Light in the Darkness

The Word and the First Witnesses · John 1

Story guide: Visual metaphor: morning light enters an empty limestone doorway and crosses a shadowed earthen floor. The light crossing this doorway is a visual metaphor, not a scene narrated in the passage.

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1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2He was in the beginning with God.

3All things came into being through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.

4In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7He came as a witness, so that he might testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.

8He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9The true light, which enlightens every person, was coming into the world.

10He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, and the world did not know him.

11He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

12But to all who received him, he gave them the right to become children of God—to those who believe in his name,

13who were born, not from bloods, nor from the will of the flesh, nor from the will of a man, but from God.

14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, glory as of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15John testifies about him and has cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me has become before me, because he was before me.’”

16For from his fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.

17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18No one has ever seen God; the one and only God, who is in the bosom of the Father, has made him known.

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