Who did Jesus Hang out with?

When we ask this question some may say well why does that even matter?

John 1:14 KJV 1900

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Truth without grace is dead and grace without truth is dead.

One without the other is no good. That is why Jesus is fully filled with both.

Because Jesus was filled with both people from everywhere and all backgrounds would flock to him.

Then outcast, the poor, the people with diseases and after these people encountered Jesus their lives were changed forever.

Jesus never left them like they were. Jesus completely transformed their lives.

I want us to look at two very familiar stories this evening that tells us who Jesus hung around and how Jesus didnt leave these ladies like he found them or they found him.

First one is found in John 8.

John 8:1–11 KJV 1900

Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

These days adultery was punishable by death. So here we have these pharisees dragging this woman to Jesus and asking him what should we do with her.

As usual they were trying to trap Jesus up or trick him into doing something,

They were trying to get him to no obey the law or either get him to order them to stone her to death.

We all know what happened. Jesus bent down and started drawing in the sand. The bible don’t tell us what Jesus was writing.

Then he gets up looks at them and says those without sin cast the first stone.

Of course none of them were without sin so they looked at each other stupid dropped their rocks and went home.

Then Jesus said to the woman now who is left to condemn you. The woman responded no one Lord.

Then Jesus responded neither do I go and sin no more.

So there it is grace and truth.

Grace- Neither do I and truth - go and sin no more.

I want us to notice something very important here.

Grace comes first then truth. We are usually the reverse of that right.

We think go and sin no more and then I will forgive you. We put conditions on forgivenss.

With Jesus grace always comes first. With Jesus Grace always comes before change.

Jesus knew this woman wouldn’t have the power to change without first experiencing his grace.

Who knows why this woman was committing adultery? I guess it really don’t matter. She may have felt empty,

Something was missing, maybe she was unhappy, dissatisfied with life maybe she felt this new man could fill all those empty spots.

That is what sin does leaves us empty.

Jesus knew she would never be able to let go of sin until she experienced the love and grace he offered.

He assured her that she was forgiven and then told her to go sin no more.

God’s grace is the power that frees us from sin.

Jesus don’t tell her to change to be accepted. He tells her to change because she has been accepted.

Grace then truth is what changed her.

Let’s look at the second story.

John 4:10–18 KJV 1900

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

There are some things here that we do know about this woman.

She was an outcast, she was alone. Understand here that during bthe time to go to the well was more like a social event where all the women would get together and talk.

If the truth be known this is what probably was happening here all these other women were gossiping about her.

The fact that she was alone is obvoious that she wasn’t welcome.

We can say her life was full of pain she was married 5 times, we dont know exactly why, Death, adultery, divorce abandonment.

All we know is that she was married 5 times so she no doubt had a painful life.

We also know the man she was currently with was not her husband and that was very shameful in those days.

In John 4:7 Jesus tells her to give him a drink.

This woman says why are you being a Jew talking to me a Samaritan woman

Samaritans at that time were the enemies of the Jews.

This woman is obviously very confused as to why Jesus is even talking to her.

She is an outcast she is shameful.

Now remember she don’t have a husband now and the man she is living with was not her husband.

Jesus has just revealed to her that he knows all about her. Knows all her deepest secrets.

So why do you think Jesus revealed that to her. to embarrass her her or to scare her.

Absolutely not in order for Jesus to heal her hurt her sin had to be exposed first.

Then she could understand the point Jesus was making about the water. She could come to that well everyday drink that water and would always be thirsty again.

That is what she had been doing all of her life. When we realate this to the story of the womans life.

I am sure at one point in her life she was young and excited about getting married. Having a family and her future.

For whatever reasons she had been married 5 times and no doubt that was hurtful.

5 times she attempted to drink from the welll of love and 5 times she ended up thristy again and again.

This woman is a picture of all of us. We are born thristy we keep looking for those perfect things to satisfy us.

A husband, a wife, money, things, cars houses and Jesus tells us and shows us over and over that the only thing that can satisfy our thirst is him.

That is what brings us to the gospel. Jesus came extended his grace to the sinful and broken people like this woma, like you and like me.

Not long after meeting this woman Jesus would give hios own life for her and for everyone of us.

You know we all desire to be known, loved and not rejected.

But to be fully loved and not know want work.

Our heartys desire is to be fully known and fully loved.

How could that be in this world that is so messed up.

The fact is that when our family and friends really know the real us. If they really knew everythought that went through your mind.

Then they would never speak to you agian.

Jesus sees us as we are and still fully loves us even though he fully knows everything about us.

We don;t have to goi get cleaned up first then come to Jesus he accepts us as we are.

What is it like to be completly exposed in all your shame before Jesus.

It is called safe.

Gid is a forgiving God to these woman and to us.

Jesus came to save us not condemn us. These women found the love they longed for all of their lives in Jesus.

A true encounter with grace always changes people.

The question is have you encountered that grace?

These are the people Jesus hung out with these are the people Jesus came to save.