John 1:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”)

NIV: (John testified 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.'')

NASB: John *testified about Him and called out, saying, 'This was He of whom I said, ‘He who is coming after me has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.’?'

CSB: (John testified concerning him and exclaimed, "This was the one of whom I said, 'The one coming after me ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.' ")

NLT: John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, 'This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’'

KJV: John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

NKJV: John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”

Verse 15 reinforces several ideas already mentioned. John the Baptist—not the same John as the author of this gospel—was sent to tell people about Jesus. This fulfills a prophecy from Isaiah 40:3, which describes a single voice in the wilderness making a path for God. The Baptist's testimony is that Jesus is the Promised One, the Messiah. This is a figure the Jewish people have been longing after for centuries. Unfortunately, most people assumed that the Savior would be a political or military leader. Jesus spends a great deal of time correcting this misinterpretation through His teachings. The Baptist also makes a point of referring to Jesus' eternal existence. According to the Bible, John the Baptist would have been born several months prior to Jesus, who was his cousin. And yet, the Baptist clearly says that Jesus existed before he did. This is the first of the gospel of John's seven witnesses to Jesus' divinity. He also emphasizes the fact that Jesus is the focal point of his ministry, not personal ambition.

John 1:1–18 is a poetic introduction of Jesus Christ. Jesus is referred to using the Greek word Logos, meaning “The Word.” This passage clearly describes Jesus as identical to God, and co-creator with God. These verses summarize Jesus’ ministry and mission on Earth. The passage also explains how John the Baptist (a different John from the author of this gospel) was sent ahead of Christ to prepare for His arrival.

The first chapter of John introduces Jesus as “the Word,” from the Greek Logos. This chapter clearly describes Jesus as identical to God. After this prologue, the chapter describes Jesus recruiting the first of His disciples, as well as a conversation between John the Baptist and the Pharisees. There are seven names for Christ in this chapter, including “The Son of God,” “The Word,” and “The King of Israel.”

The first chapter of the gospel of John equates Christ with God, and introduces John the Baptist. The Baptist specifically points to Jesus as the Promised One. Jesus collects the first five of His disciples. In this chapter, Jesus is given seven descriptive names, including “The Word,” “The Son of God,” and “The King of Israel.” This chapter sets the stage for the rest of the gospel, by giving the reader a sense of who Jesus truly is, and why He has come. The rest of the gospel is an exploration of the claims made in this initial passage.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.