The Feast of Tabernacles was a grand celebration. Food! Reunions! Parties! According as the Lord had commanded, families constructed special temporary shelters and camped out in them — to remind them of the travels of their forefathers through the Wilderness. Along with the great feasting came over-indulgence and even immorality. Sin has its ways of corrupting even the best of things.
On the last day of the Feast, that great day, Jesus had stood in the temple court and shouted, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” A wonderful invitation for the needy to come to Him for refreshment and cleansing and new life!
Then Jesus may have spent the night praying in the gardens outside the city, or maybe he slept in the house of a friend in Bethany or on the Mt. Of Olives as in Lk.21:37,38.
Early in the morning Jesus was back in the temple courts, teaching the people. Clusters of people hung around, some only staying for a few minutes, others lingering and wondering what this new Teacher had to say.
Everyone turned to see what was going on when, scuffling, shoving, and angry, a group of men came dragging and yanking at a woman. She was cursing, screaming, and violently twisting to try to escape whatever they planned to do to her. Behind them, very ceremoniously, walked lawyers and Pharisees, sober-faced and intent. Yesterday they had been foiled. This time they had hatched the perfect snare and someone had found a wicked woman in the midst of her sin to provide just the right setting. This time they would not fail to trap Jesus.
The woman knew the temple courts would mean a trial and punishment. But instead of dragging her toward any judges they brought her to Jesus, the teacher from Nazareth! What did they have in mind?
The guards derived a twisted pleasure out of manhandling her. They threw her into the open space right in front of Jesus and circled to keep her from escaping. Defiantly she spit on them.
There was a proper court for this matter, but they brought this woman to Jesus in order to trap Him. If he agreed to the Death Penalty that Moses had stipulated, He would be in trouble with the Romans. But if He tried to avoid condemning her, the people would think that Jesus did not care for the law of Moses. Besides the Pharisees knew Jesus’ proneness to forgive sinners.
“Here! Master!” they shouted,
… 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?
I have a question! If they found her in the very act, where was the man? These men were cowards. They were not interested in justice. They were only interested in trapping Jesus. She was just the bait in their trap. They cared nothing about her or about justice.
That’s not the way it was with Jesus. Isa.42:3 had predicted of the Messiah,
3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
Jesus was the —
THE DEFENDER OF THE WEAK
She was defenseless. She could not hire a lawyer. There was no man to take up for her. People would only cluck about how wicked the times had become. Intimidated by the police and by the religionists, she would be harassed and hooted out of the public square.
She was embarrassed in front of everyone. She might even be stoned, but no one seemed to care.
In terror and panic, her frightened eyes must have furtively searched for a way to escape. Jesus’ silence must have been deafening. She burned with anger and embarrassment.
As always, Jesus refused to take the position of judge. Jn.3:17 explains,
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Someday He will be the Judge of the Universe, but not now!
Jesus bent over and wrote on the Ground. What did He write? This is the only place in the Bible that Jesus wrote something and we do not know what it was. Was He tracing pictures? Or letters?
J. Vernon McGee thinks Jesus wrote the names of their secret women from other cities. We’ll never really know.
Maybe He was just buying time, letting the consciences of the accusers soak in their own hatefulness.
They kept prodding Him. What shall we do with her?
Hateful looks darted from the woman to the guards and the Pharisees. Even to Jesus.
The guards and the Pharisees looked contemptuously at everyone else.
People shuffled and wondered what would happen next.
Finally Jesus spoke, “Let him that is without sin, first cast a stone at her.” It was the responsibility of the lead witness to throw the first stone.
Dead silence! Fiery, all-knowing stares from Jesus to each accuser!
One man looked at his watch, glanced sideways and whispered, “I’m late for an appointment.” Then he vanished.
Another suddenly remembered his stand at the market place and hurried out, not even trying to cover up. He just wanted out of there!
Another pulled at his beard in rage, then decided not to tangle with that angry Nazarene.
One Pharisee hmped his arrogance, sickened by losing this chance to ruin Jesus, then shuffled off.
Each man’s conscience was screaming, “You know you’re guilty! You dirty skunk!”
Beginning at the most honored and running to the last accuser, one by one they sneaked away.
Jesus took her case! He became her Defense Attorney! He drove off the Prosecution by challenging their consciences. Jesus Christ saw deep into each man’s heart. He knew whether those very men had visited her kind of business. He also knew whether they would have liked to but refrained out of fear they would get caught! The fiery eyes of the Son of God convinced the hollow professors of religion they did not want to tangle with this Attorney. Shamefully, they exited, slinking away like snakes deprived of their prey.
Jesus was left alone with the woman.
“Mercy and misery met together.
A sinner and the Saviour in the temple of God,
face to face and alone.”
(A. A. Ramsay in Biblical Illustrator (Ages Software) at John 8:3).
This only means that the accusers sneaked away, for right after this, Jesus began preaching to the people who were still there. So there were still people gawking and wondering what would happen.
Tenderly He spoke, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” He smiled slightly. She caught the twinkle,
“No man, Lord.”
“Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more.”
Since the Prosecution had dropped charges, and there was no judge to preside, Jesus dismissed the case for lack of evidence.
But I believe He also did something only God can do — He forgave her sins and purified her heart! Hallelujah! He sent her out to “Go and Sin No More!!”
If God had not forgiven her sins and changed her heart, that would have been a cruel command. But you will find that the Lord’s Commands are His Enablings.
He is the Defender of the Weak. He is also —
THE HEALER OF THE BRUISED
What kind of bruises had this pitiful woman suffered throughout her life? She might have been reared in a godly home and have gone bad in rebellion. But more likely, she was brought up in the midst of abuse, cursing, sinning, foul language, cheating and stealing. Perhaps she had been abused as a child and then, feeling she was already so corrupt that no decent man would want her, she took to the life of the streets.
In her business, customers had no real love for her. They came to indulge their lusts, paid their bill and disappeared. If she saw some of her secret customers in the marketplace they would act like they never knew her. They would treat her like a scab. They would pretend that they were much too holy even to converse with such a woman of the night!! But she knew!
Some of her customers no doubt abused her. She had no alternative but just to take it.
Outside of a small circle of women just like herself, others would probably call her names. People did not want their children to be near her. Communities claimed she was unclean — dirt to the town.
How often had she cried for a friend? How many times in lonely suffering had she wished to be treated as a normal person? Religion and God and normal citizenship seemed forever impossible to her.
BUT JESUS CAME!! He is the Healer of the Bruised! With His words of comfort, He began to heal all the sores, all the bruises, all the pain of her past, all the feelings of rejection, all the bitterness. The misery of her life was washed away by the Savior’s love and forgiveness! He is the Healer of the Bruised.
In Isa.1, the Lord pleads with his backslidden nation, people who knew better, but wandered away.
4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
7 Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
Yes, their lives were messed up through their own sin, but the Lord invites them to return. He wants to heal their bruises.
What is bruised in your life? What pain have you endured? Bring it to Jesus. He is the Healer of the Bruised.
“The Healer”
On the cross crucified in great sorrow He died
The Giver of life was He
Yet my Lord was despised and rejected of men
This Jesus of Calvary
Price for healing was paid as those cruel stripes were made
Within Pilate’s judgment hall
Now His sufferings afford perfect healing for all
This wonderful Healer’s mine
Came the leper to Christ saying “Surely I know
That Thou, Lord, canst make me whole”
When His great faith was seen Jesus said “Yes, I will”
And touched him and made him clean
He has healed my sick soul, made me every whit whole
And He’ll do the same to you
He’s the same yesterday and today and for aye
This Healer of men today
He was wounded for our transgressions
He was bruised for our iniquities
Surely He bore our sorrows
And by His stripes we are healed
(From http://www.creativeworship.com/song_info.asp?StyleID=2&return=categories.asp&SongID=212 By Lois Erwin??)
He is also the —
THE MENDER OF THE BROKEN
No doubt as a Carpenter, He had repaired broken chairs, tables, toys, doors, yokes. I think Jesus was the kind of Carpenter that could make anything out of wood. They did not build frame houses as we do today. Throughout His boyhood and into His adult life, He knew what it was to take broken pieces and restore the things better than when they were new!
How often had he looked into the teary eyes of a child with a broken toy, taken the toy tenderly into the shop, shaped a new piece and handed it back to the jubilant child? (He always had time for children.) I think He probably said, “There is no bill. It’s already paid!” At least that’s what he says when I come to Him for healing and mending.
How many ways had this woman been broken? By now she had lost all hope of ever truly loving and being loved. It seemed something inside her had been smashed to pieces, crushed so utterly it could never be repaired! But Jesus came! He is the Mender of the Broken!
Think for a moment about Peter after he betrayed Christ. Tenderly, but sadly, Jesus looked through a window and their eyes met just as the rooster crowed! Though he had just cursed and sworn that he did not even know Christ, he went out and wept bitterly. Did he try to cover up that he was leaving? Did anyone else hear him? I don’t know that Peter cared. He was so broken. He must have spent days moaning, crying, beating his hand against his head. What in the world was I doing? How could I have denied Him just when he needed a friend in the worst kind of way? And I thought I was so strong!
Right after the Resurrection, the angel promised that Jesus would meet His disciples and sent word especially to tell Peter. But in John 21, we have the story of Jesus’ dealing with Peter. He prodded him about the depth of his love and his over-confidence in his own strength. Peter was grieved, but he allowed the Lord to probe. Jesus’ love and tender prodding kept him from complete apostasy. Jesus is the Mender of the Broken.
What is there in your life that has been broken? Do you think you can never rise again? Do you despair of ever living right? Come to the Carpenter. Come to the Savior. He is the Mender of the Broken.
Jesus cares about
The Children
Abused
Corrupted
Misdirected
Uncontrolled and uncontrollable
The Chained
Bound – by habits, by relationships
Trembling – in fear, in despair Maybe even..,
Unwilling to be set free (Jesus asked one “Wilt thou be made whole?”)
The Charred
Burned out
Despair –hopeless, having already failed too many times to try again.
Hollow eyes
The haunting tune of a song comes to my mind.
Lonely Voices
Lonely voices crying in the city,
Lonely voices sounding like a child.
Lonely voices come from busy people,
Too disturbed to stop a little while.
Lonely voices fill my dreams.
Lonely voices haunt my memory.
Lonely faces looking for the sunrise,
Just to find another busy day.
Lonely faces all around the city,
Men afraid but too ashamed to pray.
Lonely faces do I see.
Lonely faces haunt my memory.
Lonely eyes I see them in the subway,
Burdened by the worries of the day.
Men at leisure, but they’re so unhappy,
Tired of foolish roles they try to play.
Lonely people do I see.
Lonely people haunt my memory.
Abundant life He came to truly give man,
But so few His gift of grace receive.
Lonely people live in every city,
Men who face a dark and lonely grave.
Lonely faces do I see
Lonely voices calling out to me.
(Words & Music by Billie Hanks, Jr. Downloaded from http://grafx-specs.com/Solitude/lonely.html Also on http://home.christianity.com/ministries/pcanews/46546.html)
Jesus is
the Defender of the Weak
the Healer of the Bruised
the Mender of the Broken
CONCLUSION
A prostitute came to [a social worker] in wretched straits, homeless, sick, unable to buy food for her two-year-old daughter. Through sobs and tears, she told [the social worker] she had been renting out her daughter — two years old! — to men interested in kinky sex. She made more renting out her daughter for an hour than she could earn on her own in a night. She had to do it, she said, to support her own drug habit. [The social worker] could hardly bear hearing her sordid story. For one thing, it made the [worker] legally liable — [she is] required to report cases of child abuse. [She] had no idea what to say to this woman.
At last [she] asked [the woman] if she had ever thought of going to a church for help. …[One] look of pure, naïve shock crossed her face, “Why would I ever go there? I was already feeling terrible about myself. They’d just make me feel worse.” (Philip Yancey, What’s So Amazing About Grace? (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1997), p.11.)
Interestingly, women like her fled toward the Christ of Grace, not away from Him. The secret is in the message of Grace. Grace to accept people where and how they are, but not necessarily leave them the way they are.
Heb.12:12-14 urges Christians to take up and carry on the work Jesus began:
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
We are His representatives. We have the Ministry of Reconciliation (II Cor.5:18). We have the joy of telling people that God wants to forgive sins, that He does not want to press charges against them if they will repent. We are to spread the word about Jesus:
He is the Defender of the Weak
He is the Healer of the Bruised
He is the Mender of the Broken
Are you Weak? Come to Jesus.
Are you Bruised? Tell it to Jesus. He is the Heavenly Physician.
Are you Broken beyond repair? Come to the Heavenly Carpenter.
Whatever your problem, Jesus can solve it.
Whatever your need, Jesus can take care of it.
Wherever there is a needy person, I pray the Lord will station a Christian to help bring that person to Jesus.
