JOHN 8:1-11 "WHY JESUS DID NOT CONDEMN THE ADULTEROUS WOMAN"
* These verses gives us the well known story of the woman who was taken in adultery,
and was brought before Jesus. * This story should cause us to love Jesus more,
* And to have more understanding and sympathy for sinners.
* There are many spiritual truths in this story & I hope to make some of them clear & meaning-
ful to you as I bring this message on "Why Jesus did not condemn the adulterous woman."
* First of all, let’s read the story carefully so that we’ll have it fresh in our minds.
(1) SEE WHAT HAPPENED! * Jesus went to the Mount of Olives into the temple area early in
the morning. * As He sat there teaching the people,
* The scribes & Pharisees brought a woman unto Him & placed her in the midst of the crowd.
A) I’m sure that the men in the crowd, even the religious ones, who came to hear Jesus,
* began to shout their condemnation against the woman!
B) I can see her now, standing there, embarrassed, blushing, her eyes looking down,
* ashamed even to look up into the faces of her accusers.
C) It’s possible that she had committed adultery with some of the very men in the crowd!
* No doubt she felt the unfairness of her condemnation when nothing was done with the men
with whom she had sinned. * Where was the man at with whom she was with that morning?
* Perhaps she didn’t know of the compassion of Jesus & was even fearful of Him!
(2) THE TRAP THEY SET! * They were setting a trap for Jesus!
* They were trying to push Him into a corner - v.6 "This they said tempting Him ......."
A) If Jesus had said "Don’t stone the woman," then He would condone sin and seem to be
against the law of Moses, or so they thought!
B) If He said, "Stone her," He would’ve violated the Roman law, for the Roman law would
not have permitted a woman to be put to death without a trial.
C) They thought they had Him trapped! * He would be condemned regardless of what His
answer was! * But Jesus was too smart for them to fall into such a trap!
* He knew the hearts of all the men who were there, He knew what their motives were!
* He knew they wasn’t interested in the law of Moses or concerned about the woman!
(3) THE SOLUTION! * Jesus didn’t stare or look at the woman to embarrass her.
* He stooped down and began to write on the ground. * We’re not told what He wrote,
* But the enemies of Jesus kept shouting for an answer. * I can hear them as they shout,
* "She’s committed adultery & is not worthy to live! Condemn her, kill her!"
A) Note v.7! * "He lifted up Himself ..." * This means He looked them straight into their
faces and stared at them, and said, "He that is without sin among you , let him first ......."
B) I can imagine that Jesus again stared at them, perhaps looking from one to the other.
* V.8 says "And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground."
C) We’re not told exactly what He wrote, but we are told because of what He wrote,
* "they beginning at the eldest even unto the last, went away one by one."
D) I believe this indicates that Jesus wrote on the ground the very sins of these men beginning
with the eldest! * Perhaps He wrote the word "liar," & looked at every man who ever lied.
* Or ... "thief," and stared at every man that had stolen!
* No doubt He wrote the dates down when different ones of them had actually committed
adultery and those who had lusted in their heart!
E) Every one of them were convicted (condemned) in their own conscience & left one by one.
* Please notice, there were some in the Temple who came to hear Jesus preach!
* They left also! * There was not one single person in that crowd who wasn’t guilty of sin!
F) Only two remained; The poor condemned woman, the other was the uncondemning Savior!
* One was the sinner, the other was the Savior!
G) Jesus asked, "Woman, where are those thine accusers ..." * Woman replied, "No man ......."
* Then Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more."
H) Why did Jesus not condemn her? * Have you ever wondered why?
* It was certainly not because He condoned her sin! * He had condemned immorality before!
* You recall that He said, "If a man looks upon a woman to lust after her, he’s committed ......."
* He not only condemned the act of adultery, but the very thought or desire to commit adultery.
I) We recall on some occasions, He called men "whited sepulchers, full of dead men’s ......."
* Jesus hates sin! * Why did He not condemn her?
* I think there are many great truths for us in the fact that He didn’t condemn her,
* And I will mention them in this message tonight:
(4) MEN CANNOT JUDGE OTHERS! * Let me explain something here concerning judging!
* Did you know that God allows Pastors and Preachers to make judgments on people?
* In 2 Tim.4:2 "Preach the word; be instant ... reprove, rebuke, exhort with all ......."
* Turn to Heb. 13:7 and 17! * Illus. Acts 8:13-24 * Note v.21 "thy heart is not right in the ..."
* Acts 5:1-11 Ananias and Sapphira. * John 7:24 "Judge not according to the ......."
* In Mt.7:20 "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."
* Jesus didn’t condemn the woman as the other men were condemning her because He taught
that no mere man can judge another person!
A) You recall His words in Matt.7:1-2 "Judge not ... For with what ........"
* Not one of us has the ability to judge another! * We don’t know the facts in the case.
* We don’t know the circumstances of another’s sins!
B) We don’t know the power of the temptation, we don’t know of another’s weakness!
* We don’t know the pressures under which they were led to sin."
C) God wouldn’t have us condone sin, but He would certainly not have us to condemn the sinner.
* We are not wise enough! * Gal.6:1-3 "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault ......."
(5) WE ARE NOT WORTHY! * Jesus didn’t condemn her because ... to teach us that no person,
* is worthy to condemn another sinner! * Matt.7:3-5 "And why ......."
A) One of the greatest weaknesses of human nature is for us to condemn others and often for the
very weaknesses that we are guilty of ourselves! (Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggert)
* Get you a stone! * If you are without sin, then you cast the first stone!
(6) SHE CONDEMNED HERSELF! * Jesus taught if we would judge ourselves, we would ...
* This means if we would see our sins, judge our sins, repent of our sins,
* we would not be judged by God or by men!
A) This woman saw her sin and condemned herself and repented!
* You ask, "How do you know she done this?" * The Bible says and it teaches us that:
* except a person repents, he can’t be forgiven!
* Jesus forgave her, therefore she had to repent!
(7) JESUS CAME NOT TO CONDEMN! * John 3:17 "For God sent not his Son into ......."
* Jesus hates all sin, our sin, your sin, my sin! * But He loves the sinner!
* We should never forget this! * We should despise the sin, but love the sinner; Jesus did!
(8) IT ILLUSTRATES GOD’S GRACE! * Instead of condemning this woman, He forgave them.
* This illustrates His saving grace! * She had committed a serious sin.
* She had been immoral! * She was unclean! * But in spite all this, Jesus forgave her,
* and said, "Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more."
A) Jesus did not forgive her because she promised not to sin any more, although He commanded
her not to sin no more! * Some people believe that:
* They can’t ask God to forgive them until they feel sure that they will never sin again!
* There is no person that can honestly say to God, "if you forgive me, I’ll never sin again!"
B) Jesus saves us in order to give us power not to sin, not because we promise not to sin!
* The Bible does not teach that we must quit sin to be saved, neither that we must promise,
* not to sin again in order to be saved! * Friend, we are saved because we are sinners!
* After we’re saved, we are given the power to live a victorious life! 1 Jn.2:1 "My little ..."
* Illus. If you had appendicitis, you wouldn’t go to the Dr. and say, "As soon as I get rid
of this appendicitis, I want an operation."
CLOSE:
A) What if she had refused His forgiveness? * Suppose she said, "Jesus, I appreciate your love
for me, and your willingness to forgive me."
* "But I prefer to go on in my sin, continue to be condemned, continue to be ashamed,
* until this sin ruins my life and I land in a burning hell."
B) She would have been a fool! * And yet, this is the same attitude of many listening to me now!
* Come to Jesus!
