Homiletics Sermon: He Who Is Without Sin

Introduction

John 8:2–11 NASB95

Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. “Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

Context: Then and There

Jesus is in the temple teaching.

There’s a great number of people gathering to hear what he has to say.

Public Setting

Public setting

The pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery to Jesus.

This is a very humiliating and condemning experience for the woman.

There are tons of people around.

She’s the centre of attention.

Her transgression is on display for everyone to know.

Adultery is punishable by death in the law.

But something isn’t right in this scenario.

says that both parties caught in the act should be punished for the sin.

The man should be present for trial as while.

Clearly the pharisees are not punishing the woman because they seek justice, they’re using this scenario to try to lure Jesus into saying something that would give them grounds to accuse him of wrongdoing.

Here and Now

While we call ourselves followers of Christ, we often walk in the footsteps of the pharisees.

The pharisees didn’t care about what was right, they just wanted to get their way.

They didn’t care about the lives of others and used their religion as a stick with which they could beat people with (like this woman caught in adultery).

The reality is:

We’re all guilty of this ourselves.

We label people by their sins.

We focus on their imperfections and weaknesses.

We talk behind their backs.

Sometimes: We try to hand down judgement on them because it makes us feel better about ourselves, but is that what Jesus wants us to do?

Back to the Story: What We Can Learn from Jesus

The pharisees think they might be able to catch Jesus off guard into saying something that would get him in trouble, but instead He schools the religious teachers with His response.

The pharisees are looking for an answer

We All Sin

V.7: “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

This statement is set up in such a way, that it acknowledges the fact that she’s guilty of the crime and deserves the punishment, but only gives authority to anyone who is sinless to cast the stone.

By doing this, he maintains his holy and just nature; and also expresses his loving and gracious nature as well, without either side contradicting the other.