Daily Reader's Bible - Flipbook - Page 8
#6001 • THE WORD OF GOD BRINGS SALVATION
BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD
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In the beginning the Word
already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning
with God.
God created everything
through him,
and nothing was created
except through him.
The Word gave life to everything
that was created,
and his life brought
light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can
never extinguish it.
[JOHN 1:1–2:22]
after another. For the law was
given through Moses, but God’s
unfailing love and faithfulness
came through Jesus Christ. No
one has ever seen God. But the
unique One, who is himself God,
is near to the Father’s heart.
He has revealed God to us.
This was John’s testimony when
the Jewish leaders sent priests
and Temple assistants from
Jerusalem to ask John, “Who
are you?” He came right out and
said, “I am not the Messiah.”
“Well then, who are you?”
they asked. “Are you Elijah?”
“No,” he replied.
God sent a man, John the
“Are you the Prophet
Baptist, to tell about the light
we are expecting?”
so that everyone might believe
“No.”
because of his testimony. John
“Then who are you? We
himself was not the light; he was need an answer for those who
simply a witness to tell about the sent us. What do you have
light. The one who is the true
to say about yourself?”
light, who gives light to everyJohn replied in the words
one, was coming into the world. of the prophet Isaiah:
He came into the very world
he created, but the world didn’t “I am a voice shouting
recognize him. He came to his
in the wilderness,
own people, and even they
‘Clear the way for the
rejected him. But to all who
LORD’s coming!’”
believed him and accepted him,
Then the Pharisees who had
he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn— been sent asked him, “If you
not with a physical birth result- aren’t the Messiah or Elijah
ing from human passion or plan, or the Prophet, what right
but a birth that comes from God. do you have to baptize?”
So the Word became human
John told them, “I baptize
and made his home among us.
with water, but right here in
He was full of unfailing love
the crowd is someone you
and faithfulness. And we have
do not recognize. Though his
seen his glory, the glory of the
ministry follows mine, I’m not
Father’s one and only Son.
even worthy to be his slave and
John testified about him
untie the straps of his sandal.”
when he shouted to the crowds,
This encounter took place
“This is the one I was talking
in Bethany, an area east
about when I said, ‘Someone
of the Jordan River, where
is coming after me who is
John was baptizing.
far greater than I am, for he
existed long before me.’”
The next day John saw Jesus
From his abundance we have coming toward him and said,
all received one gracious blessing “Look! The Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the
world! He is the one I was
talking about when I said, ‘A
man is coming after me who
is far greater than I am, for
he existed long before me.’ I
did not recognize him as the
Messiah, but I have been
baptizing with water so that he
might be revealed to Israel.”
Then John testified, “I saw
the Holy Spirit descending like
a dove from heaven and resting
upon him. I didn’t know he was
the one, but when God sent me
to baptize with water, he told
me, ‘The one on whom you see
the Spirit descend and rest is the
one who will baptize with the
Holy Spirit.’ I saw this happen
to Jesus, so I testify that he is
the Chosen One of God.”
The following day John was
again standing with two of his
disciples. As Jesus walked by,
John looked at him and declared,
“Look! There is the Lamb of
God!” When John’s two disciples
heard this, they followed Jesus.
Jesus looked around and
saw them following. “What do
you want?” he asked them.
They replied, “Rabbi”
(which means “Teacher”),
“where are you staying?”
“Come and see,” he said. It
was about four o’clock in the
afternoon when they went with
him to the place where he was
staying, and they remained
with him the rest of the day.
Andrew, Simon Peter’s
brother, was one of these men
who heard what John said and
then followed Jesus. Andrew
went to find his brother, Simon,
and told him, “We have found the
Messiah” (which means “Christ”).
Then Andrew brought
Simon to meet Jesus. Looking
intently at Simon, Jesus said,
“Your name is Simon, son of
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