Issues In Perspective

Jesus' arrest and trial before Annas and Caiaphas are followed by the trial before Pilate, who cannot find any reason to convict Jesus.

As our high priest, Jesus prays that His Father will be glorified by His sacrifice, that the Father will keep His disciples from the evil one, and that His church will manifest a unity, a unity evident among the members of the godhead.

Jesus teaches that the Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment and that He teaches and guides in all truth.

Using the analogy of a vine and the branches, Jesus challenges us to "abide in Him," a dependency on HIm that has four intended results and four key characteristics.

Jesus introduces the facets of the New Covenant Community--prayer, the Holy Spirit, the new circle of love in Christ and Christ's peace.

As the way, the truth and the life, Jesus reveals the Father and the Holy Spirit whom He will send.

In washing His disciples' feet, Jesus exhibited limitless love, servanthood and, symbolically, the washing away of sin.

As the Father speaks for the third time to His Son, Jesus then interprets His Father's words for the people and offers a theology of unbelief to explain why so many are rejecting Him as the Messiah.

In the context of Mary anointing Jesus' head and feet and the Pharisees seeking to kill both Jesus and Lazarus, Jesus enters Jerusalem on a young donkey in a triumphal manner with the crowds waving palm branches and exclaiming Psalm 118, thereby fulfilling Zechariah 9:9.

Jesus explains that "I and the Father are one," and to Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life."