John 1:15-28

New International Version

¹⁵ (John testified^(A) concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”)^{(B) 16} Out of his fullness^(C) we have all received grace^(D) in place of grace already given. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses;^(E) grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.^{(F) 18} No one has ever seen God,^(G) but the one and only Son, who is himself God and^[a](H) is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

¹⁹ Now this was John’s^(I) testimony when the Jewish leaders^[b](J) in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. ²⁰ He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”^(K)

²¹ They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”^(L)

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”^(M)

He answered, “No.”

²² Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

²³ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness,^(N) ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”^[c](O)

²⁴ Now the Pharisees who had been sent ²⁵ questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

²⁶ “I baptize with^[d] water,”^(P) John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. ²⁷ He is the one who comes after me,^(Q) the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”^(R)

²⁸ This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan,^(S) where John was baptizing.