Do YOU Throw Stones?
John 8:1-11
Intro: John is a book showing Jesus in all His glorious power as the Son of God. The Gospel of John is a book about life.
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
10The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
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.
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. (This was not about the woman but was a trap 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
A) Pays no attention to them (It seems)
1) Jesus stooped to the ground and with His finger
wrote on the ground.
But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, £as though He did not hear. (John 8:6)
a) Jesus was showing them His authority
2) What did He write?
a) Did Jesus’ fingers write their secret sins
on the ground?
(Let’s let our minds wonder---could it have been..)
1.Mestulan has stolen treasure from the treasuries
2.Asher has committed adultery with his brothers
wife
3.Shalum has committed perjury
4.Eled has struck his father
5.Amarich has committed sodomy
6.Joel 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 could
have been sentenced to death by stoning.
B) Indignant– Angered at unfairness
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
JOHN 8.7 “he who is without sin among you,
let him be the first to throw a
stone at her.”
3) And they begin to leave...
4) 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 8.11
a) Where are they are there none that accuse you?
11 She said to him , “No one, sir"
b) "Neither Do I condemn you......"
”Then Jesus said, “I don’t condemn you either. Go
home, and from now on do not sin any more.”
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!!
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
1) In this Gospel Jesus is many times called the
light of the world.
2) Go and let you light shine
3) “Mercy from God calls for a life unto God.”
Let me change how you live so that others will see me through you Jesus says!
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.
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.”
What can we do Christians?
1) Don’t pick up a stone. Lead them to Jesus by the
light that is within you.
2) Be quick to forgive not quick to condemn.
So do you throw rocks?
