John 1:34
What does John 1:34 mean?
A plain-English look at John 1:34 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What John 1:34 means
John concludes his powerful witness by definitively stating, "And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God." This is the ultimate affirmation of Jesus' divine identity, drawing together all the preceding elements of his testimony—the Spirit's descent, the sign from God, and Jesus' preeminence. John's eyewitness testimony, divinely guided, authoritatively declares Jesus as the divine Son, laying a theological foundation for faith.
John 1:34 in context
John 1 — The Word Made Flesh
John lifts the curtain higher than any other Gospel. Before there was a Bethlehem, there was the Word — with God, who was God, by whom all things were made. The same Word who was the agent of creation became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. John the Baptist points him out as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world; the first disciples follow him; Nathanael confesses him as the Son of God and King of Israel. The eternal becomes near enough to touch.
- Pre-existence of Christ
- Incarnation
- Light and life
- First disciples
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949This I saw myself and my witness is that he is the Son of God.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and I have seen, and have testified, that this is the Son of God.'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And I saw: and I gave testimony that this is the Son of God.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son ofGod.
Context
Having recounted the specific divine revelation that confirmed Jesus' identity (verses 32-33), John now delivers his ultimate, authoritative declaration concerning Jesus. This verse serves as the powerful conclusion to John's witness to the Jewish delegation and to the crowd, directly proclaiming Jesus' divine sonship. This climactic statement prepares the reader for the transition from John's preparatory ministry to Jesus' direct engagement with His first disciples, showing the impact of John's testimony.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Mark 1:11
and a voice came out of the heavens, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased.
- Matthew 27:43
He trusteth on God; let him deliver him now, if he desireth him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
- Matthew 8:29
And behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
- Matthew 26:63
But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou art the Christ, the Son of God.
- John 6:69
And we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One of God.
- 1 John 5:9
If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for the witness of God is this, that he hath borne witness concerning his Son.
Sermon ideas from John 1:34
Angles a pastor or small-group leader might preach or teach from this passage, drawn from the chapter's main themes.
What John 1:34 teaches us about pre-existence of christ
What John 1:34 teaches us about incarnation
What John 1:34 teaches us about light and life
What John 1:34 teaches us about first disciples
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