John the Baptist

35The next day John was standing there again with two of his followers.

Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

NoteA disciple is a follower. He stays with a teacher and learns from him every day.

36He saw Jesus walking by. He said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

37The two followers heard him say it. So they went and followed Jesus.

And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

38Jesus turned around and saw them following him. He asked, "What are you looking for?" They said, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" Rabbi means teacher.

Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?

NoteRabbi is a Hebrew word. Students walked with their rabbi and learned by watching him.

39Jesus said, "Come and see." So they went and saw where he was staying. They spent the rest of the day with him. It was about the tenth hour.

He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

NoteThey counted hours from when the sun came up. The tenth hour was about four in the afternoon.

40One of the two men who heard John and followed Jesus was Andrew. He was Simon Peter's brother.

One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

41The first thing Andrew did was find his brother Simon. He said, "We have found the Messiah!" Messiah means the Christ, the king God promised.

He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

NoteMessiah is the Hebrew word and Christ is the Greek word. Both mean the same thing: the one God chose.

42Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon, the son of Jona. You will be called Cephas." Cephas means a stone.

And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

NoteCephas means rock in the language Jesus spoke. In Greek that word is Peter. So Simon got a new name from Jesus.

22After this, Jesus and his followers went into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them, and he baptized people.

After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.

NoteTo baptize someone is to dip him in water. It showed he wanted to turn to God. "Tarried" means stayed. Judea was the part of the country around Jerusalem.

23John was baptizing too, at Aenon, near Salim. There was plenty of water there. People came, and they were baptized.

And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

NoteThis John is John the Baptist. He baptized people in the river. He told everyone to get ready for the one God was sending. Aenon and Salim were small places with lots of water.

24John had not been put in prison yet.

For John was not yet cast into prison.

NoteLater a king named Herod put John in prison. John had told him he was doing wrong.

25Then some of John's followers and the Jews began to argue about washing to be clean.

Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying.

NoteJewish people washed in special ways before praying and eating. It was not to get dirt off. It was to show they were ready to come to God.

26They came to John and said, "Rabbi, teacher, remember the man who was with you across the Jordan River. You told us about him. Look, now he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."

And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

NoteThe Jordan is the big river in that land. "Barest witness" means you told people about him.

27John answered, "A person can receive nothing unless it is given to him from heaven.

John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

28You heard me say it yourselves. I said, 'I am not the Christ, the one God promised to send. I was sent ahead of him.'

Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

Note"Christ" means the chosen one. God had promised long before to send a special king to help his people.

29The bride belongs to the bridegroom, the man who is getting married. The bridegroom's friend stands there and listens for him. He is very glad when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That is my gladness, and now it is full.

He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

NoteA bridegroom is a man on his wedding day. His friend helped get everything ready for the wedding. He waited outside to hear the bridegroom's happy voice.

30He must become greater. I must become less.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

Note"Increase" means become greater. "Decrease" means become less.

31The one who comes from above is above everyone. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above everyone.

He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

Note"He that cometh from above" means the one who comes down from God in heaven.

32He tells what he has seen and heard. But no one accepts what he says.

And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.

NoteTestimony means what a person tells about what he saw and heard.

33Whoever has accepted what he says has put his own mark on it: God tells the truth.

He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

NoteA seal was a mark pressed into soft wax. People used it to show that something was true. Saying yes to him is like putting your own mark on it.

34The one God has sent speaks the words of God. God gives him the Spirit without any limit.

For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

Note"By measure" means measured out, like filling a cup only partway. God does not give his Spirit that way.

35The Father loves the Son. He has put everything into his hands.

The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

Note"Into his hand" means to take care of and to rule over. It is not about real hands.

36Whoever believes in the Son has life that never ends. Whoever does not believe the Son will not see life. God's anger stays on him."

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Note"Wrath" means great anger. "Abideth" means stays and does not go away.

33"You sent men to ask John, and John told the truth."

Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.

NoteThis is John the Baptist. He told crowds by the river that Jesus was coming.

34"I do not need people to speak for me. I say this so that you can be saved."

But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.

35"John was like a lamp that burned and gave light. For a while you were glad to enjoy his light."

He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

NoteA lamp then was a small clay dish of oil. A tiny flame burned on the edge of it.

36"But I have something stronger than what John said. My Father gave me work to finish. The work I am doing shows that the Father sent me."

But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

NoteThe King James calls them "works". That means the things Jesus did, like making sick people well.

40He went back across the Jordan River. He stayed where John first baptized people in the water.

And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.

NoteThe Jordan is a river in that land. To baptize is to dip someone under water. It showed they were sorry and wanted to start again.

41Many people came to him there. They said, "John never did a miracle. But everything John said about this man is true."

And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.

NoteA miracle is something wonderful that only God's power can do.

42And many people there believed in Jesus.

And many believed on him there.

24Before Jesus began his work, John told all the people of Israel to turn away from their sins. He told them to be baptized, which means being washed in water to show their hearts had changed.

When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

NoteThis is John the Baptist. Repentance means being sorry for wrong and turning away from it.

25As John was finishing his work, he said, "Who do you think I am? I am not the one you are waiting for. Someone is coming after me. I am not good enough to untie his shoes."

And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.

NoteUntying a guest's sandals was a job for the lowest servant in the house. John meant he was not even that important next to Jesus.

1Apollos was in the city of Corinth at this time. Paul traveled through the hill country. He came to the city of Ephesus. There he found some followers of Jesus.

And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

NoteEphesus was a big, busy city by the sea. Corinth was another large city, far away across the water. Apollos was a man who taught people about Jesus.

2Paul asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They said, "We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

NoteThe King James Bible says "Holy Ghost." Ghost was an old word for spirit. It means the Holy Spirit, God's own Spirit.

3Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" They said, "The baptism John taught."

And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.

NoteJohn was a preacher who taught before Jesus began teaching. People called him John the Baptist. He dipped people in water when they were sorry for doing wrong. Baptism means being dipped in water to show a fresh start.

4Paul said, "John baptized people who were turning away from wrong. He told them to believe in the one coming after him. That one is Jesus."

Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

Note"Christ" is a title, not a last name. It means the special king God promised to send.

5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6Paul put his hands on them. The Holy Spirit came on them. They spoke in other languages. They also spoke messages from God.

And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

NotePutting your hands on someone was a way of praying for them. Speaking in tongues means talking in a language you never learned. Speaking messages from God is called prophesying.

7There were about twelve men in all.

And all the men were about twelve.