Should Have Been Stoned
Pastor Scott Rogers
John 8:1-11
If you were one of the persons involved in this story, which one of those roles would you have played out? The Adulterer, The Accusers, or The Forgiver?
The purpose of this question is to get you to think before you answer.
Its not comfortable for any of us to admit being either the sinner or the self-righteous is it?
That is because both are deserving of the same fate.
The lesson that Jesus teaches us this morning is that we are all in need of God’s forgiveness.
Look Where the event takes place.
1. Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
2. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
3. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4. They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
There is a scandal in the church.
"My Stars!" And its a doosy!
Someone recently made the remark, concerning church conflict and struggles,
"I wish I could find a church where there was not always some kind of trouble."
Yet we find in scripture whether in the Old Testament Tabernacle/Temple, or the New Testament Church of Jeruselem all were plagued with some kind of scandulous affair, conflict
or struggle.
My advice to anyone looking for a trouble-free church is that when you find it, stay away from it or you will mess it up.
The only trouble free churches that exist are in the backyards of most churches- They are called cemetaries.
In Jesus’ day it was no different.
Things were going well and everything was running smooth.
Because God was in the place!
Oh Hallelujah! Its not enough to have some dry service of ritual where a couple of songs are sung and then the preacher stands up to give some dry speech, the people in Jeruselem on this particular Sabbath were having a service! How do we know that? Three reasons.
1. Jesus was there.
If he’s not there you may as well stay home.
2. The people were there-
being fed the Word of God .
There was a huge crowd that day, as the Evangelist, Prophet, Preist King Jesus Christ was in the house, teaching, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Things couldn’t possibly get any better and in some people’s mind it didn’t, in fact it got worse. Why? Becuase of the third reason.
3. The Devil showed up-
Some people think that if you have an anointed service, you won’t have any problems, John Chapter 8 shoots that theory in the head.
In the midst of the anointed teaching of the Master he is interupted by somebody- a group of unruly people.
Who were they?
Well it was none other than the scribes and Pharasees who were there to stop Jesus from teaching on forgiveness because they had an illustrated message on the Law. It was entitled Death for Adultery.
They would demonstrate to the congregation the penalty for breaking God’s law against adultery by stoning a woman whom they had caught in the very act.
These were the authorities on the Word of God, the teachers and elders of the synygogue.
Now get this picture!
1. Is Jesus teaching and God moving.
2. Is some self-proclaimed experts of the Law, coming in and tearing up the place-
condemining everyone else, yet sin is rampant in their own lives.
But Pastor,"This woman deserved to die!"
"She was caught in the act!"
But where was her lover who was as guilty as she?
And how was she caught?
On video?
With hidden microphone in the bedroom?
Or with these preachers and teachers hidden somewhere in the dark watching the whole thing take place?
How can this be?
Satan doesn’t mind you coming out to church all dressed up and dignified- that don’t bother him one bit.
What he does not want is for you to get a Word!
He doesn’t want you to get hold of the Truth
- that you can be saved through the blood of Jesus Christ!
- that you can be forgiven of your darkest sins!
- that you can be delivered from every imaginable chain of bondage that there is!
- that you can be healed
- that you can be filled with the Holy Ghost.
Because if you come to church and get that, well that means trouble for the Prince of the air and for demonic forces that affect this world.
You don’t think that Jesus would go to a place where he was not needed or wanted?
He didn’t come for the healthy - the self righteous and holier than thou.
But He did come came for the sick, the poor the hungry and the thirsty.
He didn’t come just so they could have themselves a little shout or a little dance and noone else be touched.
He come to changelives.
You see, if you actually were to get touched, you might go out and tell someone about it!
a. You might start rebuking those demonic spirits that have plagued your family,
b.You might start laying hands on the sick and people would be healed.
6. This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7. 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.
8. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
The real reason for this interuption?
The scribes and Pharasees were not intersted in telling the truth.
Because They should have been proclaiming who Jesus Christ was.
Instead they were interested in fame and power.
By bringing this woman before this crowd and confronting Jesus,
they hoped to openly shame him.
It was a setup either way Jesus answered, you see.
By pronouncing death upon this woman, he would be branded as a rebel of the Roman Government.
On the other hand, if he let this woman proven guilty beyond the shadow of doubt, go free He would undermine Jesus’ authority of the scriptures.
Both offenses could possibly get Him killed.
This was the mind of these murderers who wanted Jesus dead!
What would Jesus Do?
What would he say to his accuseres who it seemed had a clear case?
What should he say to the ones who were just as guilty of the sin as they had accused this woman of?
Nothing. Jesus said not one word!
This was the same reaction Jesus had at his own trial.
Speechless!
Then Jesus did something peculiar!
He stooped down and wrote something in the sand.
John does not record what he wrote.
Possibly nobody knows what it was he wrote.
Yet the agument continued as Jesus stooped down writing with His finger as if He was merely passing time.
He knelt just as though as if he never knew of the confrontation.
Seemingly, he looked as though he might have even been unconcerned-
Or Uninvolved in the matter.
It may have been to his accusers a sign of weakness as if He was struggling to find an answer.
Yet he very much was concerned and involved, and he was calm.
This was Christ incarnate
This was God Himself.
How could anyone think that they could be wise enough to stump God?
"What will you do Jesus? How will you get out of this one."
What word will you give to confound the wise?
Finally Jesus stands upright once again and addresses these accusers.
He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
You know, there is no sin that can ever trip up God.
There is no sin that if we will turn to Christ he cannot forgive!
Friend God loves you too much.
His word says so! Just Look at:
Hebrews 7: 25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Are you being harassed and accused by someone for sins commtted in the past?
Is the devil hounding you with fear and guilt saying that you’ve gone too far?
He looks to your enemies and accusers and says those piercing words...
He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
That’s all he said to the ones who caught the woman in adultery.
He said it once and then went right back to what he was doing.
Writing in the ground. Probaly drawing a stick figure for for hangman as far as we know.
Who was Jesus trying to save?
"That one is easy pastor, he was trying to save this poor woman!"
Wrongo. That’s only partly correct.
Because she was guilty of sin, her accusers were guilty of sin and of course her lover was likewise guilty of the sin of adultery.
They all deserved to die!
It is my humble opinion, that Jesus wasn’t merely on that ground writing.
I believe he may have been on that ground at that very moment interceding for those souls in need of forgiveness.
You see they all needed salvation.
God loves the adulterer, the drug user, the homosexual, He loves Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. He loves Charles Manson, and William Branham who shot and killed a Sherriff’s deputy in 1998.
He loves them no less than he loves the woman sitting here this morning wearing a nice dress or the man in dress pants, who may be hardhearted and hypocritcal.
You look good on the outside, but you are merely a whitewashed tomb.
You are so miserable with your sin, but to confess it you won’t, because someone might
actually think that you are human being.
You see, Jesus hates the sin of adultery.
But he hates the sin of hypocrisy of the scribes and phararsees just as much.
He loved them all enough to stoop down upon the ground and give them time to think about their decision.
Perhaps he was prying for conviction to strike their hearts.
The accusers needed convicting of their sin as much as the adulteress.
It does not matter where you stand this morning, if there is sin in your life, you need forgiveness.
Vile Sinners and faithful hypocrites alike, God loves you and he offers you his gift of forgiveness and salvation.
Jesus loves the person. Its the sin he hates.
9. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11. She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
You Must Make the Choice
Standing before the Great White Throne Judgement Seat of Christ is an aweful reality I hope none of us here will have to endure.
But on that day, sadly, there will be peoples of all walks of life.
There will be murderers and adulterers and homosexuals, yes
But there will also be faithful church goers and preachers and teachers and evangelists who will hear the words, "depart from me you workers of iniquity! I never knew you."
Why? Because they never turned from their own wickedness. They never truly gave their hearts to Jesus.
Their prayers for Salvation and for forgiveness were merely lip service.
They were Christian on the outside, but they were a selfrighteous hypocrite, gossiper, and a lier on the inside.
They too will stand before the Almighty because they rejected His offer of true salvation.
Jesus wants more from us than just talk he wants our hearts.
The people in this story each had a choice to make.
Their action speak loudly as each of this woman’s accusers dropped their "stone"
They did not do so in humility and conviction, but out of arrogance and pride, because they turned and fled from the The Redeemer.
Yet one remained, because she too was convicted like her accusers.
She did not remain to defend her case for she knew she did not have one.
She was in the hands of God not knowing really what her fate would be.
As far as she knew she was still "not off the hook."
She realizes that she should have been stoned.
Yet The master speaks convictingly but lovingly to her these words that have saved multitudes just like her and just like me:
Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
Knowing that there were no witneses present to accuse her any longer would have caused the case to be thrown out of court.
Yet she does not defend her actions, she is wanting more than just to get off the hook she wants genuine repentance.
No man, Lord
Jesus says:
Neither do I condemn thee:
The darkness in which sin is most often committed will keep some of you from coming to the alter this morning but you still will not be off the hook.
Your debt of sin is payable only by death.
You need a ransom. You need a pardon.
That’s why you need Jesus.
You are still in need of the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
You can have it this morning in the same measure that this woman experienced it.
The life changing power of Jesus Christ that comes in and cleanses you from all your guilty stains and sins, washes you whiter than snow, so that you may be free to :
go, and sin no more.
