁾ in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome^[c] it.^(j)

There was a man named John^(k) who was sent from God.

He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him.^[d]

He was not the light, but he came to testify^(l) about the light.

The true light,^(m) who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.^[e](n)

He was in the world, and the world was created^(o) through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him.

He came to His own,^[f] and His own people^[g] did not receive Him.

But to all who did receive^(p) Him,^(q) He gave them the right^(r) to be^[h] children^(s) of God,^(t) to those who believe^(u) in His name,^(v)

who were born,^(w) not of blood,^[i] or of the will^(x) of the flesh,^(y) or of the will of man,^[j] but of God.^(z)

The Word^(aa) became flesh^[k](ab) and took up residence^[l] among us. We observed His glory,^(ac) the glory as the One and Only^(ad) Son^[m] from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(John testified concerning Him and exclaimed, "This was the One of whom I said, ‘The One coming after me^(ae) has surpassed me,^(af) because He existed before me.'")^(ag)

Indeed, we have all received grace^(ah) after grace from His fullness,

for the law was given through Moses,^(ai) grace and truth^(aj) came through Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God.^[n] The One and Only^(ak) Son^[o]— the One who is at the Father's^(al) side^[p]— He has revealed Him.^(am)

This is John's testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem^(an) sent priests^(ao) and Levites^(ap) to ask him, "Who are you?"

He did not refuse to answer, but he declared: "I am not the Messiah."^(aq)

"What then?" they asked him. "Are you Elijah?"^(ar) "I am not," he said. "Are you the Prophet?"^[q](as) "No," he answered.

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

He said, "I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord ^(at)[r]—just as Isaiah^(au) the prophet said."

Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.^(av)

So they asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you aren't the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?"

"I baptize with^[s] water,"^(aw) John answered them. "Someone stands among you, but you don't know Him.

He is the One coming after me,^[t](ax) whose sandal strap I'm not worthy to untie."

All this happened in Bethany^[u] across the Jordan,^[v](ay) where John was baptizing.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Here is the Lamb of God,^(az) who takes away the sin^(ba) of the world!

This is the One I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who has surpassed me, because He existed before me.'

I didn't know Him,^(bb) but I came baptizing with^[w] water so He might be revealed^(bc) to Israel."

And John testified, "I watched the Spirit^(bd) descending from heaven like a dove, and He rested on Him.^(be)

I didn't know Him, but He^[x] who sent me to baptize with^[y] water told me, ‘The One you see the Spirit descending and resting on—He is the One who baptizes with^[z] the Holy Spirit.'^(bf)

I have seen and testified that He is the Son of God!"^[aa](bg)

Again the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples.

When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look! The Lamb of God!"

The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus.

When Jesus turned and noticed them following Him, He asked them, "What are you looking for?" They said to Him, "Rabbi"^(bh) (which means "Teacher"), "where are You staying?"

"Come and you'll see," He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day. It was about 10 in the morning.^[ab]

Andrew,^(bi) 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 Messiah!"^[ac](bj) (which means "Anointed^(bk) One"),

and he brought Simon to Jesus. When Jesus saw him, He said, "You are Simon, son of John.^[ad] You will be called Cephas" ^(bl) (which means "Rock").

The next day He^[ae] decided to leave for Galilee. Jesus found Philip^(bm) and told him, "Follow Me!"

Now Philip was from Bethsaida,^(bn) the hometown of Andrew and Peter.

Philip found Nathanael^[af](bo) and told him, "We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law (and so did the prophets^(bp)): Jesus the son of Joseph,^(bq) from Nazareth!"^(br)

"Can anything good^(bs) come out of Nazareth?" Nathanael asked him. "Come and see," Philip answered.

Then Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said about him, "Here is a true Israelite;^(bt) no deceit is in him."

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

"Rabbi,"^(bu) Nathanael replied, "You are the Son^(bv) of God! You are the King of Israel!"^(bw)

Jesus responded to him, "Do you believe only because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You^[ag] will see greater things than this."

Then He said, "I assure you: You^[ah] will see heaven opened and the angels of God^(bx) ascending and descending ^(by) on the Son of Man." ^(bz)

On the third day a wedding took place in Cana^(a) of Galilee.^(b) Jesus' mother^(c) was there, and

Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding as well.

When the wine ran out, Jesus' mother told Him, "They don't have any wine."

"What has this concern of yours to do with Me, ^[a](d) woman?" ^(e) Jesus asked. "My hour^[b] has not yet come."

"Do whatever He tells you," His mother told the servants.

Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification.^(f) Each contained 20 or 30 gallons.^[c]

"Fill the jars with water," Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim.

Then He said to them, "Now draw some out and take it to the chief servant." ^[d] And they did.

When the chief servant tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom

and told him, "Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people have drunk freely, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now."

Jesus performed this first sign^[e] in Cana^(g) of Galilee.^(h) He displayed⁽ⁱ⁾ His glory,^(j) and His disciples believed in Him.

After this, He went down to Capernaum,^(k) together with His mother, His brothers,^(l) and His disciples, and they stayed there only a few days.

The Jewish Passover^(m) was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.⁽ⁿ⁾

In the temple complex^(o) He found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and He also found the money changers sitting there.

After making a whip out of cords,^(p) He drove everyone out of the temple complex with their sheep^(q) and oxen. He also poured out the money changers' coins and overturned the tables.

He told those who were selling doves, "Get these things out of here! Stop turning My Father's^(r) house^(s) into a marketplace!" ^[f](t)

And His disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal ^(u) for Your house will consume ^(v) Me. ^(w)[g]

So the Jews replied to Him, "What sign of authority will You show us for doing these things?"

Jesus answered, "Destroy this sanctuary,^(x) and I will raise it up in three days." ^(y)

Therefore the Jews said, "This sanctuary took 46 years to build, and will You raise it up in three days?"^(z)

But He was speaking about the sanctuary of His body.^(aa)

So when He was raised from the dead,^(ab) His disciples remembered that He had said this.^(ac) And they believed the Scripture^(ad) and the statement Jesus had made.

While He was in Jerusalem^(ae) at the Passover Festival,^(af) many trusted in His name^(ag) when they saw the signs He was doing.

Jesus, however, would not entrust Himself to them, since He knew them all

and because He did not need anyone to testify about man; for He Himself knew what was in man.^(ah)