John 5:1-14; 8:1-11 The solution for broken people An encounter with God

Broken things can cause heartache

Sometimes silly things.

First broken thing I remember was a little pocket mirror in 1st grade. Don’t know who gave it to me, or why I was upset, but I can still remember begin broken hearted that it could never be used again.

I also remember an old 78 record (yes a vinyl 78 speed record) by Tex Ritter – On it he sang (or rather talked) the song Deck of Cards. I remember listening to it all the time (must have driven my mother crazy. Well one day I dropped it and it broke in half. I was devastated. It was gone forever.

But other times over serious things.

Later the broken things involved relationships. They leave deep scars. Things that can never be undone.

Changes to life circumstances may cause brokeness

The devastation of sin always brings brokenness.

In my own life there have been times of brokenness.

What makes broken things so heart wrenching? Perhaps the finality of the loss? The hopeless nature that comes? The longing for something that is gone? Like Humpty Dumpty things can’t be put together again.

But there is hope. There is a solution to broken things. It is found in a person.

As we continue to discuss Encounters with God. We discover that when Jesus encounters broken people things happen. He provides solution for broken people. We will examine two of these encounters this morning.

John 5:1-14; 8:1-11 He is the solution for broken people

I. A man with a broken condition

Sometimes people are broken merely because the live in a broken world and are the seeming object of this broken world from no cause of their own.

A. A man impossibly broken John 5:1-3, 7

1. A broken man among broken people

(ESV) John 5 1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

2. A broken man with no one to help

(ESV) John 5 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.”

3. A broken man looking in the wrong places

(ESV) John 5 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.”

B. Jesus intervenes John 5:6

Jesus sees – Jesus seeks to help

1. Saw Him

(ESV) John 5 6 When Jesus saw him lying thereand knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”

2. Engaged Him

(ESV) John 5 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”

C. Jesus addresses the problems John 5:8-9, 13-14

Jesus is more than capable to address both the felt need and the real need

1. The immediate issue

(ESV) John 5 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. …

2. The real issue

(ESV) John 5 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”

a) Perhaps this implies his condition came as direct result of sin

b) Or maybe it merely points to the deeper need – to know Him and walk with Him

II. A woman broken by her sin

Next we come to a woman who is broken because of her own choices.

A. Discovered in sin John 8:2-3a

(ESV) John 8 2 Early in the morning he (Jesus) came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, …

Is she a pawn in this game of tricking Jesus? Without doubt. Seems likely that this is a set up. Yet she is still guilty. Sin gets discovered.

B. Sin made public John 8:3b-4

(ESV) John 8 3 … placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.

Sin leads to public ridicule. In the last days a famous reality star “Christian” has been discovered to be involved in horrible sin once again. This time it could lead to much prison time.

C. Public condemnation demanded John 8:5-8

(ESV) John 8 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him,

D. Jesus addresses the problems John 8:6-11

1. People condemnation

6 … Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 … he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.

a) Though guilty, Jesus is seeking to address this misuse / hypocrisy of the leaders who are using her

b) Note: Two different words for writing - first word may imply drawing and second actual writing

(ESV) John 8 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.

2. God’s condemnation

(ESV) John 8 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

Jesus can address the broken guilt of sin - requires true repentance