A Woman Caught in Adultery

HOOK

Quickly before we start a new chapter— let’s remember what we have learned yesterday here at The Message:

GOD CONTROLS THE MINDS OF EVERYONE

I MUST DEFEND MY FAITH IN JESUS

Today we will begin with chapter 8 of the gospel of John— and it starts with the account of what happened when the teachers of the law [scribes] and pharisees brought to Jesus a woman caught in an act of adultery

Open you Bible to John 8:1-11, once you got there, type Amen!

BOOK

John 8:1–11 NLT

1 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 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. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 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. 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!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

Again just a quick reminder on what to look for when you’re studying the Bible

Words about the CHARACTER of GOD

See if there COMMANDS in the passage you’re studying

Find out if there are PROMISES

Also look for GOOD EXAMPLE to follow

And BAD EXAMPLE to avoid

Be honest to see if the passage REMINDS you of sins that you need to confess and repent from

Ask yourself also how the passage you’re studying CHALLENGED you

And how the passage ENCOURAGED you

Let’s see what of these can we find from the passage that we just read

Before that, let’s answer the 5 W’s and 1 H if we can find the answers from the passage

WHERE: Mount of Olives [East of Jerusalem] and Temple at Jerusalem

WHAT: Scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery

WHEN: Presumably after the Festival of the Tabernacles

WHO: Scribes, Pharisees, Adulterous Woman, Crowd and Jesus

WHY: To trap Jesus into saying something that they can use against him

HOW: Jesus said, “let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”

Now let’s take a look at some details

LOOK

THE TEACHERS OF RELIGIOUS LAW AND THE PHARISEES BROUGHT A WOMAN

You already know what Pharisees are— members of Sanhedrin [Jewish ruling council]

Teachers of Religious Law [Scribes] are appointed interpreters prior to the second temple, when the people of God were exiled to Babylon—

Beginning around the time of Ezra [about 458 years BC]— Scribes became students of the law and were primarily responsible for copying, writing and teaching

By the NT, scribes wielded significant power throughout Israel— and were routinely found among the ranks of Sanhedrin

THE LAW OF MOSES SAYS TO STONE HER

They referred to the Law that you can find in LEVITICUS 20:10

LET THE ONE WHO HAS NEVER SINNED THROW THE FIRST STONE

Nobody dared— because no one is without sin— everybody have sinned including YOU— Romans 3:23

NEITHER DO I, GO AND SIN NO MORE

Jesus has the authority to forgive sin— MATTHEW 9:6-8

Once you are in Christ, there is not condemnation— ROMANS 8:1

In conclusion, what principles, or examples can we learn from this passage today?

TOOK

DO NOT JUDGE OTHER PEOPLE— Matthew 7:1-5

ONCE FORGIVEN, SIN NO MORE