Believe and Live

John 8 

53 [[They went each to his own house, 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 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.” ]] I Am the Light of the World 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.” 13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” 19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

During this time of Easter and remembrance of resurrection, people celebrate many things. They gather as families and hunt Easter eggs. Some may even stray from the Lord and partake of the abomination that is peeps. Let the redeemed of the Lord say Amen!

Jesus went to the Mountain. The significance of this event is far reaching. Christ often left to be in solitude. The thoughts of the creator on this mount must have been happy and sad. Happy in the fact of why he had come and sad due to the reason he had to come.

The mount of olives was a place of prayer and burial. In the Old Testament we read of David ascending the mount and crying because of his son Absolom(II Samuel 15:30).

King Solomon had altars to the Amorite and Moabite gods of his wives. King Josiah would eventually destroy these altars in high place(II Kings 23:13).

Jesus wept over Jerusalem from the heights of the mount. Jesus taught his disciples from the slopes. Jesus would sing songs with his disciples to the base of the mount as he goes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray on the night of his betrayal. It is on this mount that Jesus ascends and will return for his bride.

Jesus as Author: a prevailing theme in the book of John and this passage in particular. Is his complete control of all things. He is the author and in him we find peace.

Author of forgiveness.

There is no condemnation in Christ. He offers forgiveness and redemption to those who believe.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Author of the Light

Jesus is the light of the world. The world is dark and needs light. Jesus is the light. Not only does he offer forgiveness, he also shows the way to his will. If we can see, we need to walk in such a manner.

We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won't need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don't fire cannons to call attention to their shining-they just shine. Dwight Moody

Author of life

We are all dead in the trespasses of our sin and life is out of our power. Jesus is the way to life.

As sure as Christ has given physical life to all things, he has also given spiritual life to those who believe.

Author of righteousness.

The judgement of God is not like the judgements of men. His judgements flow from a righteous perspective.

We would do well to trust in the righteous judgement of a righteous God. To do other wise is a path to death.

APPLICATION OF TRUTH

Psalm 14 ESV

To the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the Lord? There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous. You would shame the plans of the poor, but the Lord is his refuge. Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

There is truly no one who does good. Only Jesus is good. Only Jesus is the author. All others are just uninformed commentary.

Do you know this Jesus or is he a sterile religious figure to you? Have you experienced the feeling of new life and the knowledge of a sure salvation?

You have heard the truth of Christ today, what is your decision?

We have come to the end of the sermon, but today can be a new beginning for you.