The Second Stone
"So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them,
He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." John 8:7 (KJV)
Intro: One morning, Jesus made a visit to the temple in Jerusalem.
Though it was early…, quite a large number of people were already there.
The temple was not only a place of worship,
but it was also a place of gathering…,
a sort of community center
where people would meet and visit throughout the day.
Since Jesus was considered a rabbi…,
it took very little time for a group of people to gather around Him to listen to His instructions.
Jesus sat before them (which was the custom of a rabbi about to teach)
and he began to share the wonderful words of life.
At the same time…, just across town, another meeting was taking place.
The very religious Scribes and Pharisees had caught a woman in the very act of adultery…
They grabbed the woman and made a beeline for the temple—where Jesus was.
The worship service was already underway…,
But they burst in interrupting the morning sermon.
They forced their way through the crowd and brought the woman before Jesus.
“Master” …that is what they called Jesus to his face…
But behind his back they showed no respect for Him at all.
Their motive was clear: look at John 8 verse 6
“This they said…, trying to trap Jesus…, into saying something…, they could use against Him.” 8:6
If Jesus said the woman should NOT be stoned, they would accuse him of violating the law of Moses
If Jesus urged the crowd to execute her…,
they would report Jesus to Romans, who would arrest Jesus for not having the authority to give such an order.
“Master, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery.
Now Moses (says) . . . ,
but what do you say?” (v.5).
Imagine the accusers… they eyes dark and filled with bitterness…
The whispers in the crowd grow to an uncomfortable silence…
as they wait…,
and anticipate…, what… will… Jesus answer???
BUT Jesus begins to write something in the dirt with his finger.
The crowd continued to demand an answer.
Slowly Jesus stood up…
And he said, “He that is without sin among you…, let him cast the first stone at her” (v.7).
And Jesus went back to writing something in the dust…
Learn this Lesson: on Casting the first stone.
The Day of Judgment is coming…
But the one who is to do the judging is not us.
It is important for us to understand that Jesus is not saying that there want be a day of judgment,
because there will be.
BUT What he is saying…, is that is the one…, who is to do the judging…, is not us.
What He was saying is simply this: “Let the sinless one cast stone #1.”
You see, after the first stone is thrown…, the crowd is more likely to join in on casting more stones…
Who would be in the crowd to execute this adultery by stoning?
The bible said, there were scribes…a scribe was someone who kept copies of the laws of Moses…
They were writers of the Torah, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy…
If anyone knew the bible well…, they did…
And there were the Pharisees…they were very religious…,
They believed in only one Lord God of Israel…
NOT just Religious but strict religious
Strict religious…, there was no room for error or fault
I suppose that is why they had such difficulty understanding and believing in the concept of Grace…
Among the Pharisees were the Zealots…
People who have ZEAL
The Zealots believed in eager pursuit of God…
Men like Saul, who later became the Apostle Paul
Saul a purist who thought he was doing the work to keep the church pure and unadulterated…
Consented to the stoning of Stephen
The first Christian Martyer
"And they stoned Stephen, while Stephen prayed calling upon God,
saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Acts 7:59 (KJV)
Jews, and Roman purist, Pharisees and Zealots…
picking up stones ready to throw them to kill a person for their sins…
All in the name of the Law of Moses…
All under the authority of religion…
Maybe that is why Jesus had to come…and die on a cross…, for the sin of the world…
that people could be forgiven and have Grace.
Have you ever really thought about the horrors of stoning someone to death…
It is almost too awful to think about…
Where would you be at in this story?
Would you just be watching?
Waiting to see who would cast the first stone…
Would you maybe pick up a rock and wait until someone else threw a couple stones
And then be tempted in the frenzy to say something about the person
And join in on the stoning?
I knew she was a whore the first time I saw her…
Flirting with the men on the street
Slipping around from house to house late at night…
Someone has to do something about this piece of trash…
By then would you be able to throw a rock or two at her yourself?
Like a pack of wild wolves once first blood is drawn the clawing and back biting is on…
You would be perfectly justified in your actions
Because…, after all…, you are not guilty of sinning she is…
Someone has to do something about it…
You know what…,
I believe the people who stand around watching…, while this goes on…,
are also somewhat responsible…, as the people who throw stones…
Someone who wants to remain anonymous yells out from the back of the crowd…
“Let the stoning begin!”
As he cast the first stone toward the defenseless person…
I don’t know how many stones it would take to put someone to death…
But I am convinced that the people who throw them…, would never be quite the same…
Let’s remember how the passage concludes.
Jesus said, “He that is without sin among you…, let him cast the first stone at her” (v.7).
This is a significant statement about judging others…
Because Jesus upheld the law of Moses…
Jesus was not ignoring the sinfulness of adultery.
But by saying that only a sinless person could throw the first stone
He was establishing a basic principle for Christians like you and me today…
You see Jesus is defining the Mission of the Church.
Do you know the FIVE purposes of the Church?
You have heard me say them over and over again.
I call them the FIVE ships
Worship
Membership
Leadership
Partnership
Discipleship
When the church is doing something in each of these five areas then it is a healthy church.
Discipleship is more than you as an individual following in the footsteps of Jesus…
Discipleship is also evangelism…, reaching out to the lost
Discipleship is where the people…, who worship…, put their faith into action
God calls us to rescue…,
The definition of a disciple is one who spreads the “Good News.”
That good news is faith by forgiveness.
Not by shunning…, not by condemning someone who has broken a vow…
BUT by teaching them that when we surrender to God
Then God transforms us…, God changes us
God forgives our sinfulness and heals our brokenness…
And then we are a people of God…, who open up our arms
Who then reach out…, and put those arm around that person…
and welcome them into the household and family of God.
That…, is…, Discipleship
Discipleship happens when we drop the stones that are clutched in our hands…
Because we know…, that we are not sinless…., just forgiven from our sins through Christ
We know that we are pardoned by the red blood of the cross…
And we open up our hands…, and reach them out…, to that hurt person in the center of the circle…
They all walked away (oldest to youngest), leaving Jesus and the woman alone.
Jesus, the Sinless One speaks, “Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more” (v.11).
That is what we call the Amazing Grace of God!
That is Amazing Grace.
Grace Extreme!
Grace given to each of us to cover our own sinfulness
The New Testament is all about grace…, forgiveness and fresh starts.
Thanks be to God for grace, or every last one of us would have no other future except judgment and Hell
“Neither do I condemn thee” John 8:11
This is a basic biblical principle of Christian faith…,
That is the basic attitude that Christians must have and offer to others…
Do you ever find Discipleship difficult?
The temptation is to judge, attack, and criticize.
With the words…
“Neither do I condemn thee” John 8:11
Then Jesus adds… the words… “Go, and sin no more” (v.11b).
In other words, God is NOT about Casting Stones
God is about removing stones…
Early in the morning on the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene went to the tomb of Jesus.
The bible does not clearly tell us who Mary Magdalene was before she became a disciple of Jesus…
But the bible does tell us that Mary Magdalene was once a terrible sinner…
"And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils," (were cast out) Luke 8:2 (KJV)
She was once possessed by seven demons…, that Jesus had forgiven and healed her.
And there are many scholars and commentaries who believe that Mary Magdalene
was also the woman here in John 8 that Jesus had forgiven of adultery.
Jesus had accepted her,
Jesus had welcomed her into the inner circle of fellowship of his friends.
Mary Magdalene was a witness to Jesus ministry
And was a witness to the crucifixion on the cross…
"The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre,
and seeth the stone taken away from the tomb." John 20:1 (KJV)
The first stone was the law of Moses…
If a woman was caught in the act of adultery she was to be stoned to death…
The first stone was the law of Moses…
The punishment was death
The second stone was the huge rock that was rolled at the door at the tomb of Jesus…
The second stone was put there to keep Jesus buried
The second stone was also a stone of death…,
The second stone was intended to keep Jesus dead.
BUT Just as God removed the First Stone…
Somebody needs to get a hold of this…,
There is somebody who needs to hear this…
Somebody who has been carrying around a stone
ready to throw it at the first person who looks at them the wrong way…
Have you ever met somebody who has a chip on their shoulder just begging for you to knock it off
Or Somebody who has already been hit by a few stones…
You have already been called bad names…
You are already bruised and bleeding…
You are already the victim of judgment and condemnation…
If it wasn’t for the second stone being taken away…
That first stone would have been your death…
But this second stone has been rolled away…
Because this second stone has been rolled away…,
We can see the tomb is empty
We can know that Christ is risen from death
Because this second stone has been removed
That first stone no longer has any power over you…
We are Easter Christians…
God has removed the law of Moses…
God has given the plan of Grace…
An adulter who was caught in the very act of adultery is forgiven
A woman possessed by seven evil spirits is brought into the upper room with the closest disciples of Jesus
and sits at the foot of the cross with Mary the mother of Jesus…
A person who is being killed because of his faith utters words of forgiveness and prayer
A persecutor of believers is transformed into a great Apostle
Do you remember what it felt like when you first stood before Jesus…
Do you remember what it felt like when your sin…, found Grace…
I do…
I know what it feels like to expect to receive the stoning of my life…
BUT instead I received Grace
If you don’t know what I am talking about I invite you to come forward and kneel at this alter…
To earnestly repent of your sin
To seek to live in peace with one another
And To confess your sin before God and one another…
You can find out what Amazing Grace is all about…
Grace is what transforms us from the sinful person to a disciple of Christ
Grace is what separates us and calls us out from the angry crowd
It is by God’s Amazing Grace that we live to tell the story
of how God continues to make us different…
how through continued repentance God sets us apart…
how we are transformed… through our relationship with Christ…
How we can open our arms with the Love of God…, where others clinch their fist with stones…
You and I are called to rise above the crowds who judge and condemn others…
You and I are called to be busy working to rescue the lost…
You and I are called to live and teach Grace to the broken…
We are called to continue the Mission of discipleship…
To hear the words of Jesus…, no more stones...,
To teach the words of Jesus…, no more stones…
Can you imagine…, what God can do to bless us….
When the world sees…, THIS IN US…,
obeying this simple and basic principle of Christ’s teaching…, taught to us here in John’s Gospel
I invite you to bow your heads…
Close your eyes…
Enter into an attitude of prayer and pardon…
Continue with Confession and Pardon Page 12 in the Service of Word and Table II in the United Methodist Hymn Book.
