Leave your Stone at the Door
John 8:1-11
Introduction
There is a theme of this text found here in John 8. And that theme is “forgiveness”. We will see in this chapter, when people will not, Jesus will.
As we go through this passage today, let us remember the passage in Matthew 6:14-15, it says….
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
There are many good reasons for stones today, and none of them are for stoning.
There is a history of stones in the Bible and the purpose for them,
1. They show the wonders of God…..parting the Jordan River
2. They the works of the people….giving of the time, talents, materials, strength, working, to construct building blocks for life.
3. They showed the way to the Promise Land….crossing over to the other side
4. They were left to identify the travels of Abraham
>It is amazing to see in the churches today, how many people will show up at a service when they know there will be stone throwing, but how few will make it on
time for Sunday school or even show for a mid-week service.
>Let’s look at the passage here to see how the forgiveness shows it’s self.
1. Notice what time it was
~We can see in verses 1-2 the story took place early in the morning.
~It’s amazing how many showed up at church to throw stones. The text says that Jesus was in the temple teaching.
**Oh to God that people would be like those there with Jesus, to hear the Word, instead of spreading a bad word.
~We can be on-time for work, our tee time, the store wide blow out sale, even on black Friday we can make it out at 5am to the sales, and we will take our
friends and loved ones with us to all these events, but when it come time to make it out to the house of God on time, we can’t make it!
~If there is a stoning going on we will fight over who is driving the buss to get us all there.
2. Notice where it took place
~Again verse 1-2 show us that Jesus was busy in the Temple.
~You can always find Jesus busy for the Father. Are we?
~Did you know that you could find rock throwers in the same place as Jesus?
~They might be there before Jesus to make sure they have the perfect spot.
~Christ came there to be the Light of the world.
~They came to kill, steal, and destroy. What a contrast.
3. Notice who was bringing the accusations.
~They are suppose to be the leaders of the religious folk of that day.
~Verse 3 points to the Scribes and the Pharisees as the accusers.
~They were versed in the law, they fully knew what was to be done, but they brought her to Jesus.
**Two (2) passages are found to address this sin, they are….
Leviticus 20:10 says…
10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the
adulteress shall surely be put to death.
Deuteronomy 22:22 says…
22 If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the
woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel
**The Scribes and the Pharisees knew what the Law said, and how to carry it out if they found one breaking it, but they wanted to see what Jesus would do and
say to this one caught in the very act.
**She didn’t hear the people speaking to her, but she heard the voice of the Lord.
4. She was charged with a deadly crime.
~They said to Jesus in verse 4, they caught her in the very act.
**My question is this, where is the man? The old saying is it takes two(2) to tango.
~The punishment for this crime was to be stoned to death found in verse 5.
~Graciously for her, they brought her to a loving Judge.
~Unfortunately for them, they were guilty themselves of sins, sins unto death.
5. Christ speaks to the accusers
~In verse 6 they were tempting Him, to accuse Him.
~In verse 7 He asks them “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her”.
**I wish I could give the credit away to the following quote, but I can not recall who said it. Who ever it is thanks.
“At the time of Christ’s stooping back down, people wonder what He was writing on the ground, it was said that he began to write the sins on the ground of those
gathered for the stoning, from the oldest to the youngest, and upon those sins being exposed they knew they had no right to stone her, when they themselves were
also guilty of sin”.
~That is pretty powerful stuff. We are not as holy as we think we are, when the Saviour puts light upon or sin.
6. That question hits home for them all.
Let us look at verse 9.
9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left
alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
~It could be said, from the highest ranking of the Scribes and Pharisees to the least of the people were walking out of the room, convicted of there own sins.
~Sin was present in everyone there, except Jesus.
~As they all left the room, she was left alone with Jesus.
~That even means those that He was teaching in the Temple left the room also.
~As they left the room, they dropped there stones at the door. Who were they going to throw them at, themselves?
**Sin brought them to the Temple that day. Sin caused them to leave the Temple that day. They came and went the way they were.
**Sin brought her to the temple that day. Forgiveness taught her to sin no more.
7. Christ turns there entrapment around.
~The trap they laid for Jesus was turned on them; there sins were brought to the forefront of discussion, not the sins of the women.
**Do you recall the same thing that happened to a man named Haman in the book of Esther?
~He thought he would have hung Mordecai in the gallows, but he himself was hung in his own gallows that he made for Mordecai.
~Church, Christ has called us to love one another, not to throw stones.
**Some Churches could change there names to “stone throwers”. They are more known for there throwing of stones then they are of there witness for Jesus.
8. Christ shows His Grace.
Look in verses 10-11
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned
thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Romans 6:1-2 says…
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Closing
~May the Lord help us to drop our stones at the door when we come into His house.
~We need to leave the stones of life outside, and come into the newness of life inside.
The Bible says…Romans 3:23 says…
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
The Bible says…John 8:11 says…..GRACE
Go and sin no more
~We need to drop our stones at the door, and pick up the Cross at the altar and follow Jesus.
Pastor Stepp
8/15/08
