The Adulterous Woman

INTRO

Have you ever been tricked before ? Sure you have. Think back to a specific moment where somebody tricked you - maybe it was a harmless prank, a fun suprise, or maybe it was acutally something quite hurtful.

Who wants to tell us about a time they got tricked? ( Give a few students a chance to respond).

Maybe a friend has tricked you because they were trying to be funny or maybe they tricked you for more malicious reasons. Maybe they were trying to hurt you, embarras you or trying to get you into trouble.

I dont know what your stories are, but if you’ve ever been tricked maliciously, you know how painful it can be. When you realize what has happened, you probably feel angry at the person who tricked you.

If any of you have been tricked like that, you might find it very comforting to know that Jesus was often in the same situation.

RECAP

Who can remind me of the series we have been doing?

For the last couple of weeks, wev’e been talking about Jesus and some of the ways he showed radical love to the most “untouchable people” - those that were despised and cast aside.

Up until this point we’ve seen how Jesus’ demonstrations of love and mercy made the religious leaders feel uncomfortable because it challenged their understanding of who God considered to be worthy.

Because these religious leaders felt that Jesus was challenging their authority, they sometimes tried to trick him in public. They tried tricking him into saying or doing something that they could use against him.

This evening I want to talk about one example of this.

LESSON CONTENT

This evening, we are going to explore an incredible story from the Bible.

A story about how Jesus restored a woman who had been judged and condemned. Its a story that teaches us powerful lesson about how we can love and support those who mess up or make mistakes.

Read John 8:1-11

The Scene ( 3 Minutes )

In this passage, we see Jesus teaching in the temple when a group of religious leaders brings a woman before Jesus. She has broken religious laws and has sinned in a big way - she was caught cheating on her husband with another man.

The religious leaders were testing Jesus, trying to trick him.

So what’s the trick you might be asking. Well here’s the thing - the religious leaders knew that Jesus showed mercy to people who have sinned… but they also knew that the religious laws stated that an adulterous woman should be stoned to death.

The religious leaders couldnt wait to see how Jesus would respond. If he chose to show mercy, he would be breaking the law of God, but if he stones her , he would be going against his own history of love and grace.

But Jesus isn’t thrown off by this trick. He sees right through it and he has the perfect response.

Jesus’ Response ( 4 Minutes )

What does Jesus do in this situation? Lets find out.

Imagine that you’re standing there in this crowd while all this is happening. You’ve got a rock in hand, ready to cast what you believe to be God’s judgment on this sinful woman. You’re just waiting for Jesus to give you the go-ahead.

You wait . . . and wait . . . and wait. Jesus isn’t saying anything. Instead, He stoops down and begins to write on the ground. We're not told what He wrote, but His actions reveal something powerful: Jesus takes a moment to pause, reflect, and collect His thoughts before responding.

Finally, He looks up. Instead of engaging in a debate with these religious leaders or falling into their trap, He does something completely unexpected.

He responds with a statement of his own: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."

Jesus challenges them to examine their own hearts before they judge this woman.

The religious leaders, one by one, drop their stones and walk away, realizing that they are not without sin themselves. This teaches us that we should be careful when passing judgment on others because we all have our own flaws and sins.

Restoration and Love ( 4 Minutes )

Now look what happens next.

Once the religious leaders left , Jesus didn’t simply leave this woman there on the ground, ashamed and with unresolved sin. The truth is, she did sin and her sin needed to be addressed.

Jesus turns to the woman and asks, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" The woman responds, "No one, Lord." And here's the beautiful part: Jesus says, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."

Do you see the difference in the way these religious leaders wanted to handle this woman’s sin versus the way Jesus wanted to handle it? The religious leaders simply wanted her to be punished — no second chances. Jesus wanted her to be restored.

This is a profound demonstration of God's grace and love. Jesus doesn't ignore her sin, but He offers her forgiveness and a chance for transformation. He doesn't just stop at forgiving her; He also calls her to a higher standard, to "sin no more."

Application ( 2 Minutes )

So, what can we learn from this story about loving those who mess up in our own lives?

In the story of the woman caught in adultery, we witness the transformative power of Christ's love and forgiveness. He didn't just save her from judgment; He restored her to a life free from sin.We are called to emulate this love in our lives, reaching out to those who've made mistakes, offering them grace, compassion, and support. Let us be the hands and feet of Christ in our world, helping to restore hope to those who have fallen. Remember, we all need forgiveness and restoration at some point in our lives, and by loving those who mess up, we reflect the love and grace of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Too often, we respond with condemnation to people we believe to be sinners. We hate that they’re choosing to live a certain way. Maybe we even hate it because it’s a sin we’ve been tempted by in the past. Whatever the reason, we often want to see them punished.

Jesus did the opposite. Although it was fully in His power to punish this sinful woman, He chose instead to give her another chance, to call her into a new kind of life, and to restore her with His love, mercy, and forgiveness. Over and over again, Jesus didn’t punish sinful people. He restored them.

What about you? Is there a particular sin, or maybe even a particular person, you struggle to forgive? Like the religious leaders in this story, have you ever found yourself wishing someone would be punished for what they’ve done because their sin was so repulsive to you?

Or maybe you identify with the woman in this story. Maybe you find yourself caught up in sin right now. I know what that’s like. Sometimes when you’re in the midst of sin, you start to believe your sins are so big that God could never forgive or restore you. That’s a lie. If that’s you, let this story be a reminder that Jesus isn’t standing over you, rock in hand. He’s kneeling in the dirt with you, offering a second chance.

I don’t know what God is placing on your heart right now, but I want to give you an opportunity to respond to whatever it is. Whatever sin you’re struggling to forgive or struggling to leave behind, I want you to take a marker and write it on that rock in your hand. We’re going to play some music while we all talk to God. After you’ve written on your rock, walk up here and drop it on the ground, just like the crowd did in this story. In a few minutes, I’ll close us in prayer.

Prayer ( 2 Minutes )

God, thank you for your radical love and forgiveness. Forgive us for our sin and forgive us for our condemnation of others. This week, we ask that you’d help us live with the same grace and love that Jesus shows us. Thank you for sending Jesus not to condemn sinners, but to restore us.