What a Savior! (John 7:53-8:11)

Father, thank you for the opportunity to hear from you. To learn from you in your word. I pray that you would speak through me that you would convict or encourage our hearts. Be more like your son. His father. I confess. I'm unable to even change my own heart. I need you. We all need you.

I pray this in Jesus name, amen.

I know, Ryan's been looking forward to this particular sermon. He's told me so already, but we're going to be looking at one of the most controversial passages of scripture today. John 753 through at 11. Now it's not controversial because of what it says, or how it's interpreted. it's controversial because of whether it belongs in the Gospel of John or not,

Your Bible probably has a bracket around the section or something. Setting it apart, from the rest of the text. Probably has a note mentioning something about the passage not being in some manuscripts. Now, I'm not going to get into all the details. Don't worry, I'll spare you that But there's evidence evidence for and against this passage being included in John's gospel. I'll briefly give you some of the highlights before we look at the passage itself. So there's two lines of evidence external and internal external evidence analyzes the manuscripts and the early translations and the church fathers to see how many contain or talk about the text and how reliable they are the internal evidence analyzes, the text itself to see if it follows the same pattern as the surrounding context or not. There's also two sides of the evidence in opposition and in favor of the text and its authenticity. Now, there's lots of external evidence in opposition to the authenticity, but the only external evidence in favor of it just kind of makes the opposite side week. For example.

The four oldest and most reliable manuscripts that we have. Don't contain this passage at all. And many of the other manuscripts have the section added with a note, kind of like your Bibles do that. talk about the, the doubtfulness of the authenticity, of this, this passage, or they even added in other locations in the Bible, but the evidence for its authenticity Generally. Is simply that the previous evidence doesn't prove a lack of authenticity, it only cast doubt on it. That is also a lot of internal evidence against the author and authenticity of the passage. And again, the internal evidence only down plays The evidence from the other side. The language and patterns of writing In this passage deviate fairly significantly from John's gospel in his other writings. John typically uses particles differently than what we find here. And there are two prominent words or concepts that are not mentioned anywhere else. In the Gospel of John, the scribes and the Mount of Olives. But again, this doesn't prove a lack of authenticity, it just casts more doubt on it.

There's a lot of other evidence and even with all that other evidence we're still left with doubt and uncertainty. But no real proof either way. And it's been this way for almost as long as the church has been in existence or is in a pasture in the third Century, wrote about the Gospel of John but completely ignored this text as if it wasn't there. But Augustine a pastor in the 4th and 5th centuries wrote extensively about this passage including why he believed people left it out of their Bibles. And John Calvin Pastor in the 16th century also doubted its authenticity but and is institute's. He says about this passage. There is no reason why we should refuse to apply it to our benefit.

It is one thing to question. This passage is authenticity in the Gospel of John. And it's something entirely different to question. Its inclusion in the Bible at all.

its authenticity in the Gospel of John is doubtful, but its inclusion in the Bible is absolutely certain because we recognize the divine nature of it. It's not us up to us to determine what belongs in the Bible and what doesn't we simply recognize what God has determined. And he has, without a doubt included. This passage in his word. whether it was originally written by John or not, you can trust your Bible. The events were going to be looking at today, really happened.

now, I typically try to show the author's original argument in my sermons but the passage were looking at today doesn't really have an argument for say, The author just wants us to see what kind of a savior we have in Jesus. So, I'm not going to show you an argument. I'm going to show you Jesus. I'm going to show you what a savior we have in Jesus and all his humility wisdom and compassion.

Because that's what we see here in our passage and John 7:53 to 8:11. We see our savior who pronounces no condemnation. Because of who he is and what he's done.

Without a doubt, every one of us has felt the shame and condemnation of our sin.

Some of you may even be feeling it right now.

But our humble wise and compassionate Savior, Jesus Christ has pronounced no condemnation for those who have placed their faith in him. Let's read our pastors and then we'll look at our humble wise and compassionate, savior, John 7:53 through 8:11.

They went each to his own house. The Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning. He came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman, who had been caught in adultery and placing her in the midst. They said to him teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now, in the law, Moses commanded us to Stone such women. So what do you say? 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. And as they continue 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. And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 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. Jesus stood up and said to her woman, where are they has no one condemned you she said no one Lord. And Jesus said neither do I condemn, you go and from now on sin, no more.

So first I want to look at Jesus, our humble savior. Jesus shows his humility in his humble way of life. In 753, we read that each person went to his own house, but then 81 it says Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

and regardless of whether this takes place after the Feast of booths or after some other incident in Jerusalem, Jesus spent the night Under the Stars

cuz he had nowhere else to spend the night.

Others may have been a conscious choice to camp out under our on the Mount of Olives or not. But the point I want us to see is that Jesus? Was not pompous arrogant prideful or aloof. He was down to earth. literally, He was approachable, he was identifiable.

With those that he was ministering to.

If you ever find yourself homeless, guess what?

Jesus was homeless to for a while.

A Jesus also shows his humility and his humble way with people. Inverse to, we read that the next morning, he went back to the temple and all the people at the temple came to him and he started teaching them. Notice that he didn't gather the people. They came to him.

There were many times that Jesus did gather people that he called out a proclamation.

we saw that in the previous chapter where you called out a proclamation of the Gospel,

Oliver thirsty. Come to me and I will give you living water and that's what he said. In the last chapter. and we going to see it again in the next passage, where Jesus says that he's the light of the world,

Bashir. Jesus humility is on display as he goes to the temple and the people draw near to him without being corralled, or enticed to listen. Jesus didn't have a marketing strategy here. You just humbly went where the people needed him? And the people came to hearing teach. Another probably a mixture of Believers and Skeptics among the people that Jesus was teaching. So, it also shows his humble way with people that he taught them all without distinguishing between those who believed in those who didn't. He took the opportunity to teach regardless of who he was teaching.

Why does Jesus's humility matter? Why does it matter that we have a humble savior?

Would you rather have a savior who is aloof unapproachable and distant? Because he's God because he is infinite, but we are finite because he's as different from us as Creator to Creation. Or would you rather have a savior who is Meek approachable? And real because he's human because he's been tempted as we are and yet without sin.

A Jesus is both God and human. But the humbleness of his humanity is what makes him acceptable to us.

Jesus knows exactly what you're going through.

Not in some distant analytical way, but in a very real way, because he's experienced just as much. Temptation, sorrow and pain. It's not more.

She also knows the simple joys of life that make you smile and laugh.

Also, because he's experienced those same joys in life.

Jesus knows what you're going through and he's humble enough that you can run to him. Cry on his shoulder or laugh and rejoice with him.

Jesus is humility means that he knows you and you can know him.

So we saw Jesus's humility. Now let's look at Jesus. Our wise savior. Jesus shows his wisdom as he gives the scribes and Pharisees, a chance to abandon their plan to trap him. In verses 3 through 5, the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery before Jesus and the crowd he was teaching and asked him to make a judgment about whether or not to kill her for her sin.

And then over 60 also tells us that this plan was to try and trap Jesus. To bring a charge against him. You see the law stated in Leviticus 20 verse 10. And Deuteronomy 22:22 that adultery is a sin punishable by Death.

But there's a bit of a problem with their charge against this woman.

Religious leaders only brought the woman to be judged by Jesus, and they said, that Moses commanded such women to be stoned.

But Moses really commanded both the man and the woman involved in the sexual immorality to be killed. Best, it shows a certain ignorance of the law, on the part of the scribes who were supposed to be experts, in the law at worst. It shows a willful misinterpretation of the law to suit their own.

Well, their question was intended to put Jesus in a pickle. Forcing him to choose between two options, both of which would be grounds to arrest him. They wanted to trap Jesus and either going against Roman law or the law of Moses. If Jesus condemned her to death, following the law of Moses, then he will be guilty of going against Roman law, which Reserve capital punishment to Roman officials only Now Jesus did not condemn her to death following the Roman law, then he would be guilty of going against the law of Moses which said that she has an adulteress should die. By the way, Jesus would be guilty and they would have a charge against him to arrest him. But initially, Jesus refuses to acknowledge their question. Now, he did not rudely ignore them. But he did give them an opportunity to retreat before he answered. He bent down and wrote with his finger, on the ground that we don't get to know exactly why? Or what he wrote in the ground. That's not important to the story. And what is important is that in Jesus his wisdom, he knew that this trap that they were going to spring on him was foolish. And he gave them an opportunity to avoid the foolishness from the start.

Well, then Jesus shows his wisdom. Is he answers they're trapped by turning it on them. The scribes and Pharisees persists. Oh, Jesus answered them by citing, a different. But related portion of the law, Jesus's famous response came from Deuteronomy, 17 verse 7. But the witnesses to these pins, were to be The Executioner's. The Witnesses were to be the ones to throw the stones.

Another specific context of Deuteronomy 17. Is that of idolatry? And often in scripture, God, Likens Israel's idolatry to committing adultery against him religious adultery. And Jesus ties these two cents together in his statement. He knows that these religious leaders are really idolaters. Idolizing their position of prominence, not willing to risk, losing it by going against Roman law. But Jesus describes the witnesses here as those who are without sin.

Are we reading Romans 3:23? All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But all got that idea from scripture from the Old Testament. He has a whole list of scripture references in Romans, 3:10 through 18, citing the Psalms, and Proverbs, and Isaiah, even to prove his point that every person on Earth was a Jew, or Gentile, is sinful, and in need of justification before God, Romans 3:10 through 18 says, as it is written. None is righteous. No not one, no one understands, no one seeks. For God. All have turned aside together. They have become worthless. No one does good. Not even one. Their throat is an open grave. They use their tongue to deceive. The Venom of asps is in their lips. Their mouth is full of curses. And bitterness. Their feet are Swift to shed blood in their pads are ruin and misery. And the way of peace. They have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.

That's the state of humanity.

And surely Jesus. And these religious leaders knew these scriptures like Paul did. So who could be worthy to condemn this woman?

All have sinned. But no one could condemn her. Except Jesus. Who is the Christ? The sinless, son of God. And as, we'll see you later, not even he condemns her to death here.

The amazing thing about his responses that it effectively put the scribes and Pharisees in the same position they tried to put Jesus in. He put them in the same pickle, they tried to put him in. Now, they had to choose whether to uphold the law of Moses and stone this woman or ignore the law, and let her go without punishment.

Jesus Jesus, who no reverse them.

they said, Jesus you've got to choose one conviction or the other and he said, no, you

Oh, Jesus again, shows his wisdom. As he gives the scribes and Pharisees, a second chance to abandon their plan to trap him. One by one. the accusers, leave starting with the older ones and after Jesus bends down to write in the dirt again, it's commonly assumed that the reason, At these religious leaders left was that they knew they were Sinners, especially the older ones who had more time to accumulate sending their lives.

But I kind of misses the point. Jesus had successfully evaded, their Trap by turning it on them. Their plan backfired.

This was a tactical Retreat, not an act of conviction. A tactical Retreat initiated by the religious leaders of higher-ranked the elders.

I think about it. Paul was a religious leader before his conversion and the Philippians 36. He said that he thought of his himself as blameless according to the law.

I mean, he didn't even feel convicted about imprisoning and killing followers of Jesus before his conversion.

That's more probable that these religious leaders actually thought of themselves as seamless. So when Jesus says, let him who is without sin. It's like he's calling them out on their self-righteousness.

he knows they think of themselves as sinless, but he also knows that the sin that's in their hearts Jesus is speaking tongue in cheek when he says him who is without sin. I think the scribes in Pharisees knew that's how he was speaking. And it unnerve them as Jesus turn their Trap Back on them.

And the only reason they brought this woman to Jesus was to trap him. They didn't care about her or her sin. They didn't even consider their own sin. And I certainly didn't care about upholding the law. All they cared about was trapping, Jesus.

Once he evaded their trap and turned it on them, what time to retreat? In Jesus, in his wisdom, gave them that opportunity like you done previously. And this time, they took it.

So why does Jesus has wisdom matter?

What in his wisdom, Jesus knows exactly what the law requires. And he knows exactly how to give us what we need to avoid and repent of our foolishness and sin.

The law requires death for all, who break it? And as we read in Romans 3, all of us have broken God's law. All of us deserve death. Like this woman who was caught in adultery,

And like the scribes and Pharisees though, they didn't want to admit it.

But in all of his wisdom God through Jesus Christ, has given us a way to avoid that death penalty. Jesus, God's son, took our punishment on himself when he went to the cross, For you. and for me,

but we still send.

Even though we're no, we no longer have to bear the penalty of sin. We still have to deal with its presence in our lives. And in his wisdom, Jesus knows how you are tempted to sin. And he gives you exactly what you need to avoid falling to that temptation. 1st Corinthians 10:13 says no temptation has overtaken. You that is not common to man, God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. But with the Temptation, he will also provide the way of Escape that you may be able to endure it.

So we saw, Jesus is humility and his wisdom. Now, let's look at Jesus. Our compassionate savior,

Jesus shows his compassion by addressing the woman after her sin has been exposed.

The scribes and Pharisees drag this woman before Jesus and the crowd, he was teaching exposing her sin to the public increasing her, shame exponentially. And when their plan failed,

I just left her there.

but in the face of their cruelty, Jesus shows his compassion to this woman. Her sin has defiled her. And in that Society she would have been shunned and ignored.

Like the homeless guy with a cardboard sign at the intersection.

Even after her accusers, have left, the society would still ostracize her because of the shame. Of her sin, not made public.

She was defiled by her adultery, but Jesus had such compassion for her that he goes to her and addresses her. When society would not

He sees her. He loves her so much that he talks to her when anyone else would ignore her.

And the way he talks to her is so tender, he has to a question. He doesn't recite the way. She's broken the law. He doesn't tell her how she ought to have known better. He doesn't dwell on her sin at all.

He simply asked her where her accusers are.

This question causes her to look up. See if they're gone. Her cues are gone. No one is condemning her anymore.

Imagine the relief in her heart as she realizes that her worst nightmare.

Has dissipated like a bad dream.

I think she truly believed that her life was over at that moment. If she was not condemned to be stoned to death right there, then she would be an outcast of society for the rest of her life.

But her accusers are gone.

She's not going to die for her sin. And the man who saved her life is talking to her.

He's not ignoring her. She's not cast out from society either. She's not only be given salvation from the penalty of the law, but she's also been given hope.

And then Jesus shows his compassion by not condemning the woman for her sin.

Knowing Jesus says neither do I condemn you. He does not mean that her sin is without consequence. Snore. That is, it is without ultimate condemnation. What he means is that he would not condemn her for her stand because that's not why he came

he told Nicodemus back in John 3:17 that the father did not send him to condemn the world, but to save the world,

the law provides all the condemnation because we've all broken it. Jesus came to bring Salvation from sin and death by taking the penalty for breaking the law on himself.

Now, when Jesus returns, again, he will come as a righteous judge and conquering King. A Jesus also shows that his compassion by encouraging the woman toward righteousness. Jesus's second coming to judge. And Rule is why he says to her go and sin, no more This is the same thing that Jesus had said to the invalid, after healing him on the Sabbath and John 5 sin, no more.

Jesus knows the weight of our sin better than anyone.

He's God. The one being sinned against.

He also took the full weight of sin on the cross. Turn Jesus pronounced. No condemnation to this woman, it was not downplaying, the weight of her sin.

It was either a transfer of that weight from her to himself or it was postponing the condemnation to the final judgment. Is he all sin? Is judged and condemned, either at the cross or at the final judgment, not if this woman. Obeys. Jesus, believing in him as the Christ, then she will not be condemned for her sin because Jesus will take that condemnation for her on the cross. Bus. If the woman does not obey and refuses to believe in Jesus, then she will take her own condemnation as Jesus, judges, her righteously, when he comes back.

Under the old Covenant, everything looked forward to the coming Christ. Even the law that commanded capital punishment for things, like idolatry and adultery. Every time God prescribed capital punishment. It was to purge the evil from their midst. The purpose was the cleansing and sanctification of God's people as a nation set apart from other nations. I'm not looking forward to the cleansing and sanctification, we have in Christ. Hear Jesus gives a glimpse of what it's like in the New Covenant. The cleansing and sanctification of God's people is found in Jesus Christ because of what he did for us on the cross.

Although, the women had sinned. If she repented believing in Jesus as the Christ, then she would not suffer condemnation for his sin. She would be cleansed and sanctified.

So, why does Jesus has compassion matter?

Without compassion, our Salvation would be the cold out working of God's sovereignty.

But that's not how God works. That's not how his sovereignty and salvation works. And Deuteronomy 77, God explained his Sovereign choice to save Israel and make them his people. He says through Moses, it was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord has set his love on you and chose you for you were the fewest of all peoples.

God chose to set his love on them, just like he sets his love on all who he chooses to save It's not a cold out working of his sovereignty. It's a white hot love and compassion the drove him to give his own son to pay the penalty to save you from sin and death.

Jesus has compassion to meet you where you are in your sin. Jesus has compassion to print out to no condemnation on your sins because he took that condemnation for you on the cross and Jesus has compassion to give you what you need to fight against sin.

Jesus is humble. Approachable. Possible. He knows you and you can know him. So you can bring your sin, your pain or even your joy to him knowing that he understands what you're going through. Jesus is wise to know exactly what's required is the penalty for your sin and how to save you from it. And he's wise to know exactly how to give you the way to escape your Temptations to sin and foolishness. And Jesus is compassionate to meet you in your sin to pronounce no condemnation because he loves you enough to take your condemnation on himself on the cross, and to empower you to fight against sin moving forward. That's the kind of Savior. We have in Jesus.

and when you send,

Remember who your savior is?

Yes, your sin is terrible, but Jesus is humble, wise and compassionate. He's interceding on your behalf before the father right now.

He sees your sin, he knows your sin and he says to the father I already paid for that.

You are not condemned.

I think of the song and can it be? It says no. Condemnation. Now I dread Jesus and all in him is mine.

And remember who your savior is to be empowered to go and sin, no more.

Jesus is giving you the Holy Spirit. He's giving you the ability to fight against sin.

Sulfite. And his power, not your own.

Now, if you put your faith in Jesus, then if you've not put your faith in Jesus and now is the perfect time to do so, All throughout the Gospel of John Jesus has proven over and over to be the Son of God who came and lived a perfect life and then died for the sins of the world and rose again on the third day.

if you believe in him, then your sins are paid for by Jesus on the cross. I mean, that's why we who believe are not condemned for a sin anymore because Jesus Took the condemnation for us. I beg you to believe in him. So that you will not be condemned either. We have a savior. Jesus Christ. What A Savior he is.

Father, thank you for giving us such a wonderful savior.

Thank you, that he knows us. That we can know him and know you threw him.

Thank you for being so wise to know exactly what we need to be saved from sin and death.

Thank you for loving us so much that you would give your son to reconcile us back to you.

We have such a wonderful savior. Thank you for showing us how wonderful he is in your words.

I pray that you would bring these truths to our minds when we find ourselves tempted to send or even after falling to temptation. I pray that you would help us to live more, like Jesus, humility, wisdom, and compassion, for each other.

When others sin against us, I pray that we would forgive rather than condemn.

I pray that we would humbly remember our own forgiveness.

And that we would wisely. Remember your commands to forgive

that we would compassionately offer that forgiveness from our heart.

Father, we thank you. We ask all these things in Jesus name, amen.