1 In the beginning was the message,[fn] and the message was with God, and the message was and is God. 2 The message was with God even at the creation of the universe. 3 Everything came into existence through the messenger[fn]—not even one thing came into existence apart from him. 4 He holds life, and that life is the light of humankind. 5 And that light is shining in the darkness, and darkness cannot overcome him.

6 [ref]A man arrived who had been sent by God. His name was Yohan. 7 He came as a testimony to tell about the light so that everyone would believe the light. 8 Yohan himself wasn’t the light—he was merely the announcer of the light. 9 The true light which enlightens every person was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world and he’s the creator of the world, and yet the world didn’t even know him. 11 He came to his own chosen people, but they wouldn’t accept him, 12 however anyone who would accept him and trusted in his authority, he gave them the right to become children of God—13 not physical children and not coming from human actions, but children of God.

14 And the message became a human and lived here among us and we saw his greatness—the greatness of an only child of the father—full of grace and truth.

15 Yohan explained about him and loudly told everyone, “This is the one I meant when I said, ‘There’s someone coming after me, yet who came before me, because he existed before I did!’ ”

16 Because he has so much, we all received grace and then even more grace. 17 The commandments came to us through Moses, but grace and truth came to us through Yeshua the messiah. 18 No one has ever actually seen God, but the human son born from God the father and in close touch with him, he was the one to explain God to us.