Who Will Throw The First Stone?

WHO WILL THROW THE FIRST STONE?

June 18, 2023 – Pentecost 3 – JOHN 8:1-11

INTRO.: Who will throw the first stone? Who will condemn? Or judge? Human feelings and emotions interfere with pure judgment. God’s Word is the only source of true divine judgment. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to the point of dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, even being able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart” (HEBREWS 4:12). WHO WILL THROW THE FIRST STONE? I. Sinful ones can not. II. Sinless One will not.

I. SINFUL ONES CAN NOT THROW THE FIRST STONE.

A. Verse 1. Feast of Tabernacles was over. Many returned home. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

1. Verse 2. Jesus returned to the temple in Jerusalem. People came to hear Jesus.

2. As was the custom, Jesus sat down to teach. Learning was ready to begin.

B. Verse 3. Religious leaders (scribes, Pharisees) presented a woman in the temple.

1. Verse 4. They accused this woman of committing adultery.

2. Verse 5. Quoted law that demanded stoning of guilty party. Now wanted Jesus’ opinion.

a. Law required both adulterers to be present. b. Where was the man? c. Hypocrites.

C. Verse 6. Leaders were testing Jesus. Upset with Jesus for calling himself God’s Son (chapter 7)

1. Jesus writes on the ground. This was a pause. Time to think. Reflect.

2. Verse 7. Kept asking Jesus. Jesus: “Let the one…without sin be the first to throw a stone…”

3. Verse 8. Again, Jesus writes on the ground. Pause. Think. Reflect.

4. Verse 9a. One by one all left. Strange. Pharisees believed and taught that they did not sin.

D. Interesting that the Pharisees were quick to accuse. Slow to carry out judgment. Admitted by their actions that they were not as sinless as they claimed. Are we also quick to accuse? Our emotions will take us in the wrong direction. Our feelings about someone clouds our judgment. Dangerous. Ungodly. It is just all too easy to point out the faults in others without seeing our own shortcomings. Especially if we have an axe to grind. We pick apart someone’s character. Attack the bits and pieces of small faults. All the while forgetting about ourselves. “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?” (LUKE 6:41). Don’t let the beam in your eye blind you.

E. People who are not schooled in the Bible all too often misquote God’s word. “Do not judge” is one of those phrases many like to use to make their point. Invalid as that point might be. There is more, much more, to Jesus’ teaching about judging. “Stop judging, so that you will not be judged. For with whatever standard you judge, you will be judged, and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you" (MATTHEW 7:1, 2). The Lord Jesus Christ does not tell us to stop judging. We are in grave danger if we do not distinguish between good and evil. Right and wrong. Jesus reminds us that when we judge others, we also are judging ourselves. We condemn sin in others. We need to remember that we are also guilty of that same sin. Whoever sins in just one point breaks all of God’s Law.

F. Worse is when we are falsely condemned by others. People are quick to judge what they thought they saw us do. Or not do. Condemn what they thought they heard. Or not heard. Emotional, human judgment is flawed. We do not like it. False accusations hurt. Untrue statements sting. Look to Jesus. He had every right to declare his innocence. “When he was insulted, he did not insult in return. When he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 PETER 2:23). Believers, entrust yourselves to our perfect, loving heavenly Father. He knows our hearts. Judges justly!

WHO WILL THROW THE FIRST STONE? Emotional sinful ones can not throw the first stone.

II. THE SINLESS ONE WILL NOT THROW THE FIRST STONE.

A. Jesus is teaching in the temple. The religious leaders bring a woman into the temple to accuse her.

1. Jesus invites the one who is without sin to throw the first stone. Jesus writes on the ground.

2. One by one each one leaves. Even the Pharisees. They taught that they did not sin.

B. Verse 9b. Jesus and the woman are left alone in the temple. Women usually not in the temple.

1. Verse 10. Jesus asks the women where are the others?

2. “Has no one condemned you?” Good question. Accused with words. No actions taken.