My momma and I always review the Sunday School lessons before she goes to teach. She has the little kids at Majority Baptist Church in my home town of Spartanburg. All age groups from babies to seniors cover the same material just at different levels. The last month's focus on the Gospel of John has been interesting. (The information below is paraphrased and quoted from the Nelson Study Bible, a must-have for those seeking faith and understanding.)

We'll get to the true vine, but first a brief review.

The Gospel of John tells followers how to find eternal life. Unlike the other Gospels, John is not so much about the life and times of Jesus as a presentation of His deity. Every chapter presents evidence for His divine authority. And believing that Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the World is necessary to achieve eternal life.

The Gospel of John records the miracles or "signs" that Jesus is God. The seven signs are: changing water to wine, healing a man's son, healing a lame man, multiplying bread and fish, walking on water, healing a blind man, and raising Lazarus. By showing his control over nature, the miracles prove that Jesus is God.

Jesus' deity can also be seen from His self descriptions. In the Gospel of John He calls Himself many things, including: the bread of life; the light of the world; the door for the sheep; the good shepherd; the resurrection and the life; the way, the truth, the life; and the true vine. Each time Jesus begins with "I am" recalling God's revelation of His name to Moses in Exodus 3:12. Jesus did not say He gives bread; He said He was bread. Jesus did not say He would teach the way, the truth, and the life; He said He is the way, because He is the truth and the life.

With His signs and claims to deity the Gospel of John reveals the New Testament's most important message: Believe and follow Jesus because He is the way to eternal life.

A few weeks ago the class began with Chapter 12. In the previous chapter Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead. Things were tense. Many Jews were beginning to follow Jesus, but others went away from Him and told the Pharisees what He did. The chief priests and pharisees worried that everyone would believe in Jesus because of the signs. Their major concern seemed to be that the Romans would take away their positions of authority, if people began following Jesus instead of them. That began the official government plotting against Jesus.

But by this point Jesus' troubles had reached his inner circle too. While being anointed with spikenard oil by Mary (check out Peter Chilton's book Mary Magdalene for more info on the most important disciple) at Bethany He was blindsided by the betraying apostle. Judas Iscariot asked why not sell this expensive oil and give the money to the poor. Sorta saying, "if You claim to care so much about the people why are You allowing her to waste this precious oil, like a Roman, when she could sell it and help many poor people." The Gospel implies that Judas Iscariot was not saying this out of concern for the poor, but because he was a greedy thief and had access to the money box.

Jesus blasted him, saying "Leave her alone, she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always." Basically, "Calm down fool! Mary has saved the oil for this historic occasion."

The people were coming to see Jesus and Lazarus. The chief priests began plotting to kill both of them, because the resurrected Lazarus made many people believe in Jesus. But Jesus was on the move. The next day as Jesus approached Jerusalem multitudes took palm branches and went to meet him crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel!" It wasn't long before that annual custom became the yearly tradition, Palm Sunday.

This review of the Gospel of John continues in Part 2