Intro: The Gospel of John is a book about life. You say what? I thought is a book showing Jesus in all His glorious power as the Son of God. But what do we find the purpose of the book to be?
John 20.31 “These have been written (miracles and signs) so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.”
Not just ordinary life but abundant life John 10.10
The apostle’ primary purpose was to evangelize. His goal was the preaching of the Gospel so that others would come to know God! (Church growth strategy of the apostle’s.)
In this gospel we find the Greek word Zoë, is found 36 times in the gospel of John. Life through Christ is the focus of their evangelism.
It is life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last for ever.
How sad it is that we see in John chapter 8 the Pharisees bringing a woman to Jesus so that he would either condemn her or Himself.
In this story we see the devils devices to destroy us as Christians and discredit Christ himself.
I. The Stoners strategy
A) To Trap Him with a technicality
1) Woman caught (displayed and humiliated)
2) Law requires stoning
a) If he does not condemn her then he disregards the Law of Moses.
b) If He does condemn then He disregards His own
teachings of mercy and grace.
How often it is that even other Christians would rather catch us in legalism instead of the liberty of Christianity.
John N Darby
“It comforts and quiets the depraved heart of man if he can only find a person worse than himself: he thinks the greater sin of another excuses himself; and while accusing and vehemently blaming another, he forgets his own evil, He thus rejoices in iniquity.”
B) To turn Him over to the authorities
1) Only the Romans had the authority to execute criminals in Jesus’ day.
2) If Jesus said stone her then they had Him. (Wasn’t about the woman’s sin it was really about their hatred for Jesus)
They were willing to sacrifice her to get to Him.
Are Christians today willing to sacrifice others?
Testing Jesus shows their lack of a real relationship with God.
II. The Redeemer’s Response (3 Stages)
A) Indifference (to their accusations not their sin)
1) Jesus stooped to the ground and with His finger wrote on the ground. 8.6
a) Pharisaical schools either used wood and wax to write or they wrote in the dirt.
b) Jesus was showing them His authority
2) What did He write?
a) Many interpretations
b) Best two I have found.
1) One Scholar: If Jesus was seated he could only write 16 Hebrew characters without moving.
Exodus 23.1 “You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.”
23.8 “Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty.”
a) It is thought that the girl was probably only 12 or 12 ½ year old.
b) Probably married, 2 witness say the scholars means he woman was probably set up to be used against Jesus. (Frame Job)
2) Jer 17.13 “O Lord, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You will be put to shame, those who turn away on earth will be written down, because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the Lord. (The Pharisees may have thought of this)
3) Two: A Russian Orthodox Church Bishop
Nikolai Velimnowich St. Vladimirs (Church tradition)
a) With Jesus’ fingers he wrote their secret sins
M (estulan) has stolen treasure from the treasuries
A(sher) has committed adultery with his brothers wife
S(halum) has committed perjury
E(led) has struck his father
A(marich) has committed sodomy
J(oel) has worshipped idols.
4) The Lord knows our sins.
a) They were condemning He was redeeming
b) If he had uttered their sins they too would have been sentenced to death by stoning.
B) Indignant– Angered at unfairness (no biblical evidence my OP)
1) Why only the woman and not the man.
a) The Law said both would die.
b) Where was the man?
2) Who is worthy to sentence her
a) After writing on the ground
1) 8.7 “he who is without sin among you, let him be the first one to throw a stone at her.”
2) exit stage right.
3) book of revelation
none are worthy except the lamb to open the scrolls of judgment.
C) Inspired -- God’s son could act not other way. (He makes their wisdom foolishness.)
1) Masters Mercy John 8.11a
a) Where are they are there none that accuse you?
b) Neither Do I condemn you.
Took 2 witness to condemn
c) Why does Jesus say this?
1) John 3.17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world
through Him.” (NIV)
2) Grace is free share it!
2) Masters Challenge John 8.11b
a) Go and sin no more. (not sin as little as possible)
John Piper “Salvation is not good news if it only saves you from hell and not for God.”
Church we must realize we were saved to serve!
b) God in no way indorses our sin!
1) No room for excuses!
2) No room for abuses!
(Love the Lord and love you neighbor)
3) I can’t control myself “greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world”
4) Its genetic. When you are saved you become a “new creation.”
5) I’ve tried I don’t have the ability. “These things are impossible with man but with God all things are possible”
c) Jesus is challenging us to change our way of life.
a) Go and sin no more (encouragement from the sinless one)
1) In this Gospel Jesus is many times called the light of the world.
2) Go and let you light shine
3) WBC “Mercy from God calls for a life unto God.”
Go change how you live so that others will see me through you Jesus says!
Conclusion: God offers us both grace and a challenge today. Grace if we accept his forgiveness of our sins. Acknowledging that we have fallen short of God’s perfection. We ask God to forgive us based on the finished work of Jesus on the Cross of Calvary.
When we have grace we enter into His challenge. I hope Christ’s word’s echo in you ears all week “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone.”
We must condemn no one but offer God’s grace to everyone.
We must recognize the need for all people to be perfected by an ongoing walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Life lived to the full for God every day.
If you read the story of the Samaritan woman in Chapter 4 of John you find that
John 4.39
“From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things I have done.”
Showing them the rock means telling them of how He changed your Life.
Experiencing the grace of God naturally leads to wanting to tell others about Jesus, The God who forgives much.
What can we do Christians?
1) Don’t pick up a stone show them the rock. Lead them to Jesus by the light that is within you.
2) Be quick to forgive not quick to condemn.
3) But no one knows how I feel
Jesus was beaten, mocked, ridiculed, humiliated, and then finally crucified. And still he said forgive them for they know not what they do!
So are you a stoner?
