A MAGNIFICENT VALENTINES GIFT
2-12-12 New Liberty Christian Church, Veedersburg, IN with Rich McQuinn, Minister
TEXT; JOHN 8:1-11
Do you remember the story behind the origins of Valentine’s Day? You know, it is called Valentine’s Day for a reason.
Approximately 250 years after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, there was a priest by the name of Valentine. He lived in Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius, who was committed to rebuilding the once-great Roman army. However, he believed it was important for men to volunteer for armed service, rather than drafting men into service against their will. But, given a choice, most young men in the Roman Empire refused to serve. They’d rather stay at home with their wives and children that go off into battle.
Claudius came to believe that only single men would volunteer for service, so he issued a royal edict that banned all further marriages. He actually outlawed weddings in the Roman Empire, earning himself the nick-name Claudius the Cruel.
Valentine thought it was ridiculous! One of his favorite duties as a priest was to marry people. So after Emperor Claudius passed his law, Valentine secretly continued performing marriage ceremonies. He would whisper the words of the ceremony, while listening for soldiers on the steps outside.
One night, Valentine did hear footsteps at his door. The couple he was marrying escaped, but he was caught. He was thrown in jail and sentenced to death. Valentine tried to stay cheerful. Many of the young couples he had married came to visit him in jail. They threw flowers and notes up to his window. They wanted him to know that they, too, believed in love.
One day, he received a visit from the daughter of one of the prison guards. Her father allowed her to visit him in his cell and they often sat and talked for hours. She believed he did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and performing weddings. On the day Valentine was to die, he left her a note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. He signed it, “Love from your Valentine.” That note started the custom of exchanging love notes on Valentine’s Day. It was written on the day he died, February 14, 269 A.D.—a day that was set aside in honor of a man who gave his life for God and for love.
Now, every year on this day, people remember Saint Valentine, but most importantly, they think about love.
Everyone loves love! We want to be loved and we want to give love. The problem is—our love is lacking just like we are. It’s often conditional upon our own mood or our loved one’s actions, appearance or attitude. When it comes to love, all of us fall a little short, don’t we? Some of us are as confused about love as little five-year-old Kari who told her teacher, “Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.”
Please raise your Bibles high this morning so that I have seen that you have come to drink in God’s Word for today.
I could have chosen many texts for us to study this morning. Text like John 3:16….For God So Loved the World that He gave His only begotten Son, that Who ever believes in Him should not perish but have every lasting Life.
I could have chosen I John 4:7-8….Beloved let us love one another, for love is of God and He who loves is born of God, He who does not love, does not know God for God is Love.
I could have chosen several verses from Song of Solomon, where the husband writes about how much he loves his wife. He writes about her breast, his delight in her, he calls her darling and can not wait until they are in their wedding bed together. You want something HOT to read, take your time and read your Bible.
I did choose for your wisdom this text from John chapter 8, verses 1-11.
1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
There you have it! A magnificent Valentines gift from God to all of us. Are you ready to receive it?
This morning, I want to talk about a woman from the Bible who desperately needs a second chance. We’re going to hear her story. We’re going to find out what happens to her. And then we’re going to see what it means for us.
After spending the night on the Mount of Olives, Jesus shows up in the temple courts. All the people gather around Him. He sits down to teach them the word of God.
While Jesus is teaching, the Pharisees bring in a naked woman. They made her stand in front of the whole group. They said, "Teacher, we interrupt this teaching moment to bring you this important announcement. This woman is a sinner! She was caught in the act of committing adultery! Moses commanded us to stone such women! Now what do you say?"
On the surface, this might seem like a normal thing for the time. The Pharisees want to do what the Bible teaches. So they consult a well known Bible teacher for advice.
But there are some suspicious things about this story. Number one: The Jews are not allowed to administer the death penalty. Only the Roman government can do this. So why are the Pharisees even raising this issue? Why are they specifically targeting Jesus?
Number two: People are not caught in the act of adultery by themselves. Where’s the man? Why are the Pharisees only interested in humiliating the woman? According to Leviticus 20:10, both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. This whole scenario is out of whack.
Verse six confirms our suspicions. It says that "they were using this question as a rap, in order to have a basis for accusing Him." In other words, the Pharisees are not concerned about following the Law of Moses. They’re not concerned about justice for all. They’re not concerned about what happens to the woman. All they care about is bringing down the ministry of Jesus Christ. All they want to do is drag the women through the mud and bring Jesus down at the same time. Good Pharisees don’t you think?
The Pharisees are using the adulterous woman as bait to try and trap Jesus. This whole thing is a setup. If Jesus says, "No, don’t put the woman to death," the Pharisees will say, "Huh!!!! You are contradicting the Bible! You’re a heretic! You deserve to die!"
And if Jesus says "Yes, she should be put to death," they can say, "Jesus, Jesus, where is this compassion you have been preaching about? You talk about loving your neighbor. You talk about loving your enemies. And now you’re ready to execute a woman you don’t even know! You’re a hypocrite!"
The Pharisees could also say, "Jesus, are you telling us that we can carry out the death penalty without permission from the Romans? You’re a traitor to the emperor! We’re turning you in!"
What was Jesus supposed to do?
I. HE WROTE IN THE SAND
They did not care what happened to the women. She was to be used as a pawn for them to put Jesus in a corner and embarrass Him or trick Him.
Wouldn’t you have liked to have been there to see all the trickery that was going on?
To see what Jesus really wrote in the sand? You kidding me! Some of these fine citizens had been with this woman sexually. They were afraid that publically they would be exposed if she said anything. She remained quiet in shame and remorse. Why did I ever get involved—I knew it was wrong and I thought I would not get caught?
Jesus did not say a word! He simply stooped to the ground and gave them a lesson in humility. He either wrote names down that had been with her, or the sins of the men who were standing around just waiting to see what was going to happen,
Bible tells us in Matthew not to judge each other. That means not to judge where a person is going to spend eternity. You only know half the story. Do not always jump to conclusions. You don’t always know the whole story.
Don’t pass on the choice gossip. It might be correct, but it is still wrong.
II. HE FORGAVE HER
What a loving heart! The law says she can be stoned to death. Can you imagine the fear she had? Standing in front of a bunch of men, totally naked and ashamed. Poor woman was there all alone. She was caught right in the act! She is scared, she trembles and shakes and may even wish that she could die.
We get caught. It is revealed about our closet sins. We are exposed to the public and now we feel remorse, dirty, destroyed and wish we could run and hide.
I do not condemn you. Your accusers are all gone. You are completely forgiven as if you had never sinned before. Now do not go back to that sinful life! This is your chance to break free and begin a new life.
Repentance is always part of forgiveness. It is necessary! You can not have forgiveness unless you have complete repentance.
When you are crumbled, broken, whipped, in despair with no place to go the Saviour is always there to pick up the pieces of your life and use you for His glory.
Yes, you can be used by God more effectually with the broken pieces of your life when you bring your life to Jesus on bended knees.
He will simply say that He loves beyond words, that you are His Son or His Daughter and He will forgive us as if we had never sinned at all. WOW! How many of us want that right now!
Those folks who have really been down and out, broken and thrown away know what it is like to be worthless and then find forgiveness and a purpose. Those folks are the ones who are most dedicated in following Jesus the rest of their life.
III. THE CROSS WAS JESUS VALENTINE FOR US
He said on the cross I love you, I LOVE you, I LOVE YOU. Don’t you ever forget that.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned or done us harm.
As Dr. Phil would say, How is that working for you? Don’t expect forgiveness unless you can forgive others. I don’t care what has happened to you, or how much you are hurting, or what was done to you. We bring it all to the cross, we lay it at His feet and we simple allow Him to help us not carry grudges and forgive. I did not say it would be over night, it might take a long time, but sweetness will come into your life once again when you allow it. Oh yes, it is up to you.
Today, you might have some bitterness in your heart. Nasty items to keep remembering. Scars to carry around. You do not feel worthy, you feel unloved or unwanted and you may be bitter at the hand of cards you were dealt.
Get over it! That is too much to pay for the happiness and contentment that Jesus has for us when we are willing to release our bitterness and rage. Pray about it. You have my permission to beat up on God for the way you think He has guided life around you.
Don’t get so far away from Him where you can’t hear Him say from the cross how much He really does love you and accepts you. You have been given a second chance to make things right.
It is called, in the game world, a do over. Now go on and do it over again as if you never did it before.
Oh yes, one more thing. God does not have a memory when it comes to sin that has been forgiven. You are as clean as a whistle.
Doesn’t that make you want to just sing a song? Gone, gone, gone gone, yes my sins are gone. Now my soul is ringing and it my hearts a song, buried in the deepest sea, yes that is good enough for me, I will reign eternally, Praise God, my sins are gone
Neither do I condemn you------------------------Go and sin no more!
God’s magnificent valentine’s gift to you is recorded from the cross.
I LOVE YOU
AMEN and AMEN
I used Scott Bales introduction to this sermon. I give him the credit.
