John 1

Introduction

John's Gospel opens not with a birth narrative or genealogy but with a theological prologue of extraordinary depth and beauty (vv. 1-18), reaching back before creation itself to declare that Jesus is the eternal Word — the Λόγος — who was with God and was God from the beginning. This prologue functions as a lens through which the entire Gospel is to be read: everything that follows — the signs, the discourses, the conflicts, the cross, and the resurrection — is the story of the Word made flesh, God dwelling among His people. The language echoes Genesis 1:1 ("In the beginning"), but John goes further: before the beginning, the Word already was.

After the prologue, the chapter shifts to narrative, introducing John the Baptist as the first witness to Jesus' identity. A delegation from Jerusalem questions John about who he is; he denies being the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet, and instead identifies himself as the voice preparing the Lord's way. The following days bring a cascade of testimonies and encounters: John declares Jesus to be "the Lamb of God," the first disciples begin to follow Jesus, and Nathanael confesses Him as the Son of God and King of Israel. The chapter moves from the cosmic to the personal — from the eternal Word creating all things to individual men meeting Jesus and discovering who He is.

The Prologue: The Word Was God (vv. 1-5)

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. ⁵ The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was face to face with God, and the Word was God. ² This one was with God in the beginning. ³ All things came into being through him, and apart from him not one thing came into being that has come into being. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of humanity. ⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overpower it.

Notes

The opening phrase Ἐν ἀρχῇ ("In the beginning") is a deliberate echo of the first words of the Hebrew Bible, בְּרֵאשִׁית (Genesis 1:1). But while Genesis says "In the beginning God created," John says "In the beginning was the Word." The verb ἦν is the imperfect tense of "to be" — it indicates continuous existence in the past. The Word did not come into being at the beginning; He already was when the beginning began. This is one of the strongest statements of Christ's pre-existence and eternal nature in the New Testament.

The term Λόγος ("Word") is one of the richest theological terms in the prologue. In Greek philosophy (particularly Stoicism and the writings of Philo of Alexandria), logos referred to the rational principle governing the universe. In the Hebrew tradition, the "word of the LORD" was the active agent of creation (Psalm 33:6: "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made"), of revelation, and of divine power. John draws on both streams but transcends them: the Logos is not an abstract principle or a personified attribute but a personal being who was "with God" and "was God."

The phrase "the Word was with God" uses the preposition πρός with the accusative, which goes beyond simple proximity. It implies a face-to-face relationship, an orientation toward God — suggesting intimacy and communion between distinct persons. I have rendered this "face to face with God" to capture this nuance. Then John makes the astonishing declaration θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος — "the Word was God." The word θεός here lacks the definite article, which in Greek grammar distinguishes it from "the God" (the Father) while still affirming full deity. The Word is not merely divine or god-like; He is God in nature, while being personally distinct from the Father.

In verse 3, the verb ἐγένετο ("came into being") is pointedly different from the ἦν ("was") used of the Word. Everything that exists came into being through the Word; the Word himself simply was. This grammatical contrast is John's way of distinguishing the uncreated Creator from the created order.

Verse 5 contains a famous ambiguity. The verb κατέλαβεν (from καταλαμβάνω can mean either "overcame/overpowered" or "comprehended/grasped." The darkness neither understood the light nor conquered it. Most translators choose one meaning, but John may intend both: the darkness is both intellectually blind to the light and powerless against it. I have used "overpower" to emphasize the victory motif, but the double meaning is part of John's literary artistry.

The Witness of John the Baptist (vv. 6-8)

⁶ There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

⁶ There appeared a man sent from God — his name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness, to testify concerning the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸ He himself was not the light, but he came to testify concerning the light.

Notes

The prologue's theological poetry is interrupted by a shift to narrative prose in verses 6-8. The verb changes from the timeless ἦν ("was") to ἐγένετο ("came into being" / "appeared") — the same verb used of creation in verse 3. John the Baptist belongs to the created order; he is a man "sent from God" (ἀπεσταλμένος παρὰ θεοῦ), not the eternal Word. The Gospel writer is careful to define John the Baptist's role precisely: he is a μαρτυρία ("witness"), a term that will recur throughout this Gospel. His purpose is not to draw attention to himself but to point to the light so that others might believe. The repeated emphasis that "he was not the light" (v. 8) likely addresses a historical situation in which some followers of John the Baptist continued to venerate him as a messianic figure (see Acts 19:1-7).

The True Light and the Word Made Flesh (vv. 9-14)

⁹ The true Light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. ¹¹ He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. ¹² But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

⁹ The true light, which enlightens every person, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to his own, and his own people did not welcome him. ¹² But to all who received him — those who believed in his name — he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born not of bloodlines, nor of the desire of the flesh, nor of a husband's will, but of God.

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and pitched his tent among us, and we gazed on his glory — glory as of the only Son from the Father — full of grace and truth.

Notes

Verse 9 introduces the concept of the φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν — the "true light." The adjective ἀληθινός does not merely mean "genuine" as opposed to "false," but "ultimate" or "archetypal" — the real thing to which all other lights are only shadows or pointers. John the Baptist was a light (John 5:35), but Jesus is the light, the original from which all illumination derives.

Verse 11 contains a poignant wordplay in Greek. The phrase εἰς τὰ ἴδια ("to his own") uses the neuter plural, meaning "his own place" or "his own domain," while οἱ ἴδιοι ("his own people") is masculine plural. The Word came to his own home, and his own household did not welcome him. The language evokes Israel's long history of rejecting the prophets God sent to them.

Verse 13 is often overlooked but is theologically striking. The new birth is described in three negations: not "of bloods" (ἐξ αἱμάτων) — the plural is unusual and may refer to the bloods of both parents or to the blood-descent that defined Jewish identity), nor "of the will of the flesh" (natural human desire), nor "of the will of a husband" (a man's decision to produce an heir). Divine birth replaces biological, instinctual, and patriarchal origins. The children of God come into being by God's own initiative — a theme that anticipates Jesus' teaching to Nicodemus on being "born from above" (John 3:3-8).

Verse 14 is the climactic statement of the prologue: ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο — "the Word became flesh." The term σάρξ ("flesh") is deliberately earthy and physical; John does not say the Word took on a body or appeared in human form but that He became flesh — fragile, mortal, material humanity. The verb ἐσκήνωσεν ("made his dwelling" or "tabernacled") comes from σκηνή ("tent"), echoing the Old Testament tabernacle (מִשְׁכָּן) where God's glory dwelt among Israel (Exodus 40:34-35). I have translated this as "pitched his tent" to preserve the tabernacle imagery: the incarnation is God setting up His tent in the midst of humanity, just as He once dwelt in the tent of meeting.

The phrase μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός ("of the only Son from the Father") uses μονογενής, which means "one of a kind" or "unique" rather than "only begotten" in the sense of biological generation. It emphasizes the Son's unique relationship to the Father — there is no other like Him.

The pairing of "grace and truth" (χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας) echoes the Hebrew pair חֶ֫סֶד וֶאֱמֶת ("steadfast love and faithfulness"), used repeatedly of God's covenant character in the Old Testament (e.g., Exodus 34:6). In the incarnate Word, God's covenant loyalty and reliability are fully and finally embodied.

Grace upon Grace (vv. 15-18)

¹⁵ John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, "This is He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.'"

¹⁶ From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father's side, has made Him known.

¹⁵ John testified about him and cried out, saying, "This is the one of whom I said, 'The one coming after me has ranked ahead of me, because he existed before me.'"

¹⁶ For from his fullness we have all received — grace in place of grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. The only Son — himself God — who is in the Father's embrace, he has made him known.

Notes

The phrase χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος (v. 16) is translated variously as "grace upon grace," "grace in place of grace," or "grace after grace." The preposition ἀντί literally means "in exchange for" or "in place of." The most likely sense is that one wave of grace replaces another in an unending succession — the grace of the old covenant (the law given through Moses) is now replaced and surpassed by the greater grace that comes through Jesus Christ. This does not denigrate the law; verse 17 presents Moses and Christ not as opposites but as stages in God's self-revelation, the second fulfilling and exceeding the first.

Verse 18 is one of the most theologically dense verses in the New Testament. The phrase μονογενὴς θεός ("the only Son, himself God") is the reading found in the earliest and most reliable manuscripts (P66, P75, Sinaiticus, Vaticanus). Later manuscripts read μονογενὴς υἱός ("the only Son"), which is smoother but less likely to be original — scribes tended to smooth out difficult readings rather than create them. The phrase "in the Father's bosom" (εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρός) evokes the intimacy of reclining at a meal — the closest, most trusted position. I have rendered it "in the Father's embrace" to convey this intimacy.

The final verb ἐξηγήσατο ("has made known" or "has explained") is the root of our English word "exegesis." The Son is the exegete of the Father — the one who interprets, unfolds, and reveals the invisible God. Everything Jesus says and does in the Gospel that follows is an exegesis of the Father.

John the Baptist's Testimony to the Priests and Levites (vv. 19-28)

¹⁹ And this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, "Who are you?" ²⁰ He did not refuse to confess, but openly declared, "I am not the Christ."

²¹ "Then who are you?" they inquired. "Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No."

²² So they said to him, "Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

²³ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: "I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'"

²⁴ Then the Pharisees who had been sent ²⁵ asked him, "Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"

²⁶ "I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands One you do not know. ²⁷ He is the One who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."

²⁸ All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

¹⁹ And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" ²⁰ He confessed and did not deny it; he confessed, "I am not the Christ."

²¹ They asked him, "Then what? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No."

²² So they said to him, "Who are you? — so that we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

²³ He said, "I am a voice crying out in the wilderness: 'Make straight the way of the Lord'" — just as Isaiah the prophet said.

²⁴ Now they had been sent by the Pharisees. ²⁵ They questioned him, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"

²⁶ John answered them, "I baptize with water. But among you stands one whom you do not know — ²⁷ the one coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie."

²⁸ These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Notes

The delegation of "priests and Levites" (v. 19) represents the official religious establishment in Jerusalem. Their question "Who are you?" reflects the expectation that any figure drawing large crowds and performing ritual washings must be one of the expected eschatological figures. John denies three identities: he is not the Χριστός (the Messiah/Anointed One), not Elijah (whose return was expected before the Day of the Lord, per Malachi 4:5), and not "the Prophet" — a reference to the prophet like Moses promised in Deuteronomy 18:15-18. John's Gospel presents the Baptist's denials more emphatically than the Synoptics, with the double construction "he confessed and did not deny" (ὡμολόγησεν καὶ οὐκ ἠρνήσατο) — a rhetorical emphasis that underscores the Baptist's humility and his clarity about his subordinate role.

John identifies himself with the words of Isaiah 40:3 — a φωνὴ βοῶντος, "a voice of one crying out." He is not the message but the messenger, not the road but the voice calling for the road to be prepared. The quotation from Isaiah originally referred to the return from Babylonian exile — God coming to lead His people home — but the Baptist applies it to the coming of Jesus.

The question about baptism (v. 25) reveals that the Jewish leaders associated water rituals with the messianic age. If John is not the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet, what authority does he have to baptize? John's answer pivots from himself to the unknown one "standing among you" — creating dramatic tension. The detail about unworthiness to untie sandals refers to a task considered too degrading even for a Hebrew slave; only Gentile slaves performed it. John places himself lower than the lowest servant in relation to the coming one.

The mention of "Bethany beyond the Jordan" (v. 28) identifies a location on the eastern bank of the Jordan River, distinct from the Bethany near Jerusalem where Lazarus lived (John 11:1). Some manuscripts read "Bethabara" instead, a variant introduced by Origen, who could not find a town called Bethany in that region.

The Lamb of God (vv. 29-34)

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is He of whom I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.' ³¹ I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel."

³² Then John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him. ³³ I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' ³⁴ I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."

²⁹ The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look — the Lamb of God, the one who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is the one about whom I said, 'After me comes a man who has ranked ahead of me, because he existed before me.' ³¹ I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing with water for this reason: so that he might be revealed to Israel."

³² And John testified, saying, "I watched the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven, and it remained on him. ³³ I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain — this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' ³⁴ And I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God."

Notes

The title ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ — "the Lamb of God" — is unique to John's Gospel and is one of the most profound christological titles in the New Testament. It draws on multiple Old Testament images simultaneously: the Passover lamb whose blood protected Israel from death (Exodus 12:1-13), the lamb led to slaughter in Isaiah's Suffering Servant passage (Isaiah 53:7), and the daily tamid sacrifice offered in the temple. The phrase "who takes away the sin of the world" uses the verb αἴρω, which can mean both "to take away/remove" and "to bear/carry." The Lamb does not merely cover sin temporarily (as the Old Testament sacrifices did) but removes it entirely — and not just for Israel, but for the whole world (τοῦ κόσμου).

The descent of the Spirit "like a dove" (v. 32) recalls the Spirit hovering over the waters at creation (Genesis 1:2) and may also echo the dove sent from Noah's ark to find dry land (Genesis 8:8-12) — both images of new beginnings. The key word is ἔμεινεν ("remained" or "rested"), from μένω — a verb that will become central to John's theology ("remain in me," John 15:4). The Spirit does not merely descend on Jesus momentarily but takes up permanent residence.

Some early manuscripts read "the Chosen One of God" (ὁ ἐκλεκτὸς τοῦ θεοῦ) instead of "the Son of God" in verse 34. This variant, attested in Papyrus 5 and some Old Latin manuscripts, would echo Isaiah 42:1 ("my chosen one"). Most scholars favor "Son of God" as the original reading, but the textual variant is notable.

The First Disciples (vv. 35-42)

³⁵ The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. ³⁶ When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" ³⁷ And when the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

³⁸ Jesus turned and saw them following. "What do you want?" He asked. They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are You staying?"

³⁹ "Come and see," He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour.

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard John's testimony and followed Jesus. ⁴¹ He first found his brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated as Christ).

⁴² Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which is translated as Peter).

³⁵ The next day John was standing there again with two of his disciples, ³⁶ and as he watched Jesus walking by, he said, "Look — the Lamb of God!" ³⁷ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

³⁸ Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

³⁹ He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour.

⁴⁰ Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. ⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Christ).

⁴² He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon, the son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).

Notes

Jesus' first words in John's Gospel are a question: τί ζητεῖτε — "What are you looking for?" (v. 38). This is not a casual inquiry but a programmatic question for the entire Gospel. John will repeatedly present characters who are "seeking" — Nicodemus seeking understanding (John 3:1-2), the crowds seeking bread (John 6:26), the Greeks seeking Jesus (John 12:21), Mary Magdalene seeking the body (John 20:15). What one seeks reveals what one truly values.

The invitation ἔρχεσθε καὶ ὄψεσθε ("come and you will see") sets a pattern in John: seeing leads to believing, and coming to Jesus leads to deeper understanding. The verb μένω ("stay/remain/abide") appears twice — they ask where he is "staying" and then "stayed" with him. This verb will become theologically loaded in John's Gospel (see John 15:4-10).

The note "about the tenth hour" (approximately 4 PM by Roman reckoning, or 10 AM by Jewish reckoning) is the kind of precise detail that suggests eyewitness memory. If the beloved disciple is the author, the unnamed second disciple in this scene may be the author himself, remembering the exact hour when he first met Jesus.

Andrew's declaration "We have found the Messiah" (εὑρήκαμεν τὸν Μεσσίαν) is notable because Μεσσίας is a transliteration of the Aramaic מְשִׁיחָא, and John provides the Greek translation Χριστός for his readers. This is one of only two places in the New Testament where the Aramaic form "Messiah" appears (the other is John 4:25).

Jesus renames Simon as Κηφᾶς ("Cephas"), which John translates as Πέτρος — both meaning "rock" or "stone." The renaming recalls the Old Testament pattern of God renaming people at decisive turning points: Abram to Abraham (Genesis 17:5), Jacob to Israel (Genesis 32:28). A new name signals a new identity and calling.

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael (vv. 43-51)

⁴³ The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, "Follow Me." ⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.

⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

⁴⁶ "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.

⁴⁷ When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit."

⁴⁸ "How do You know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."

⁴⁹ "Rabbi," Nathanael answered, "You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, "Do you believe just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." ⁵¹ Then He declared, "Truly, truly, I tell you, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

⁴³ The next day Jesus wanted to go out to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." ⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "The one whom Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets wrote — we have found him: Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth."

⁴⁶ Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."

⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, "Look — a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit!"

⁴⁸ Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you."

⁴⁹ Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

⁵⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I told you I saw you under the fig tree, you believe? You will see greater things than these." ⁵¹ And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Notes

Philip echoes Andrew's excitement but frames it differently: "the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and the prophets" (v. 45). This identifies Jesus as the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament — both the Torah (see Deuteronomy 18:15) and the Prophets. Yet Philip also calls Jesus "the son of Joseph, from Nazareth" — a thoroughly ordinary human identification that sits in deliberate tension with the cosmic claims of the prologue.

Nathanael's skeptical retort — ἐκ Ναζαρὲτ δύναταί τι ἀγαθὸν εἶναι ("Can anything good come out of Nazareth?") — reflects the low reputation of this small Galilean village. Nazareth is never mentioned in the Old Testament, the Talmud, or Josephus. It was an insignificant place, and Nathanael's dismissal carries the unspoken assumption that the Messiah should come from somewhere more impressive. Philip's response — "Come and see" — mirrors Jesus' own invitation in verse 39 and becomes a model for evangelism in John: not argument but encounter.

Jesus' description of Nathanael as "a true Israelite in whom there is no δόλος" ("deceit" or "guile") is an allusion to Jacob, whose name was associated with deception (Genesis 27:35). Jacob was renamed Israel after wrestling with God (Genesis 32:28). Nathanael is what Jacob became — a true Israel, honest and without pretense. The irony is rich: this genuine Israelite is about to recognize who Jesus truly is.

The "fig tree" (v. 48) is a detail that has generated much discussion. In rabbinic tradition, sitting under one's fig tree was associated with studying the Torah in peaceful meditation (see Micah 4:4, Zechariah 3:10). Jesus' supernatural knowledge of Nathanael's location — seeing him before Philip called — triggers Nathanael's confession: "You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" These are the highest titles a Jew could confer, and coming from this honest skeptic, they carry special weight.

The chapter's climactic promise (v. 51) alludes to Jacob's dream at Bethel, where he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it (Genesis 28:12). Jesus identifies Himself as the new Bethel — the place where heaven and earth meet. The title ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ("the Son of Man") appears here for the first time in John and recalls Daniel 7:13-14, where "one like a son of man" receives universal dominion from the Ancient of Days. The double ἀμὴν ἀμήν ("truly, truly") is a formula unique to John's Gospel (it appears 25 times) and marks solemn, authoritative declarations. Where the Synoptic Gospels use a single "amen," John always doubles it, giving Jesus' words the weight of an oath.