But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning He came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law (of which we’re experts), Moses commanded us to stone such women. So, what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against Him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask Him, He stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more He bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” (John 8:1-11)
INTRO
Before returning to Galilee, Jesus goes back to the Temple where He’s presented with a woman who’s been caught in the act of adultery. Lev. 20:10 & Dt. 22:22 prescribes the death penalty for this. Death penalty for both btw, not just the woman. Interestingly, John tells us that they brough just the woman, not the man.
It’s a very clever, devious rather, predicament that they’ve placed Jesus in. It’s my personal opinion that this is an intentional set up to entrap Jesus.
-If He refuses to follow through with the Mosaic Law and stone her, it will show that He doesn’t uphold the Law of Moses.
-Technically, only the Romans could implement capital punishment. Doing so on the Temple Mount would’ve been impossible to ignore forcing the Romans to take action.
So, what will Jesus do?
He stoops down and begins writing in the dirt.
He famously says, "Let he who is without sin among you throw the first stone."
He then stoops down and writes in the dirt a second time.
Not the response we were expecting.
There are a lot of theories about what He wrote.
In my opinion, let me emphasize in my opinion, I believe that He possibly may have been writing Dt. 17:6-7. Again, this is just my opinion.
Dt. 17:6 On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. Dt. 17:6
Dt. 17:7: The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting that person to death, and then the hands of all the people.
There's a bit of a Mosaic Law loophole here that the "experts" in their rush to entrap Jesus have overlooked.
1-You need at least two witnesses to implement stoning for adultery
2-The punishment would be for the couple, not just the woman and
3-The witnesses would throw the first stones.
Legalists are always quick to pass judgment.
So, you see, they’re the ones not upholding the Law.
“And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones.” (8:8-9).
Oldest leaves first. Why? There are a few benefits to getting older. Like Kenny Rogers, when you’re older you’ve learned when to hold em, when to fold em and when to walk away. Whereas the younger ones may be thinking we can still win this, the old ones know it’s a time to walk away. They’re not going to win this one. And so they exit the scene.
In bringing this woman to be stoned without 2 witnesses, they’re not practicing the Law of Moses. It shows their hearts. They’re quick to judge.
The Religious are always quick to judge arent they?
Ever notice that some Christians seem to think that they’re always on a self appointed spiritual jury duty. They’re always issuing their verdicts of guilty on various people and situations they know very little about.
Prov 18:17 “In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.”
Secondly, and by contrast
2-We see God’s heart.
“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” (Jn. 8:10-11).
There’s this beautiful moment between Jesus and the woman caught in the act.
It shows us who and what God is like because Jesus is God.
Q: Where did they go? What just happened?
Q: Did anyone condemn you to die?
A: No, Lord.
Easter eggs are secrets, tricks, and jokes hidden in pieces of media, such as TV series, movies, video games, websites, and so on. Usually hard to spot, they might reveal a new detail or clues about the story, or simply pay homage to an inspiration that the creators loved. Alfred Hitchcock English novelist and filmmaker who regularly made cameos in his own movies. Star Wars – "ive got a bad feeling about this". In Back to the Future Marty McFly travels from 1985 to 1955 in the parking lot of a mall known as Twin Pines Mall. When he returns from 1955 to 1985 we see that the mall is now known as Lone Pines Mall; an indicator that the his trip to the past in which he runs over a pine, has affected the future. It's a cinematic Easter egg.
To some degree, the way in which Jesus treats this woman, is a Messianic Easter egg here. Insiders familiar with the Messianic prophecies would recognize this as an indicator.
Reed verse Isa. 42:3
A bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench; He will faithfully bring forth justice. (Isa. 42:3)
What does this mean? It sounds a bit ambiguous doesn't it.
A reed is already tender and a bruised reed is very vulnerable. Bruised heart. You’ve already been beaten down. So, the prophecy says that when the Messiah comes, He will not further beat down those who’ve already been beaten down.
The way Jesus treats this woman is a perfect example of Isa. 42:3
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (Jn. 3:17-18)
Condemn=Sentence to judgment.
You’ll notice that sinners are drawn to Jesus, not the Pharisees. Since He conversed and dined with them, Matthew tells us that the Pharisees pejoratively referred to Jesus as “a friend of sinners” (Mt. 9:11; 11:16-19).
This is good news for all of us, because we're all sinners.
With Jesus there’s grace with the Pharisees there’s judgment.
Most people have already had plenty of condemnation.
The Pharisees had a reputation for kicking you when you were already down, crushing "bruised reeds".
Few are looking for more condemnation. Sadly, the pharisees seem to have no concern for the woman who was involved and they’re going to use the situation to trap Jesus.
ILLUS: COMPASSION
I once read an interesting story about a Christian police officer regarding traffic accidents in which someone had been injured. "At the scene of these accidents there are three groups of people, each with a different response toward those involved in the accident. The first group is the bystanders and onlookers. They are curious and watch to see what happens but have little active involvement. The second group is the police officers, of whom I was one. My response was to investigate the cause of the accident, assign blame, and give out appropriate warnings and punishments. The third group is the paramedics. They are the people usually most welcomed by those involved in the accident. They could care less whose fault the accident was and they did not engage in lecturing about bad driving habits. Their response was to help those who were hurt. They bandaged wounds, freed trapped people, and gave words of encouragement."
When it comes to reaching the lost and hurting, we’re going to be in one of these three groups. We will be uninvolved and let others do the work. Or we will condemn people for their foolish behavior saying things like, "It’s your own fault that you’re in this mess. If you had been going to church and doing like you should this never would have happened!" Or we will be concentrating on helping those who are lost and hurting. I hope we will be those who are showing compassion like those in the last group!
Today’s church needs to think of itself as spiritual paramedics. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were more interested in condemning and criticizing sinners than in showing compassion. We’re rightfully upset about the current state of moral values and the immoral entertainment in society today, among other things. We are called to be salt but we must be careful that our concern about these issues does not turn into condemnation and consternation toward the lost. The lost have never flocked to hear those who were condemning and they never will listen to us if we have that same attitude.
License to Sin? You may be thinking aren't you giving people a license to sin? From what I can tell most of you are sinning whether you have a license or not. Just kidding. Actually, you'll notice that whereas Jesus doesn't penalize her, i.e., this is what condemnation is-punishment for the crime, He doesn't ignore it nor does He gloss it over.
3-Notice He doesn’t deny that she’s a sinner. Whereas He doesn’t condemn her He does say “Go and sin no more.”
He doesn’t completely let her off the hook, nor gloss it over.
He doesn’t say, “Oh, that’s ok…everyone does it”.
He loves you too much not to tell you what you really need to hear.
In saying, “Go and sin no more,” Jesus was not speaking of sinless perfection. He was warning against a return to sinful lifestyle choices. His words both extended mercy and demanded holiness.
He loves her enough to tell her the truth.
Let me say that’s a part of the church’s role. May we never be known as a condemning people and yet nor can we pretend that sin will not ultimately destroy. We have to speak the truth in love. We cannot gloss over sin either and yet not be known as condemning people...like the religious.
ILLUS: Don’t play in the streets. My generation grew up playing non-digital games, e.g. football, baseball, etc. but all our our parents insisted that we not play in the streets. Why not? Sooner or later you'll probably get hit by an oncoming car. They weren't not kill joys but simply wanted to protect us.
With forgiveness comes the expectation that we will not continue in the same path of rebelliousness. Those who know God’s love will naturally want to obey Him (Jn. 14:15).
She’s guilty yet He doesn’t condemn. This is the essence of the gospel Jn. 3:17
You’re guilty but not condemned.
Rom. 8:1 there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
4-Jesus shields her from the penalty. He shields her from the rocks.
He shields you and I from the penalty.
Jn the Baptist. “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29)
Look! Do you see what you’re looking at? You’re looking at the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.
The Passover Lamb.
You’re looking at the One who’s going to die in your place, for your sins.
Stones were about to be thrown at her. Jesus shields her.
So, what does this mean for you and I?
For starters, may we be slow to condemn.
Secondly, may we see ourselves as spiritual paramedics
Third, let's speak the truth in love.
Fourth, for some of you perhaps today is the day that you lay aside that which so easily besets you. Let today be the day that you repent and go and sin no more and be all that God desires you to be.
Finally, John 3:16-18.
The world without Jesus is already condemned. There's no need to kick them while they're down. Yet, because of Jesus and His great love, although we're guilty we need not be condemned.
People love to quote “let He who is without sin throw the first stone” and I get it and of course agree but we have to also remember the rest of His words…go and sin no more.
Jesus came to die for religious people too.
CONCLUSION
There was one there without sin who could’ve cast the first stone-Jesus.
Jesus offers a fresh start.
Why not come to Him today. He will stand between you and the judgment you deserve.
A bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench; He will faithfully bring forth justice. (Isa. 42:3)
PRAYER
