Issues In Perspective

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."

Jesus declares Himself to be the Door of the sheepfold and the Good Shepherd, providing salvation for His sheep and giving them eternal life.

Jesus' giving sight on the Sabbath to a man blind from birth raises questions among His disciples, cause division among the Pharisees, and leads to the former blind man confessing Him as the Son of Man.

As Jesus teaches in the Temple, using figures of speech to move people from the temporal and physical to the eternal and spiritual, some believe, some reject Him and some wait to see what happens.

Jesus' strategy is to move people from dwelling on the physical and temporal to understanding their spiritual and eternal need; therefore, He is the" bread of life".

As Jesus offers six proofs of His deity, He also feeds the 5,000 and walks on water--further proofs of His deity.

As the Pharisees chastise Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, He explains His relationship with the heavenly Father as one of equality, interdependence and mutual honor.

Jesus challenges the worldviews of a Samaritan woman and His disciples by changing their focus from the physical and temporal to the spiritual and eternal.

Jesus, the Son of God, did not come into the world to condemn the world, but to offer it salvation.

Jesus is not interested in superficial faith (2:23-25) but in a faith energized by the Holy Spirit (3:1-15).

Jesus calls some of His disciples, with John stressing His various titles (e.g., Messiah, Son of God, Son of Man) and His first recorded miracle ("sign") is at a wedding in Cana.

John details Jesus as the Incarnate God who reveals grace and truth, who is the only unique Son of the Father, and who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

John’s thesis is that Jesus is the Godman and therefore introduces Him in the preface as the eternal “Word.”

In both of these Psalms, King David appeals to God as the righteous Judge to defend him (Psalm 7) and, in light of God’s majestic power exhibited in creation, he marvels that God is even interested in him (Psalm 8).

David experiences the gracious, chastening hand of His God, is restored to a relationship with God, and thereby seeks to bring glory to Him.

King David knows His God, His attributes and His holiness, all of which provide the basis for His cry for help and deliverance from his enemies.

Threatened by men within his government, King David finds safety and security in His gracious God.

In the face of Absalom's rebellion, King David finds his confidence in God, who will fight for him, deliver him and restore him.