Stone Her!

The Setting

V 53 the end of the day

V 1 Jesus is homeless in the fall, cold, slept on the ground

Communed with His Father

He was in the enemy's stronghold

V 2 He has come back to the temple, and people came for more teaching

V 3 a woman is brought, caught in adultery

V 4 taken in the very act

the law in the time of Jesus says that there has to be two witnesses observing the act, both statements have to be exactly the same

so there has to be at least 3 men involved the man, and two witnesses observing

so we can see the evil intent of these men

how desperate they are to trap Jesus

The Problem

V 5 The Law commands us

The are posing to Jesus a very serious dilema

What do you say that ought to happen to this woman

the law says stone her

matters that are at stake

Life of the woman

Here is someone who is going to be put to death to prove a point

How can Jesus show love to a condemned criminal

How can God condemn and love at the same time

The reputation and teaching of Jesus as the friend of sinners

All you are weary and burdened come to me and find rest

If Jesus would have said, do what the law requiers then who would ever come to Jesus again

What the Law of Moses requires

requires a stoning

The Law cannot be bent to the situation

If Jesus said because I love you you may go free. He would be violating the Law

What do the Romans have to say about capital punishment

Rome would not allow a captive nation to put someone to death

all capital punishments have to go through the ruling authorities

Jesus had to be brought to Pilate for sentencing

If Jesus said stone her he would be in trouble with Rome

It was seen by the scribes and Pharisees as a slam dunk

Writing In The Dust

V 5-9

the first time he bent down what was He doing?

Praying Maybe?

What did he write?

I don’t know

The other time God Himself wrote something

The 10 Commandments

Daniel 5:25–28 AV

And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

May be Jesus after he said those without sin may cast the first stone

stooped and wrote on the ground

You are weighed in the balances and found wanting

the conviction of the heart upon which the Holy Spirit gives. no one can resist

Forgiveness

V 10-11

Where are your condemners?

where are the witnesses?

Where are the men who want to use you?

There in the law says that there has to be 2 witnesses to condemn someone

they are no longer there.

Jesus by saying I do not condemn you, is saying You are forgiven

How can Jesus do that? the law has to be satisfied.

Because of what Jesus is going to do on the Cross

God cannot forgive without a penalty

wages of sin is death

Because God is love He has provided a way, through the death of Jesus

The perfect Substitute we know He was because The Father raised Him from the dead

This woman became a believer.

the crowd watched, the religious rulers went away in their shame.

I think this woman may have been in the upper room at Pentecost

Or one of the initial 3000 saved at Pentecost

The Attitudes

The men

Did not see her as a person

Sometimes Dr.,Nurses see the illness not the person

something to be used for purposes of getting at Jesus

Did not care whether she lived or died

used her and the law for personal gain

not compassionate, unloving, selfish, hateful

Jesus

The Gospel of John, Volume 2: Christ and Judaism (John 5–8): An Expositional Commentary The Attitude of Jesus

Second, the attitude of the Lord Jesus was characterized by compassion. This was linked to his understanding. Jesus knew the woman intuitively. He knew her sin and shame. He knew her potential. Because he knew her, he loved her. It was always thus with Jesus. He saw people as sheep without a shepherd, as sinners without a Savior; from that understanding came compassion.

Love

did not Judge by appearances

knew the person not the sin

knew the background of the person

knew the person is a child of satan

Us

Are we more like the men or Jesus?

do we look at people with cynicism?

do we look at people for their potential?

do we see people as people or labels?

How would we look at the the woman?

If you are like the men in any way there needs to be confession

and prayer that we are made more like Jesus

That God will help us see others like He sees them