A Brave Grace

A BRAVE GRACE

John 8:1-11

S: Grace

Th: Brave Hearts

Pr: WE CAN EXPERIENCE AND EXHIBIT A BRAVE GRACE.

?: Inductive

KW: Movement

TS: We will find four movements in the narrative found in John 8:1-11 that demonstrate how Jesus handles conflict.

The _____ movement is…

I. CRIME (1-3)

II. “CATCH-22” (4-6)

III. CONCLUSION (6-8)

IV. COMPASSION (9-11)

Version: ESV

RMBC 27 Apr 03 AM

INTRODUCTION:

We return today to our study of the gospel of John.

You may not remember, but we began our study of John in December of the year 2000.

Through 2001, we made it to the end of chapter 4.

Last year, we covered chapters 5 – 7.

Today, we begin with chapter 8, and I am hoping to make it through chapter 10 sometime this summer.

As you can see, we are not in a hurry.

ILL Notebook: Caught (Mr X in accident)

A man was in an accident, and his shoulder was slightly injured, but he decided he could "stick" the insurance company for a nice bit of money. He hired a lawyer who would go along with the plan, and they ended up in court. The insurance company’s lawyer asked, "Mr. Smith, please show us how much your shoulder was injured by the accident by extending that arm upward as far as the shoulder will allow it to go."

The man obliged by raising his arm to a horizontal position and stopped. "That’s it."

Then the lawyer said, "Mr. Smith, will you now please show us how far you were able to raise that arm before the accident."

Again the man obliged and quickly raised his arm to the vertical so it was pointing directly toward the ceiling.

Ooops!

1. Have you ever been caught red-handed?

Have you ever been caught?

You were guilty and everyone knew it.

Like your humming along on the highway, and a policeman gets behind you and puts on his lights.

I mean, isn’t that a wonderful feeling?

And you really have nothing to say, because you know that you were going way too fast.

You know…

2. When we do something wrong, its effects are often far reaching.

Simply, sin makes an impact.

In today’s story, a specific sin comes to the forefront.

It is adultery.

Adultery is a sin because it mocks what God has designed.

God intended for marriage to be between a man and a woman for life.

God did not intend for that to be ever broken, except by death.

Adultery is a betrayal.

It is the breaking of an exclusive promise of loyalty and love for one specific person.

And its effects are devastating.

Adultery wounds the spouse, it violates marriage and destroys society.

It wrecks homes, injures innocent children and breaks up friendships.

But most importantly, it attacks what God holds dear.

Adultery is a very hurtful sin.

It is very hard to forgive.

So when a woman who is caught in adultery is brought to Jesus, it is a difficult challenge.

What will He do to a person that has violated and flaunted the design of God?

So here…

3. We will find four movements in the narrative found in John 8:1-11 that demonstrate how Jesus handles conflict…and demonstrates a brave grace.

OUR STUDY:

I. The first movement is the CRIME (1-3).

They went each to his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery…

First, we observe the…

1. Setting: Jesus is teaching in the temple.

The temple is the place of spiritual life.

It is God’s place, His residence.

So, for those that are concerned with living according to God’s ways, this is the place to be.

The text tells us that Jesus came to the temple, and it was a long day.

People kept coming, and He kept teaching.

But His time of teaching was interrupted.

For…

2. A private passion became a public spectacle.

The scribes and Pharisees have someone they want Jesus to meet.

It is a woman who has been caught.

The doors had been flung open, and there she was, caught in the act.

She was found in the arms of someone that was not her husband.

So, what had been a private act is now known by all who will listen to the tale.

Everyone stares at her as the posse pushes her through the streets.

She is one that has brought shame upon herself.

But what we must also note here is that…

3. A shameful act was outdone by a despicable one.

You see, it was all a scheme.

According to the law, there had to be two eyewitnesses.