John 1:15-30

15John 1testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘2He who comes after me 3has a higher rank than I, 4for He existed before me.’” 16For of His 5fullness 6we have all received, and 7grace upon grace. 17For 8the Law was given through Moses; 9grace and 10truth 11were realized through Jesus Christ. 1812No one has seen God at any time; 13the only begotten God who is 14in the bosom of the Father, 15He has explained Him.

19This is 16the testimony of John, when 17the Jews sent to him priests and Levites 18from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “19I am not 20the Christ.” 21They asked him, “What then? Are you 21Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you 22the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23He said, “I am 23a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

24Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the 24Christ, nor Elijah, nor 25the Prophet?” 26John answered them saying, “26I baptize 27in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. 27It is 28He who comes after me, the 29thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28These things took place in Bethany 30beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, 31the Lamb of God who 32takes away the sin of the world! 30This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘33After me comes a Man who 34has a higher rank than I, 35for He existed before me.’