King James Bible
"John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me."
John the Baptist publicly testifies about Jesus with urgency and authority, using 'cried' to emphasize the proclamation's importance. This witness fulfills John's prophetic role as the forerunner who prepares the way for the Messiah. John identifies Jesus as the specific person he had been prophesying about during his ministry. This recognition moment connects John's earlier preaching about the coming one with Jesus' actual appearance. Though Jesus began his public ministry after John chronologically, he holds superior rank and authority. The word 'preferred' indicates divine precedence, acknowledging Jesus' greater mission and status despite appearing later in time. John reveals the paradox of Jesus' preexistence—though born after John humanly, Christ existed before him eternally. This statement points to Jesus' divine nature and existence before creation, a key theme in John's Gospel.