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John 1:6
ESV There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
NIV There was a man sent from God whose name was John.
NASB A man came, one sent from God, and his name was John.
CSB There was a man sent from God whose name was John.
NLT God sent a man, John the Baptist,
KJV There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

What does John 1:6 mean?

Verse 6 introduces John the Baptist as a messenger of God. This is not John, the gospel writer and disciple of Jesus. The Baptist is Jesus' cousin, the son of Elizabeth (Luke 1:57–60). He was the first person to react to the presence of the Messiah, even though he was an unborn child (Luke 1:41–44). John the Baptist would grow into a spiritual powerhouse, calling Israel to "repent," which literally means to turn around. Baptism was already practiced in this region, as a sign of repentance. It was sometimes used by those converting to Judaism. The fact that the Baptist was doing this to Jews made his ministry controversial. His role was exactly this: to "prepare the way" for the Promised One. Later in chapter 1, the Baptist will make it clear that he is not the Messiah. We often forget that John the Baptist was only five or six months older than Jesus, and yet he began his preaching ministry much earlier.
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