WHO WILL THROW THE FIRST STONE?
June 18, 2023 – Pentecost 3 – JOHN 8:1-11
INTRO.: Who will throw the first stone? Who will condemn? Or judge? Human feelings and emotions interfere with pure judgment. God’s Word is the only source of true divine judgment. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to the point of dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, even being able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart” (HEBREWS 4:12). WHO WILL THROW THE FIRST STONE? I. Sinful ones can not. II. Sinless One will not.
I. SINFUL ONES CAN NOT THROW THE FIRST STONE.
A. Verse 1. Feast of Tabernacles was over. Many returned home. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
1. Verse 2. Jesus returned to the temple in Jerusalem. People came to hear Jesus.
2. As was the custom, Jesus sat down to teach. Learning was ready to begin.
B. Verse 3. Religious leaders (scribes, Pharisees) presented a woman in the temple.
1. Verse 4. They accused this woman of committing adultery.
2. Verse 5. Quoted law that demanded stoning of guilty party. Now wanted Jesus’ opinion.
a. Law required both adulterers to be present. b. Where was the man? c. Hypocrites.
C. Verse 6. Leaders were testing Jesus. Upset with Jesus for calling himself God’s Son (chapter 7)
1. Jesus writes on the ground. This was a pause. Time to think. Reflect.
2. Verse 7. Kept asking Jesus. Jesus: “Let the one…without sin be the first to throw a stone…”
3. Verse 8. Again, Jesus writes on the ground. Pause. Think. Reflect.
4. Verse 9a. One by one all left. Strange. Pharisees believed and taught that they did not sin.
D. Interesting that the Pharisees were quick to accuse. Slow to carry out judgment. Admitted by their actions that they were not as sinless as they claimed. Are we also quick to accuse? Our emotions will take us in the wrong direction. Our feelings about someone clouds our judgment. Dangerous. Ungodly. It is just all too easy to point out the faults in others without seeing our own shortcomings. Especially if we have an axe to grind. We pick apart someone’s character. Attack the bits and pieces of small faults. All the while forgetting about ourselves. “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?” (LUKE 6:41). Don’t let the beam in your eye blind you.
E. People who are not schooled in the Bible all too often misquote God’s word. “Do not judge” is one of those phrases many like to use to make their point. Invalid as that point might be. There is more, much more, to Jesus’ teaching about judging. “Stop judging, so that you will not be judged. For with whatever standard you judge, you will be judged, and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you" (MATTHEW 7:1, 2). The Lord Jesus Christ does not tell us to stop judging. We are in grave danger if we do not distinguish between good and evil. Right and wrong. Jesus reminds us that when we judge others, we also are judging ourselves. We condemn sin in others. We need to remember that we are also guilty of that same sin. Whoever sins in just one point breaks all of God’s Law.
F. Worse is when we are falsely condemned by others. People are quick to judge what they thought they saw us do. Or not do. Condemn what they thought they heard. Or not heard. Emotional, human judgment is flawed. We do not like it. False accusations hurt. Untrue statements sting. Look to Jesus. He had every right to declare his innocence. “When he was insulted, he did not insult in return. When he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 PETER 2:23). Believers, entrust yourselves to our perfect, loving heavenly Father. He knows our hearts. Judges justly!
WHO WILL THROW THE FIRST STONE? Emotional sinful ones can not throw the first stone.
II. THE SINLESS ONE WILL NOT THROW THE FIRST STONE.
A. Jesus is teaching in the temple. The religious leaders bring a woman into the temple to accuse her.
1. Jesus invites the one who is without sin to throw the first stone. Jesus writes on the ground.
2. One by one each one leaves. Even the Pharisees. They taught that they did not sin.
B. Verse 9b. Jesus and the woman are left alone in the temple. Women usually not in the temple.
1. Verse 10. Jesus asks the women where are the others?
2. “Has no one condemned you?” Good question. Accused with words. No actions taken.
C. Verse 11. Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.” Drastic change of events for this woman.
1. As a guilty woman she was brought into the temple. Accused. Expected to be stoned.
2. Miraculous forgiving power of Jesus takes place instead. “Neither do I condemn you.”
3. Jesus sends her on her way with the encouragement to change her sinful ways. Actions.
D. Once again, some teach that a believer does not sin. That is false. False. False. This is what the Pharisees. Believed. Taught. Followers believed this false teaching. But when they could actually live up to their heresy they did not. No one, not one, was willing to throw the first stone. Scripture clearly teaches that we can say “NO” to sin. We can flee from youthful lusts. We can avoid keeping company bad characters. We still sin. As Christ followers sin no longer controls us. We control sin. “For the grace of God…trains us to reject ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age” (TITUS 2:12). We know right from wrong. Good from evil. God’s grace gives us the strength to know and to do what is right in his sight. This is divine judgment. Stand with the Lord.
E. Our world is quick to condemn. Quick to judge. Often before any of the facts are known. Or any truth is revealed. Christians are easy prey for those who are under Satan’s spell. People like to use specific names to throw people in a bad light. A whole group or class of people are made to look guilty with unfavorable descriptions. Real. Or imagined. Oh, and those Christians…those Bible thumpers are just so narrow-minded. They are unkind. Cruel. Haters. “Look, the LORD God will help me. Who then can declare me guilty? Look, all of them will wear out like a garment. A moth will consume them” (ISAIAH 50:9). Let the world condemn. It will not last. Even the gates of hell will not prevail against the church.
F. Thankfully our Savior is the sinless One who knows us. Our hearts. And lives. Jesus will not throw the first stone. Our heavenly Father judges with mercy. Not condemnation. The Lord will and does condemn the unbeliever. Unbelievers who reject the Lord and his mercy are reject by the merciful Lord. You, I, believers understand our lost condition. Sinners from conception. “This saying is trustworthy and worthy of full acceptance: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,’ of whom I am the worst” (1 TIMOTHY 1:15). Yes, we sin. Daily. Much. One sin condemns us all. Jesus paid for all our sins!
CONCL.: Who will throw the first stone? Sinful ones cannot. We ought to throw the first stone at ourselves. Rejoice. We have the sinless One who will not throw the first stone. Instead, the Lord Jesus Christ sheds his blood to cover our sins. “So then, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (ROMANS 8:1, 2). We are set free from sin and death. We are no longer slaves to sin. Death has been swallowed up in victory. WHO WILL THROW THE FIRST STONE? Our Savior will not. We are no longer accused nor condemned. Forgiven by Jesus’ blood. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
PENT. 3 readings: NUMBERS 27:15-23; 1 CORIN. 4:1-7; MATTHEW 9:35-10:8; (PSALM 100)
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