John 1:6-16

6 There once was a man, his name John, sent by God

7 to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in.

8 John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.

9 The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light.

10 He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn't even notice.

11 He came to his own people, but they didn't want him.

12 But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves.

13 These are the God-begotten, not blood-begotten, not flesh-begotten, not sex-begotten.

14 The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.

15 John pointed him out and called, "This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word."

16 We all live off his generous bounty, gift after gift after gift.