Sermon Tone Analysis

That you may Believe and have Life #23

John 7:53-8:11

 

Well we will take one more venture into the book of John today before taking a break until the first of the year.

Beginning next week we will be walking on sacred ground as we talk about the great trusts that God gives us in Time, Talents, and Treasures and what he expects in return from us.

It is important for us to constantly be reminded of these truths so I hope you will be with us for these important four weeks.

Then we will move into the Advent Season as we celebrate the coming of Christ as Immanuel, God with us.

And before we all know it, we will be at the beginning of a new year.

With that said, let me encourage you, you do NOT want to miss next Sunday.

I promise you that next Sunday you will see something that you have most likely never seen on a Sunday in Church.

I have been attending church faithfully for nearly 43 years and while I HAVE heard of it in rare cases, nevertheless, I have never personally experienced it.

What is it?

You will have to be with us next Sunday to see.

But don't miss it.

I am NOT be facetious but very serious, this is a unique opportunity to be a part of a month long illustration of the Truth of God's word.

If you miss next Sunday you will miss something exciting.

Now with that said, let's press forward into a very interesting passage for many reasons

 

As we begin, I think of two important verses that will help us understand today's passage … the first is John 1:14 - /the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory of the one and only who came from the Father, FULL OF GRACE and TRUTH/

 

Yes that's how Jesus came FULL of BOTH Grace AND truth.

And also remember that the WORLD System, at whose heart is the work of Satan, seeks always to force us into it's pattern

 

Romans 12:1 says /be not conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind … /

 

Forgiveness and Transformation is what Jesus is about

 

John Chapter 8 begins with a passage with much to teach us and many questions … we must begin with verse 53 of chapter 7. 

READ 7:53 - 8:11

 

Now I need to spend a few minutes talking about this passage, then I want to describe this story again, and then I will make some quick but critical observations to lead our understanding as a church and as individuals of the important teachings

 

So,

Here is the " problem", if you will.

This passage, most all scholars will agree … does not appear in the oldest of Greek Manuscripts available to us today.

Not only that, but some of the earliest writers do not refer to the story.

So it begs the question, did this really happen in the life of Christ?

Does it belong in the Bible?

Does it belong here?

Why do we study it?

Well I'll give you the bottom line from my study and from the many scholars who have weighed in over the years …

 

Most if not all scholars believe that this is a real … albeit lost for a time account of a historical event in the life of Christ … So, does it belong in the gospels?

IF it is true, yes it fits the message and purpose of the gospel, the only problem is not knowing the author.

Does it belong here in this place in John?

There is much debate over this question.

In the older texts, it has been placed in roughly five different places four others in John and one other in Luke.

Some say that the writing style doesn't fit John and others say it better fits Luke.

While still others say it fits fine right here, others say no.

I think there are good arguments on both sides

Why do we study it?

Because we believe it DID happen in the Life of Christ.

And, because we can see ourselves, in different ways in this story and there is much for us to learn about ministry, about life, about ourselves, and our Lord.

Jesus comes back into the Temple after spending the night on the Mount of Olives … bet you didn't realize Jesus was a camper huh? …

 

He is teaching.

He was seated in the Court of the Women, that is the part of the Temple where all of Israel could enter.

That's where this spectacle begins.

You can imagine them dragging this woman … disheveled, clothes thrown on, tossing her into the midst of those listening to the famous teacher and then offering a question meant to catch him.

If John DID write this story, it would follow his pattern of often explaining a situation from the 20~/20 hindsight.

He says in verse 6 /"they were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.”/

Can't you hear the venom in their voice.

They had previously called Jesus a deceiver and now the call him "Teacher".

It is as if they are saying … /"teach us something about the law" … /

Then referring to their victim /… "THIS woman was caught in the act … the law of MOSES, /(namedropping) /says stone her … what do you say"/

 

What was the trap?

If Jesus said NO, then he disagreed with Moses and the people would revolt

If he said YES, then he broke the Roman law which enabled them alone to pronounce a death penalty

So, they HAD him … either we discredit him with the people or we convict him with Rome …

 

I want to ask something?

Where was the MAN?

They were standing on the letter of the law of Moses, but Lev.

20:10; Dt. 22:22 call for BOTH man and woman to be given the same punishment of death.

If /"caught in the act"/ where is he?

One writer suggested that perhaps he was in on the scheme.

But perhaps the fact that they were not interested in fair, true, equal justice is why Jesus had no patience for their request for action …

But Jesus doesn't get into a legal discussion with them.

He did a little writing.

While he was writing, /"they kept on questioning him"/ probably more loudly, more agitated that he seemed to be ignoring them.

He said /"IF any ONE of you is without sin, let him be the FIRST to throw a stone at her." /

 

Dt.

17:7 required the witnesses of offense to be the first to commence the stone throwing, AND if it finds that they were not truthful, THEY will themselves bear the stoning.

But Jesus takes it further, /you who are without sin, cast the first stone/.

Could it be, that there in the sand, Jesus was just making a little list of sins?

Could it be that perhaps he wrote out the 10 commandments.

The 10th commandments says you are not to covet your neighbor’s wife, goods, or property … so desiring was equal to the commandment against the act of adultery.

Either way, with the writing in the sand, Jesus says /"who is sinless … step up and throw" /

The finger of God wrote the 10 commandments and who but the finger Immanuel, God with Us, to interpret the Law of God

Perhaps Jesus was holding out a stone ready for them to start up

But before anyone gets caught up in self-righteousness, he bends over and starts writing again

 

What could he have written differently?

Did he continue adding to his list, more sins, more commandments?

Or could it be that he was beginning to put down names next to the sins?

First names …

And they began to go away, one at a time, the older first, until Jesus was the only one left with the woman

 

Jesus was always wonderful at teaching lessons, using drama fully, allowing the situation to paint the picture as much as anything else

 

There was just Jesus and the Woman left …

 

You know when it comes down to it, I will have no accusers nor supporters standing with me, it will just be me and Jesus and that is the only interaction that matters …

And Jesus stands up again and she stands before him and he asks

/“WOMAN”/ - no understand … they called her/ "THIS woman" /which was a very derogatory way to say it … but Jesus dropped the definer "/THIS/" and called her simply calls her

/“Woman”/ … which in that day, in that way was a sign of HONOR not of disrespect.

It was like calling her something like "Madame, or Mame …"

And he asks

/"Where are they?"/

/"Has no one condemned you?"/

/"No one, Lord"/

/"Go now and leave your life of sin"/

 

A beautiful story, that stands very much on its own … so I will not spend a lot of time explaining it … but there are some things that I think we must see

 

If we are going to be a church like Christ, we have to recognize some things from this passage.

Let me point them out quickly …