Sermon Tone Analysis

Today we are picking up in the Gospel of John, the very last verse of John 7, through John 8:11.

As you look at this passage in your bible, you will likely notice something different about this passage.

The NIV84 has this portion marked off with lines, and a footnote.

The NLT has a note in the text.

The NASB, NET and ESV have it bracketed with a footnote.

The NKJV has a note.

What does this all mean?

Many of the oldest manuscripts that have been found do not have this passage here in John.

Some manuscripts do not have this passage at all.

Others have it after 8:36, or 8:44.

Some put in at the end of the gospel of John, and still others have it in Luke.

This and some literary features make the publishers mark it off to make it clear that they are not 100% certain it belongs here, after John 7:52.

Does that mean it is not true, or not scripture?

No.

Our first point of the day is,

We can trust it.

The bible is God’s Word.

We can trust it.

Though it is missing in some of the oldest manuscripts, there is other evidence to show that this is a true account.

Eusebius was the first historian for the church.

He lived somewhere between 260 and 340 AD.

Eusebius writes that Papias who lived between 60 and 130 AD told of a woman who was accused before Jesus.

There was a also another letter written to bishops in the third century that referenced this situation.

Others also wrote about this, such as Ambrose, Ambrosiaster and Augustine.

Later, Jerome, who compiled many manuscripts to write the church’s authoritative collection of scriptures said he found it in many texts.

So, why was it missing in some of the earliest texts?

Augustine said that it was left out of many copies because people were afraid it would encourage adultery.

Sexual immorality is a big issue.

Paul wrote about it in a number of his letters.

These are just a few of the passages.

Sexual immorality takes many forms, and all of them are a big deal.

After the apostles passed away, the next generations of church leaders continued to write and encourage believers to avoid this behavior.

Sadly, in stressing the importance to avoid sexual sin which is so rampant, they began to teach severe penance for sexual sin.

Some, like Tertullian, Origen and Cyprian actually started down the road of saying sexual sins were so bad that there could be no forgiveness.

Against this backdrop, we can understand why Augustine said it this account of Jesus so quickly pardoning this woman caught in adultery was left out because too many thought it would lead people to have a light view of sin, and going down that road themselves.

Is that really what this passage does?

Well, let’s study it and find out.

The Setting

Jesus was in Jerusalem for what feast?

Look back into John 7 if you do not remember.

Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles.

As a part of this Feast in which they remembered how God brought them through the wilderness to the promised land.

Another special feature of this feast is that every seventh year, they read the Covenant God made with Israel.

They read the Law of Moses, and were refreshed in all that God commanded, and the importance of keeping His commands.

I do not know that this was a seventh year, but I think that this festival was related with remembering the commands of the Lord played a part in what took place.

Another part of the setting that we need to keep in mind is that the Jewish religious leaders of the day did not like Jesus, and wanted to kill Him.

They wanted to seize Him, but the officers of their temple guard, as well as the crowds were amazed by Jesus.

These Jewish leaders knew that if they wanted to seize Jesus and kill Him, they were going to have to make Jesus look really bad to all of the people.

They were going to have to get Him to contradict the law of Moses publicly for all to see.

That led them to hatch their plan...

The Plan

Jesus comes back to the temple and sits in the courts to teach.

This festival required everyone to come to the temple to make sacrifices each day.

Everyone would be coming and going.

So this was going to be a very public confrontation.

As Jesus is sitting there teaching, the teachers of the law, and the Pharisees bring in a woman caught in adultery.

Caught in the act.

There was no denying what happened.

They made her stand in front of everyone, and then questioned Jesus.

Their question emphasized, what do YOU say?

They were squarely trying to get Jesus to contradict the Law of Moses.

They called Jesus the friend of sinners because He would go to their homes and gatherings.

Jesus hung out with sinners.

He showed mercy and compassion even on the Sabbath!

That is what really got Him in trouble before.

So, they were counting on Jesus to show leniency again, and contradict the law.

That was the trap.

The Response

How did Jesus respond?

What was He going to say? Stone her?

That would make Him less popular as He would no longer be the friend of sinners.

He would no longer be able to say He was wanting to help where the Pharisees only wanted to put burdens on the people.

Would he say, let her go, and fall into the hands of the Pharisees as a law-breaker?

What did Jesus do?

We really do not know what Jesus wrote.

But I find it interesting that this is what He did.

There are two other times that I can think of when the finger of God was writing.

Can you think of them?

When He wrote the law which they were trying to use to trap Him.

God wrote the law on stone for Moses.

Was Jesus writing out what the law says...

Was He writing this, knowing that they did not bring the man.

If they caught the woman in the act… where was the man?

Or, was the man one of them, so that they could bring her before Jesus?

Knowing that these men were not even after the woman, but after Him, was Jesus writing

These were wicked men, malicious witnesses.

They were not after restoring righteousness.

They were trying to put an innocent man to death!

Was Jesus writing the actual law, so these men would see and be condemned?

What was the other occasion when the finger of God wrote?

King Belshazzar of Babylon was throwing a wicked, adulterous party and using the gold plates and goblets from the Lord’s temple.

While the party was raging...

They did not know what it was, or what it meant.

He sought all of the wise men, and no one could explain.

Then finally they called Daniel, who explained it.

God sees the heart.

Did Jesus write this again, for these men?

They were weighed and found wanting?

Could it be that He wrote what another prophet, Jeremiah recorded would happen?

These men forsook the Lord.