Sermon Tone Analysis

FH Week 25

(NLT)

John 8:1–11 (NLT)

(NLT)

1 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives,

1 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives,

Jesus retreats away from the arguments of the crowd.

Jesus constantly models retreating.

Jesus retreats away from the arguments of the crowd.

Jesus constantly models retreating.

2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple.

A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them.

2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple.

A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them.

Jesus also models persistence He was teaching again.

In the midst of the pressure of the religious leaders.

They were plotting his death and were looking for the right time to ensure Jesus.

Jesus also models persistence He was teaching again.

In the midst of the pressure of the religious leaders.

They were plotting his death and were looking for the right time to ensure Jesus.

3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery.

They put her in front of the crowd.

3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery.

They put her in front of the crowd.

The teachers and Pharisees were looking for ways to entrap Jesus.

So, imagine this scenario: the religious leaders are plotting.

And this woman has been in sin and the religious establishment goes to great lengths to use her shame for their own ends.

They shame her by putting her on display in front of the people.

Who knows the state she was in.

But, in general women were less valued and if you were an adulterous woman, you would be despised.

They’ve totally overlooked her intrinsic value as a human being.

Whatever their motivations were for suppressing Jesus, they discount this woman as a religious commodity in their power struggle.

John is going to great lengths to show the contrast between the way of Jesus and the way of the religiously powerful.

Religious systems tend to dehumanize people and to present them as the sum of their moral actions when.

The teachers and Pharisees were looking for ways to entrap Jesus.

So, imagine this scenario: the religious leaders are plotting.

And this woman has been in sin and the religious establishment goes to great lengths to use her shame for their own ends.

They shame her by putting her on display in front of the people.

Who knows the state she was in.

She was caught in the act of adultery.

In general women were less valued and if you were an adulterous woman, you would be despised.

They’ve totally overlooked her intrinsic value as a human being.

Whatever their motivations were for suppressing Jesus, they discount this woman as a commodity in their power struggle.

She exists on the scene only to provide them leverage against Jesus.

John is going to great lengths to show the contrast between the way of Jesus and the way of the religiously powerful.

Religious systems tend to dehumanize people and to present them as the sum of their moral actions when the religion, the morality or the TRADITION is on the line.

4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

Their intention is to harm her and him For the sake of their own sense of righteousness Teacher: maybe a sardonic title.

Their intention is to harm her and him For the sake of their own sense of righteousness Teacher: maybe a sardonic title.

Sarcastic.

5 The law of Moses says to stone her.

What do you say?”

5 The law of Moses says to stone her.

What do you say?”

Their is no implication of honesty in this question.

Rather, it is a set up question with a forgone conclusion.

We should learn from these religious leaders—how empty it is to have all the answers…so much so that questions asked have answers already.

Religion tends to be solution oriented, but true faith always has room for open questions for we are seeking the truth, not just comfortable with our current conception of it.

Back to the woman: she has been caught and the punishment is death.

She is at the end of her life!

But, the law also said the man should die too?

Where is the man?

Perhaps John, who often celebrates and affirms woman is sure to present the disingenuous and mysioginistic situation for what it was.

Their is no implication of honesty in this question.

Rather, it is a set up question with a forgone conclusion.

We should learn from these religious leaders—how empty it is to have all the answers…so much so that questions asked have answers already.

Religion tends to be solution oriented, but true faith always has room for open questions for we are seeking the truth, not just comfortable with our current conception of it.

Back to the woman: she has been caught and the punishment is death.

She is at the end of her life!

But, the law also said the man should die too?

Where is the man?

Perhaps John, who often celebrates and affirms woman is sure to present the disingenuous and misogynistic situation for what it was.

6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.

6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.

John provides the play by play here.

He let us know what is obvious: these leaders had no go intention.

They weren’t honest seekers, but rather dishonest question askers.

There is huge implication for us: do we use our belief in the Word of God as a power play or do we honestly seek truth?

Jesus stoops to write in the dust.

Why?

Perhaps Jesus is drawing the attention of the crowd away from the shamed woman?

John provides the play by play here.

He let us know what is obvious: these leaders had no go intention.

They weren’t honest seekers, but rather dishonest question askers.

There is huge implication for us: do we use our belief in the Word of God as a power play or do we honestly seek truth in grace?

Jesus stoops to write in the dust.

He pauses.

The tension is this moment is profound!

If Jesus disagrees with the law (that adulterers should be put to death), than he is seen as against the Law of God, but if he is hard on her, than his kind reputation towards sinners is at risk AND he could be charged with inciting an execution, which was legally administrated by the Romans alone.

Why did Jesus stoop to write in the dust?

We don't know what he wrote...anything that he wrote or why he wrote is pure speculation.

Perhaps Jesus is drawing the attention of the crowd away from the shamed woman?

That would make sense...

7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”

7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”

Religion demands certainty on its own terms.

And it is doggedly committed to pressing the issue and the cost of humanity.

But, Jesus cuts to the heart of the issue: it is not our place to judge beyond the end of our own noses.

If we cannot uphold the standard of judgement on ourselves, we have no stones to throw.