The Woman Taken In Adultery John 8 1

The Woman Taken In Adultery John 8: 1 -11

The Service 1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. Mount of Olives is east of Jerusalem about 7/8 s of a mile on the way to Bethany. The Lord had gone in contrast with the Sanhedrin members Probably on His way to Bethany - the home of Mary, Martha & Lazarus

The Service 1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. Early in the morning - orthros - daybreak, dawn, early morning Jesus returned to the temple A large audience assembled & He sat down - posture for teaching Matt. 5: 1; 23: 2; Mk. 9: 35 Excitement prevailed because of the authorities’ antagonism

The Interruption 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. scribes - copied the law & were regarded as expert interpreters Pharisees - strict traditionalist religious sect antagonistic to Jesus -He denied the authority of human tradition & treated their position & influence

The Interruption 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. They sought to embarrass Him and to impair his influence they wanted to use the woman’s case as an opportunity to ensnare Him The court was the proper tribunal to try her case No right to make of her a public spectacle No care for moral values - motivated by selfish advantage

The Interruption 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. brought - ago - to lead by laying hold of - dragged by physical force caught in - katalambanō - to detect, catch; seize The man involved was not taken Significant in determining their motives They should have taken them both to court - not to Jesus Deut. 22: 22 “If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; thus you shall purge the evil from Israel. Lev. 20: 10 “If there is a man who commits adultery with another man's wife, one who commits adultery with his friend's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. ”

The Interruption 5 "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say? " Reminded Him the law of Moses required the stoning Deut. 22: 22 Pretend respect for the law & the desire to see it obeyed Clear hypocrisy A wicked purpose without regard for the Law or the woman For centuries the Jews had not accepted the edict literally, nor had their courts administered it The Romans took capital punishment from them Jn. 18: 31; 19: 7 The question was without practical significance - raised for the wrong purpose & by the wrong people

The Trap 6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. Intention - impale Jesus on the horns of a dilemma Hoped to convict Him in court & destroy His influence with the people Say she should not be stoned - say He is against the law of Moses Say she should be stoned - violating Roman law Hoping He would deny the validity of the law of Moses

The Writing on the Ground 6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. Wrote on the ground - ignoring them Knew their hearts & motives Indicates deliberate silence Don’t have to answer immediately - calm deliberation of words Delay in answering will multiply their embarrassment Intelligible words or doodling? Useless to speculate The scribes and Pharisees were unwilling to accept silence

The Decision 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. " Persisted in their effort to force Jesus to reply Asking over & over - epimenō - to stay on Jesus was sitting - stooped to write Jesus raised himself up & said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. ” The witnesses must throw the first stone Get on with it - He will have nothing to do with it None of them were without sin - did not bring the man, did no go to the court, did not respect the Roman or divine law

The Decision 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. " The instigators were themselves grievous violators of the law. Placed the discussion on a moral plane Only those wholly free from wrongdoing may judge the guilty See the impropriety of transgressors of the law presuming to execute its penalties

The Decision 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. " Reveals the wickedness of the Pharisees & Scribes Shows the difference between the law & the gospel The Law had only justice. The gospel extends grace & mercy to repentant & complying

The opportunity for a graceful exit 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Shows the discussion of the matter was over Lets them reflect on their own moral status They were not fit to be enforcers of the Law They realize their sin & leave Jesus gave the Law its proper place & fulfilled it These hypocritical pretenders were not the proper representatives of it & did not possess the moral competence to carry it out The effect this produced was tremendous.

Fugitives From Justice 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Not wholly without conscience - leaders leave first Saw the divine wrath in the face & words of Christ Jesus’ words stirred latent concepts of right & wrong No excuse for their evil effort to entrap the Savior or to execute judgment upon the woman. Rom. 2: 1, 2 Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things.

Fugitives From Justice 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Silent & ashamed they slowly filed out of His presence The oldest first - leaders & closest, experience, most conscious of weakness, quickest to see their defeat Leaving only the woman - her accusers were gone

The Sinner & the Savior 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you? " 11 She said, "No one, Lord. " And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more. " None of her accusers had chosen to condemn her to death Humbly calls Him Lord Neither would Jesus Not His work to execute but to save He condemned the sin & showed compassion for the sinner Neither suspend the Law, nor usurped the civil authorities Ultimately ended to the Law Col. 2: 14 Will sit as the Judge of all men on the last great day

The Sinner & the Savior 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you? " 11 She said, "No one, Lord. " And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more. " Now, His mission is to make salvation possible to sinners & encourage them to "sin no more. ” Repentance & its fruits are commanded - change your life Shows the depths of mercy & boundless love for even the worst of humanity - Gives hope of change & forgiveness John 12: 46 “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. Matt. 18: 11 “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. All of us should find comfort today.

Things Not In The Story Did not say her sins were forgiven Did not treat her as if she did no wrong - He did not condemn her to death by stoning - She should go & sin no more

At the 2 nd coming Christ will judge & condemn All will be judged at a later time - Jn. 8: 26 “I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world. ” - Jn. 12: 47, 48 “If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. - Heb. 9: 27, 28 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. ”

Practical Lessons Men often do not know themselves - Scribes & Pharisee - self-righteous & loyal to the Law - Keep the ceremonial Law, but trample the spirit & moral of the Law In eagerness to entrap other, men often fall into their own snare - Sought to confuse Jesus & discredited themselves Before condemning others, we should examine ourselves - Are we guilty of the same - Matt. 7: 2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. ”

Practical Lessons Be merciful Matt. 5: 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. ” - The proud Pharisees scorned tax-gatherers & sinners - Jesus was called their friends - He came to call sinners to repentance - not so-call righteous Jesus was sorry for sinners, but indignant at sin - Must not be indifferent toward sin - Seek to save men from their sins - call them to repentance - Open the door of hope - “go & sin no more”