The Land of Second Chances

Second Chances

The Bible is full of stories of grace, forgiveness and restoration. As I prepared for this final sermon before I go on holidays, I was sitting in my office asking for a word for today. Here is the word: “Second Chances” Yes, God is the God of second chances!

G.K. Chesterton lays it out for us here:

11691 Love means to love that which is unlovable, or it is no virtue at all; forgiving means to pardon that which is unpardonable, or it is no virtue at all—and to hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all.

G. K. Chesterton

Text

John 7:53–8:11 ESV

53 They went each to his own house, 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

Scribes & Pharisees

These men were abusing their authority to try to trap Jesus and make him out to either be a fraud or a false/hypocritical teacher.

These men waited in the night to hear the sexual acts happening. They knew that they only needed the woman as the man could potentially get away with his indecency.

They grab her, probably half clothed and drag her thru the town in the early morning. She, who has no name, is screaming, crying and hurting from the abuse they justifiably are acting against her for this “life lesson” with Jesus.

They challenge Jesus with the sentencing/ the judgement for this woman.

This woman was no one to these religious leaders of the community. They might have known her for years and avoided her like the plague till they needed her to prove a point.

THIS WOMAN WAS NAMELESS, NO PERSONALITY AND NO FEELINGS.

The Bible is FULL of names! All sorts of people:

Both the Old and New Testaments bear witness to a forgiving God. Think of Moses, who murdered a man (Exodus 2:11-15); Jonah, who fled from God's command (Jonah 1); David, who committed adultery and had a man murdered (2 Samuel 11:14-17); Rahab, who was a prostitute in Jericho (Joshua 2); and Peter, who denied even knowing Jesus after spending three years with Him (Matthew 26:69-75, Mark 14:66-72, Luke 22:55-62, John 18:15-17 and 25-27). Each of these—and dozens of other men and women like them in Scripture—stand as monuments of God's grace (Hebrews 11).

These religious leaders had Authority. They used it and they abused it.

Critical: They only saw the sin that the woman was caught in and not the deeper and heart-wrenching narrative she comes from.

Condemnatory: They only see the law and the appropriate consequence to it. They see only in black and white. She did the crime, she must do the time.

Jesus Authority

Understanding

Jesus teaches about judging others.

Matthew 7:1–5 ESV

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Jesus as he was 100% God make the judgement call but he would have been caught in their trap: He would no longer be friends with sinners and those that find themselves falling short of God graces.

Jesus could have said, no to the stoning and then be caught as a false teacher as her crime was given a penalty of death.

Jesus starts marking something on the ground for all to see! Some Bible scholars say that it was all the religious leaders previous adulterous thoughts and sins they had and as they came to the ground and saw their sins written they became caught in their own disgust and shame and then to be challenged about those who have no sin, to cast the first stone, they immediately knew that their sand written sin disqualified them. So they walked away.

We are not to judge anyone as that is left to God.

No human being is qualified to be the judge of his fellow humans, for we cannot read each other’s hearts or assess each other’s motives.

John Stott

Healing

Jesus shows mercy here for the woman. She sees her as person and not a “pawn” like the Pharisees did. She had a name. She was a daughter. She has value. She is made in the Image of God.

Jesus waits till no one is left standing around her to continue the sentencing to stoning. Jesus speaks to her and calls her “woman”, the same way he speaks of his own mother when he was nailed to the Cross.

Reclaiming

Jesus didn’t forgive flippantly. He did not say: “Don’t worry, it’s all good.”

Jesus said: “I am not going to pass judgement now, go and prove that you can do and be someone better”

The Land of the Second Chances*

INVITE KRYSTAL TO COME AND PLAY BEHIND ME……

an asterisk is used as God is much more than just second chances… He is the God of thousandths chance!

You have made a right mess of things!

Be honest with yourself.

Own your mess.

Repent to God and others that you made the mess and that you feel the shame and judgement of others and of yourself.

This sin does not define Who you are!

You have done wrong things - sin.

You have, because of your sin, caused a gap between you and God.

You are not “wrong/bad thing” = shame

Repent and Restore back to God in an instant

You are not done here on planet Earth!

God has a divine plan for your life!

God has divine work for you to complete here on Earth for His glory!

Philippians 1:6 ESV

6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

I am giving you another chance to redeem your life with me!

The pharisees condemned you a terminal consequence that will label you for life.

Jesus comes to forgive you, challenge you live out the rest of this divinely prepared life for Him!