True Mercy
Notes
Transcript
2 Early in the morning he 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, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 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, 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. 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. 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.” 12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
I started a message on He Came for the Broken
for the broken hearted, those who are wounded deep in their wounds..
We should be a people of grace, a safe place.. to be nurtured and healed
While the Lord came for the wounded and the hurting..He also came for the outcasts of society..
He lumped all these issues of life into one root cause, that is sin..
We should also be a people of mercy… that people will find a place where they will not be condemned.
The text of scripture that I read.. is part of a passage from John that is missing in some of the ancient manuscripts of scripture..
Many scholars agree that it is part of inspired scripture.. I thank the Holy Spirit
Mercy of Christ
Difference between mercy and grace - Mercy is not getting what we deserve, Grace is getting what we deserve.
True Restoration Starts from God’s Mercy
The feast of Tabernacles had ended and Jesus has been openly teaching and ministering in the temple.. the scribes and Pharisees hatched a plan..
They want Jesus to break the law so he can be subject to arrest.. Many times they tried to pit Jesus against Moses and they failed,, now they seem to have the perfect opportunity… they brought a woman caught in adultery before Him..
2 Early in the morning he 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, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”
There are a few things that are really strange here..
How did they catch the woman? It could be a part of a bigger plot where the scribes and pharisees staged the act, it is possible that the man was part of a scheme.
Where is he, where’s the guy?
If this was a real act of adultery, the guy should also be indicted according to the law of Moses.
10 “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
Their plot is very clear:
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.
Surely.. you are a teacher of the law, you will not violate the law and commandments would you?
We live in a very accusatory society.
Doctrinal police..
Social Media watchdogs.. who watch your every move.
People are fast to blame and condemn..
Cyberbullying
People are quick to pass judgement..
What was Jesus’ response?
“Jesus bent down and wrote with His finger on the ground”.
Don’t you love Jesus?
No one knows for sure what He wrote down on the ground.. but there is a tempered strength, I am sure He was at the very least concerned about the attitude of these religious people.. but He was probably indignant, angry at them that they would judge the woman and not look at themselves.. He could have easily formed a whip.. what is going on in the Lord’s mind? One thing is certain.. His heart bled for the woman, for her sinful life and also for the way she had been treated.
7 And as they continued to ask him, 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.
1. True Mercy starts with an indictment.
We have all been indicted.
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
We will not receive mercy until we admit that we ourselves are sinners.
We in turn become merciful.
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.
people quietly leaving..
What did Jesus write:
Possibly some scripture..
Some say what Jesus probably wrote on the ground were the names of these people and some secret sin.. the older ones,, I may be next - I’m out of here.
13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.
whatever it is.. that Jesus wrote - it is the power of His spoken word that became the final blow that convicted these people..
“He who is without sin among you be the first to throw the stone.”
They were probably ready with rocks in their hands,, slowly.. each of these stones dropped to the ground.
10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
2. True Mercy does not violate God’s law.
Jesus was not light on sin.. but true judgement does not belong in the hands of men.
The woman was not judged, but her sins would be...
Jesus was about to die for that woman.
I believe we will see her in heaven.
11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
3. True mercy compels us to stop sinning.
The power of mercy..
4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.
There is a Holy fear - the experience of forgiveness would motivate the forgiven sinner to live a holy and obedient life to the glory of God
4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
DO not abuse the grace of God!
The next thing Jesus said, He pointed everyone to Himself.
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
We must point people to Jesus..
We must proclaim the Gospel..
We are to shine the light of Jesus
“Daily Expressions of Mercy Proclaim the Nature of God’s Kingdom”
“Proximity to brokenness will move us to uncomfortable places and sharpen and direct our lens. ‘We have for once learnt to see the great events of world history from below, from the perspective of the outcast, the suspects, the maltreated, the powerless, the oppressed, the reviled – in short, from the perspective of those who suffer.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer