18. No one has ever seen God. But God the only Son is very close to the Father, and he has shown us what God is like.
19. Here is the truth John told when the leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”
20. John spoke freely and did not refuse to answer. He said, “I am not the Christ.”
21. So they asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”He answered, “No, I am not.”“Are you the Prophet?” they asked.He answered, “No.”
22. Then they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to tell those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23. John told them in the words of the prophet Isaiah:“I am the voice of onecalling out in the desert:‘Make the road straight for the Lord.’ ”
24. Some Pharisees who had been sent asked John:
25. “If you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet, why do you baptize people?”
26. John answered, “I baptize with water, but there is one here with you that you don’t know about.
27. He is the One who comes after me. I am not good enough to untie the strings of his sandals.”