WEBVTT 00:00:00.060 --> 00:00:01.840 We're going to turn to John, chapter eight this morning. 00:00:01.940 --> 00:00:09.600 John eight is where we are together in our message as it relates to the Gospel of John, light piercing the darkness. 00:00:09.620 --> 00:00:14.400 And we're going to juxtapose two thoughts this morning, condemnation versus the gospel. 00:00:14.460 --> 00:00:21.000 Condemnation in light of the gospel and how that fits for us, and John chapter eight is a pretty famous passage of scripture. 00:00:21.380 --> 00:00:26.800 This is where Jesus is confronted with a woman caught in adultery. 00:00:26.820 --> 00:00:27.940 So it's a powerful passage. 00:00:28.420 --> 00:00:35.500 And if you remember together where we're at in this story, John five to John chapter 10 is the section of scripture that is the festivals, the 00:00:35.500 --> 00:00:37.240 Jewish holidays, right? 00:00:37.240 --> 00:00:43.260 In John eight, we find ourselves at the end of the year during a time called the Feast of Booths. 00:00:43.740 --> 00:00:48.160 The Feast of Booths is one of those festivals out of three festivals that the Jews would have. 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:54.620 This is one of the festivals where God commands his people to take a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate. 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:58.940 Now, I will say during the time of Jesus that command was lightened. 00:00:59.940 --> 00:01:07.160 The Jews used to say, "All three festivals go to Jerusalem to celebrate." But by the time Jesus shows up, the 00:01:07.160 --> 00:01:14.280 statement is more, "At some point in your life, you need to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate one of these holidays." So sort 00:01:14.280 --> 00:01:19.930 of a little lightening to the law that they had practiced for these activities and this celebration. 00:01:20.220 --> 00:01:24.800 But nonetheless, Jerusalem would be packed for this holiday. 00:01:25.280 --> 00:01:27.620 And you see it in this text in John chapter eight, verse one. 00:01:27.660 --> 00:01:30.960 Look at this with me: But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:34.800 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. 00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:38.640 All the people came to him and he sat down and taught them. 00:01:38.960 --> 00:01:39.430 So it was like this. 00:01:39.940 --> 00:01:42.660 It's sort of like we're saying to John, "Okay, John, we know this is a big time of year. 00:01:42.660 --> 00:01:43.900 Lots of people are coming around. 00:01:44.140 --> 00:01:48.640 About how many people are we talking gathered around Jesus?" And John's is like, "I don't know all of them." Right? 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:50.910 It's like there are a lot of stinking people. 00:01:51.060 --> 00:01:52.480 There's not even room to get around. 00:01:52.700 --> 00:01:52.800 Right? 00:01:53.020 --> 00:01:56.020 That's how many people are gathered around Jesus in this moment. 00:01:56.100 --> 00:02:03.560 And when you think about the Feast of Booths, like if I try to correlate it to maybe a holiday we celebrate, I think it's sort of like Thanksgiving 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:09.070 and Christmas mixed with your end of the year bonus from your job, if you get an end of the year bonus. 00:02:09.440 --> 00:02:12.440 That's kind of what this moment sort of relates to. 00:02:12.460 --> 00:02:15.220 Because the Feast of Booths is harvest time. 00:02:15.340 --> 00:02:18.550 People are gathering all of their harvest from the end of the year, all of the hard work. 00:02:18.620 --> 00:02:21.640 So it's like, you've labored intensely towards the end of this year. 00:02:21.900 --> 00:02:27.330 And it's that moment where you finally get to just put your feet up on the table and kick back on the couch and relax. 00:02:27.420 --> 00:02:27.820 Right? 00:02:27.820 --> 00:02:29.530 And not only that, it's payday. 00:02:29.760 --> 00:02:36.900 This is big payday kind of a day, where at the end of the year now the big harvest comes through, and that new washer and dryer you've 00:02:36.900 --> 00:02:37.900 been eyeballing, right? 00:02:38.160 --> 00:02:40.240 You've finally saved enough to purchase it. 00:02:40.300 --> 00:02:43.420 Except for now, I've seen the appliances have gone up like 15%. 00:02:43.940 --> 00:02:46.420 So hold off on buying a washer and dryer this year. 00:02:47.400 --> 00:02:54.580 But in this moment, right, this is that kind of end of the year where they're just looking at how much they've accumulated and they're celebrating 00:02:54.580 --> 00:02:55.040 that. 00:02:55.060 --> 00:02:56.340 And there's plenty of food to go around. 00:02:56.380 --> 00:03:03.440 So it's kind of like Thanksgiving, but it's also mixed with the religious holiday where this is one of those festivals that God calls his people 00:03:03.440 --> 00:03:09.200 to gather and remember what God has done for them, and to celebrate sort of like Christmas for us, right? 00:03:09.200 --> 00:03:13.560 They've got that spirit of just festivities among them. 00:03:13.560 --> 00:03:16.880 And so there are a lot of people in Jerusalem. 00:03:17.100 --> 00:03:21.720 And now it's in the middle of this moment that you see what's described in verse three. 00:03:21.800 --> 00:03:24.790 This is kind of incredible what's happened in this disruption here. 00:03:25.060 --> 00:03:32.140 It says: The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and placing her in 00:03:32.140 --> 00:03:37.020 the midst, they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 00:03:37.400 --> 00:03:40.580 Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone, such a woman. 00:03:40.640 --> 00:03:41.580 So what do you say? 00:03:42.340 --> 00:03:49.900 This they said to test him that they might have some charge to bring against him." So you can imagine this sort 00:03:49.900 --> 00:03:50.420 of a moment. 00:03:50.640 --> 00:03:52.420 This is a packed crowd, right? 00:03:52.420 --> 00:03:56.600 We haven't seen that since 2019, but this is a large gathering. 00:03:56.620 --> 00:04:02.020 Everyone that's anyone is here at this moment with Jesus, learning from him, hearing from him. 00:04:02.200 --> 00:04:04.960 And then this huge disruption takes place. 00:04:05.400 --> 00:04:13.800 They walk into the middle of this celebration and they just bring this woman right in front of Jesus and said, "You deal with it." Now 00:04:13.800 --> 00:04:17.760 when I read this story, I've got some questions, right? 00:04:17.839 --> 00:04:21.300 Because in just reading those verses maybe you're like me. 00:04:21.339 --> 00:04:23.600 You look at this, you're like, "Man, these religious leaders doing this. 00:04:23.640 --> 00:04:25.420 This does not smell right to me. 00:04:25.420 --> 00:04:26.090 Is this kosher? 00:04:27.580 --> 00:04:33.660 Is this okay for these Jewish leaders to do something like this?" I mean, when you look at this scenario, a couple of thoughts for me. 00:04:33.700 --> 00:04:36.860 I would wonder like, "How did they know?" Right? 00:04:37.360 --> 00:04:39.780 This is a time of celebration. 00:04:39.780 --> 00:04:47.200 We're all supposed to be gathering, have your great party, and anticipating all that God has for your future, because you've brought in this harvest. 00:04:47.200 --> 00:04:52.390 Like the Jewish leaders of this moment, they should be leading, helping the people lead in this celebration. 00:04:52.660 --> 00:04:54.080 They should be out in the front. 00:04:54.100 --> 00:05:00.980 And somehow, rather than being there in that moment, somehow they catch this woman in this situation. 00:05:01.160 --> 00:05:02.620 How does that happen? 00:05:02.640 --> 00:05:03.080 Right? 00:05:03.080 --> 00:05:05.200 This is a little bit weird. 00:05:05.580 --> 00:05:10.660 And then on top of that, I don't know if you thought about this already or not, but where's the dude? 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:18.940 You know, when you think about this kind of a scenario, like bowling is an individual sport, 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:19.560 right? 00:05:19.560 --> 00:05:21.700 Tennis is an individual sport. 00:05:21.700 --> 00:05:24.860 Adultery, that's a team sport. 00:05:24.880 --> 00:05:28.340 It takes two to tango in a situation like this, right? 00:05:28.600 --> 00:05:30.820 Why is it they're going after the woman? 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:34.800 And there is no guy to be found. 00:05:34.840 --> 00:05:38.100 How is it the guy gets off scot-free in this situation? 00:05:41.700 --> 00:05:50.160 When you see this moment, maybe you're also like me and this just feels a 00:05:50.160 --> 00:05:54.280 little bit religiously gross and abusive. 00:05:56.800 --> 00:06:01.950 Because it's very apparent from this story they don't even care about this woman. 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:05.400 We're not even told her name. 00:06:06.580 --> 00:06:10.100 She's drug to the middle of this crowd and just thrown right in front of Jesus. 00:06:10.300 --> 00:06:15.280 They tell us the real reason they're there, and the real reason has nothing to do with this woman. 00:06:17.520 --> 00:06:21.560 They're abusing this woman in order to test Jesus. 00:06:24.220 --> 00:06:26.620 They could care less about the condition of this woman's heart. 00:06:28.400 --> 00:06:30.380 She's just a tool for their own purposes. 00:06:32.900 --> 00:06:35.180 Religion has the tendency to do that, doesn't it? 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:44.620 Promote me and my self righteousness so I build myself up with pride and demonstrate that I'm better than you, and 00:06:44.740 --> 00:06:49.940 find people that struggle so that they can feel humiliated in their struggle. 00:06:52.500 --> 00:06:59.560 If following God leads you to devalue another human being that is 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:00.120 not godly. 00:07:03.100 --> 00:07:06.460 And in this moment, this is where these religious leaders find themselves. 00:07:08.740 --> 00:07:11.780 And let me just add for our own sake and our own culture. 00:07:12.380 --> 00:07:20.520 If you have a problem with someone else, go to someone else first before 00:07:20.520 --> 00:07:21.600 you take them before the world. 00:07:22.260 --> 00:07:27.080 And what I mean is I don't care about your thought on Facebook, Right? 00:07:27.180 --> 00:07:28.560 It's biblical. 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:35.560 It's biblical to approach the person which you have the problem than to just go to the public arena and blast them. 00:07:37.540 --> 00:07:44.780 Because what God is interested in is in your heart and theirs, and finding opportunity for them to see the error of 00:07:44.780 --> 00:07:46.600 them and change. 00:07:49.880 --> 00:07:52.100 Religion here, it reveals itself. 00:07:52.220 --> 00:07:58.140 It's keen at promoting your self righteousness and highlighting other's fault above your own. 00:08:00.420 --> 00:08:06.220 And in verse six, they ask Jesus this question, and they continue to ask the question, right? 00:08:06.220 --> 00:08:11.500 I mean, verse seven, it says they continue to repeat this to Jesus, "But what do you say, Jesus?" That's what they want to know. 00:08:11.540 --> 00:08:14.020 And they say this, they do this in order to test him. 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:17.340 They do this in order to test them. 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:24.320 Now, I want to be clear in saying something, because I think this is a very important to understanding this verse in scripture, in verse six, when they do this to test Jesus. 00:08:25.560 --> 00:08:29.760 Because it is okay to question when it comes to your walk with God. 00:08:29.960 --> 00:08:31.200 It is okay to ask questions. 00:08:31.260 --> 00:08:33.580 In fact, I would encourage you to do so. 00:08:33.980 --> 00:08:35.600 Please, please, please ask questions. 00:08:35.880 --> 00:08:37.419 Don't just believe what I tell you. 00:08:38.460 --> 00:08:43.500 God says, "Love the Lord, your God, with all of your mind," right? 00:08:43.500 --> 00:08:46.090 God gave you a mind a for a reason. 00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:50.220 And that is to be able to reason things in this life, right? 00:08:50.540 --> 00:08:57.720 And when it comes to faith, as in anything in this world, God would expect, especially I would say, in the arena of faith to 00:08:57.720 --> 00:09:01.020 use logic to understand who he is. 00:09:01.020 --> 00:09:08.120 Now I would say when we come to understand God, and walk with God, and learn about God that there's nothing in 00:09:08.120 --> 00:09:10.840 this world that truly correlates to everything that God is. 00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:13.800 God is unfathomable in his nature. 00:09:13.860 --> 00:09:15.980 Now there are things of God that we can relate to. 00:09:15.980 --> 00:09:19.400 Like God is love and joy and peace and patience, right? 00:09:19.400 --> 00:09:22.560 You being a relational creature can relate to God in that way. 00:09:22.560 --> 00:09:25.320 We call those communicable attributes of God. 00:09:25.340 --> 00:09:27.220 We commune with God in that way. 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:32.000 And then there is this topic of incommunicable attributes where we can still learn about God. 00:09:32.020 --> 00:09:35.020 But to conceive fully what it means is infathomable, right? 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:36.100 God is omnipotent. 00:09:36.640 --> 00:09:37.090 He's all powerful. 00:09:37.940 --> 00:09:39.740 He's everywhere present. 00:09:39.820 --> 00:09:41.040 These thoughts of God. 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:41.760 God is perfect. 00:09:42.040 --> 00:09:42.630 God is eternal. 00:09:42.940 --> 00:09:48.460 The moment you can conceive of what it means to be eternal, it ceases to be eternity, right? 00:09:48.460 --> 00:09:50.500 You have to come up with a different word for it. 00:09:50.780 --> 00:09:56.640 So there are things about God we can learn about God, but we can't fully comprehend what it means to be that as it relates to God. 00:09:57.500 --> 00:09:59.940 But nonetheless, God desires for you to think about him. 00:10:00.500 --> 00:10:02.240 Faith is not this blind guess. 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:05.540 Faith is built on logic and reason. 00:10:05.540 --> 00:10:06.940 Yes, at the end of the day, you must trust. 00:10:07.260 --> 00:10:10.420 But God has given us certainly a foundation to rest upon. 00:10:10.420 --> 00:10:14.140 So when it comes to your faith, please, please ask questions. 00:10:14.400 --> 00:10:15.740 Please, please learn and grow. 00:10:16.020 --> 00:10:21.100 In fact, in Acts chapter 17, in verse 11, it says this about the Jews in Beroea. 00:10:21.100 --> 00:10:28.240 It says, "The Jews in Beroea were more noble in character than those in Thessalonica for they received the message with 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:35.240 great eagerness and examined the scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Notice 00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:39.800 what he says about the Beroeans, "They are more noble in their character." Why are they more noble in their character? 00:10:40.160 --> 00:10:42.300 Because they're questioning their faith. 00:10:42.300 --> 00:10:44.100 They're determining what's true. 00:10:44.100 --> 00:10:45.620 They're testing it, right? 00:10:45.660 --> 00:10:48.460 So when it comes to your relationship with God, testing is not bad. 00:10:50.860 --> 00:10:52.820 But the way we test can be bad. 00:10:52.840 --> 00:11:00.000 And what I want you to see in verse six is this, that when the Jews are coming to Jesus to test him in this passage, it's 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:02.620 really not to determine about who's right and who's wrong. 00:11:02.660 --> 00:11:04.960 It's about proving that they are already right. 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:09.500 Because this word testing is probably better translated as accuse. 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:14.360 They're not there to learn from Jesus. 00:11:17.040 --> 00:11:19.180 They're there to try to intentionally trip up Jesus. 00:11:21.920 --> 00:11:27.580 They're there to show that Jesus is not worthy of following, but everyone should listen to them. 00:11:28.860 --> 00:11:29.800 So let me just stop here and say this. 00:11:31.740 --> 00:11:33.150 Who do you best relate to in this story? 00:11:35.460 --> 00:11:41.500 As you think about how this narrative unfolds, which character do you find yourself best aligning with? 00:11:42.660 --> 00:11:45.500 Is it the dude that didn't get caught? 00:11:45.500 --> 00:11:47.060 He gets off scot-free, right? 00:11:47.060 --> 00:11:49.620 He's running away thinking no one's found him out. 00:11:49.640 --> 00:11:51.120 So he's good to go. 00:11:51.140 --> 00:11:52.300 And can I just tell you, God sees. 00:11:53.800 --> 00:11:57.200 God sees no matter how hard you think you're running, how far you think you're going. 00:11:57.640 --> 00:11:59.720 You may fool everyone else, but you will not fool god. 00:12:00.060 --> 00:12:01.340 God sees. 00:12:01.780 --> 00:12:08.960 Or is it the woman, where you're caught and 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:16.160 you're guilty, and you're trying to determine what to do because your life now 00:12:16.160 --> 00:12:18.100 seems to be very fragile. 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:27.440 Or you're the religious leaders where you really don't see your need for God, but Jesus is a nice thought. 00:12:27.460 --> 00:12:32.880 He might even be a good moral teacher, but you think that you're riding through this life on your own self-righteousness. 00:12:33.420 --> 00:12:35.950 After all, you're better than most people around you. 00:12:38.380 --> 00:12:39.240 And I think of the characters. 00:12:39.500 --> 00:12:40.180 I could add a fourth. 00:12:40.640 --> 00:12:43.150 The fourth one I would say is Jesus, but ain't nobody here Jesus. 00:12:43.480 --> 00:12:44.000 Right? 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:46.620 So which one do you relate to in the story? 00:12:47.760 --> 00:12:54.720 And when you read the story, what's important for us to see in verse five and six is what the Jewish leaders are up to here. 00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:59.420 The Jewish leaders are actually trying to trap Jesus. 00:13:01.300 --> 00:13:05.780 And understanding the complexity of this moment helps us to see how that has transpired. 00:13:06.300 --> 00:13:13.420 Because they say to you in verse five, they very plainly tell you, "Now, in the law of Moses, God commanded us to stone such a woman. 00:13:13.980 --> 00:13:18.440 So what do you say, Jesus?" And they're right. 00:13:20.620 --> 00:13:26.440 Deuteronomy chapter 22, verse 24, it says anyone caught in adultery, guy, male-female, stone them. 00:13:27.540 --> 00:13:31.520 And what it means is first offense is the last offense, right? 00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:38.340 This is a very quick way of curbing the idea of repeat offenders in this situation. 00:13:40.580 --> 00:13:45.060 So Jewish law, very plainly says what to do. 00:13:45.060 --> 00:13:46.580 And is this woman guilty? 00:13:47.940 --> 00:13:48.240 Yes. 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:51.760 But here's the dilemma of the circumstance. 00:13:52.580 --> 00:13:59.640 The law of the land isn't just the Jewish, law that Rome has conquered the Jewish people and usurping Jewish 00:13:59.640 --> 00:14:00.880 laws now are Roman law. 00:14:02.580 --> 00:14:09.700 And Roman law in this moment has made it very clear that no one is allowed to execute someone else for religious 00:14:09.700 --> 00:14:10.420 purposes. 00:14:10.420 --> 00:14:13.480 I mean, even think at the end of Jesus's life, they would have executed Jesus. 00:14:13.820 --> 00:14:14.970 But what do they have to do with Jesus? 00:14:15.380 --> 00:14:21.560 They had to take him to Pontius Pilot, because according to Roman law, the Jews in and of themselves couldn't execute someone for religious purposes. 00:14:22.560 --> 00:14:28.940 And so now when they present this to Jesus, they know exactly what they're doing because they're putting Jesus in a very difficult situation. 00:14:29.460 --> 00:14:30.880 Because what's Jesus to do? 00:14:31.040 --> 00:14:36.720 If he obeys the Jewish law, then he sets himself against Rome and Rome will come after him. 00:14:37.380 --> 00:14:43.420 But if he obeys the Roman law, then he sets himself against the Jewish law and the Jews will reject him. 00:14:45.100 --> 00:14:48.060 Do you obey God? 00:14:49.180 --> 00:14:50.100 Or do you obey man? 00:14:52.180 --> 00:14:54.440 Do you see the dilemma they're putting Jesus in? 00:14:56.140 --> 00:15:03.240 This is a very clever moment for these leaders who want to usurp the 00:15:03.400 --> 00:15:11.060 authority of Jesus and the platform and the integrity that he carries before his people in order to speak into 00:15:11.180 --> 00:15:12.650 their lives. 00:15:12.920 --> 00:15:14.120 Now da, da, da, Right? 00:15:14.740 --> 00:15:16.000 What does Jesus do? 00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:18.800 What would you do in this situation? 00:15:19.520 --> 00:15:21.470 Could you imagine that, the pressure of this moment? 00:15:22.170 --> 00:15:24.420 Everyone's just watching, all eyes on you. 00:15:24.420 --> 00:15:31.560 It says all of Jerusalem has gathered around you in this moment and they interrupt what you're doing to present this, 00:15:31.700 --> 00:15:36.120 to put this dilemma before you, and make you choose one side or the other. 00:15:38.350 --> 00:15:39.540 And look what Jesus does. 00:15:41.700 --> 00:15:43.840 It's the brilliance of who he is, right? 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:50.920 Verse six: Jesus bent down and wrote with 00:15:50.920 --> 00:15:52.660 his finger on the ground. 00:15:53.740 --> 00:16:00.980 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be 00:16:00.980 --> 00:16:08.080 the first to throw a stone at her." And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 00:16:09.760 --> 00:16:10.380 What does Jesus do? 00:16:10.700 --> 00:16:12.410 I love what Jesus does here. 00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:19.860 Jesus in this moment, he raises the bar of the Jewish law. 00:16:20.700 --> 00:16:28.040 See, according to the Jewish law, when someone was to be stoned, it was to be the primary accuser who casts 00:16:28.040 --> 00:16:28.870 the first stone. 00:16:30.500 --> 00:16:37.520 The primary accuser in casting the first stone would cast as if, to say if my testimony that is bringing the death of this person is 00:16:37.520 --> 00:16:42.820 not true, let what happens to them be also what happens to me. 00:16:44.280 --> 00:16:52.380 It's their way of ensuring that what takes place in the judgment that's to be passed on this individual was 00:16:52.380 --> 00:16:56.840 done so with the integrity of the testimony that brought the accusation. 00:16:57.200 --> 00:17:04.420 But here's the irony of this moment when Jesus says, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." The irony of this moment is that the only one out 00:17:04.420 --> 00:17:08.079 of all of these people who has the ability to cast the stone is who? 00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:16.260 Jesus, because he is the only one without sin. 00:17:19.160 --> 00:17:21.180 I love what Jesus does here. 00:17:22.300 --> 00:17:25.359 Raising the bar of holiness. 00:17:25.599 --> 00:17:29.590 He wants to say, "Okay, guys, you want to make a scene out of this moment. 00:17:30.140 --> 00:17:36.700 I want to know which person among you thought of the great idea to accuse this lady in this way, reveal yourself. 00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:43.460 Who's her primary accuser, whose idea was this? 00:17:45.220 --> 00:17:51.540 In the nastiness of your religious practice, I want you to stand out and identify yourself before all of Jerusalem. 00:17:51.800 --> 00:17:52.940 Which person is this? 00:17:54.780 --> 00:17:58.620 And then Jesus goes back and begins to write on the ground. 00:18:00.100 --> 00:18:07.140 Now, when we read this passage of scripture, I can tell you someone's going to probably ask me this after the service or email 00:18:07.140 --> 00:18:09.710 me, "What did Jesus write on ground? 00:18:11.220 --> 00:18:14.120 What did he say?" Everyone wants to know that. 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:15.740 And I will tell you want to know? 00:18:17.040 --> 00:18:17.630 I don't know. 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:26.140 I have no clue and I don't even think it matters, but I will say this about this passage of scripture, that whatever he's writing, it 00:18:26.140 --> 00:18:28.060 becomes a moment of self-reflection. 00:18:29.600 --> 00:18:29.780 All right? 00:18:29.780 --> 00:18:36.960 Everyone in this moment is thinking about the woman and treating her like a tool for their own purposes, but whatever Jesus writes 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:43.660 diffuses this circumstance so much so that everyone against to internalize something in their life. 00:18:45.280 --> 00:18:53.020 It's as if Jesus is revealing what's in the hearts of everyone around, maybe 00:18:53.020 --> 00:18:57.020 even one by one writing their sins in the ground. 00:18:59.760 --> 00:19:06.800 It's difficult to attack someone else when you're humbled 00:19:06.800 --> 00:19:08.100 in your own depravity. 00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:12.320 And I appreciate what it says about the people. 00:19:12.380 --> 00:19:19.460 It says, "One by one they started walking away from the older to the younger." From the older 00:19:19.460 --> 00:19:19.960 to the younger. 00:19:21.220 --> 00:19:22.400 Do you know why the older people walked away first? 00:19:23.940 --> 00:19:26.280 Because you've lived longer and you've done more stuff, right? 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:30.240 You've learned enough wisdom in life to know, "I ain't perfect either. 00:19:30.260 --> 00:19:33.500 Let's just back up before for Jesus starts writing my name in the sand," right? 00:19:33.500 --> 00:19:34.880 When you're young, you're passionate. 00:19:34.880 --> 00:19:40.560 When you're older, you get some wisdom, and you're like, "We all need a little bit of grace." And that's how they start leaving in this moment. 00:19:40.560 --> 00:19:48.460 And it's as if Jesus is saying, "Put your rock down, you have sinned too." Put 00:19:48.460 --> 00:19:49.420 your rock down. 00:19:49.520 --> 00:19:50.400 You have sent too. 00:19:50.400 --> 00:19:53.120 Man, you're going to meet God one day face to face. 00:19:54.920 --> 00:19:55.880 What are you going to do? 00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:01.460 Because the only one that can really cast stones is God. 00:20:02.380 --> 00:20:07.480 And if you've got sin before his holiness, what are you going to do? 00:20:08.280 --> 00:20:15.860 Now one of the things to just keep in mind, as you look at this passage, notice he doesn't say the 00:20:15.860 --> 00:20:16.900 woman didn't do anything wrong. 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:21.660 Jesus isn't just sweeping this moment under the rug. 00:20:21.820 --> 00:20:24.910 He doesn't say, "Look, she's not guilty." He's not saying that. 00:20:25.300 --> 00:20:26.760 He's not ignoring it. 00:20:26.760 --> 00:20:27.920 Jesus deals with it. 00:20:29.260 --> 00:20:36.460 But what I think is important for all of us to see and where Jesus takes this, is if you don't see you're sinful, then 00:20:36.460 --> 00:20:37.210 you need humbled. 00:20:39.460 --> 00:20:40.280 I should say it like that. 00:20:40.760 --> 00:20:42.380 If you don't see your sinful, then you need humbled. 00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:51.020 But if you see yourself, you need grace. 00:20:51.540 --> 00:20:54.320 That's the difference in how Jesus dealt in the gospels. 00:20:54.770 --> 00:21:01.880 Jesus was very confrontational to the religious leaders, and the reason he was so confrontational is because they were stuck in 00:21:01.880 --> 00:21:05.610 their self-righteousness and they didn't realize how [inaudible 00:21:05] they were. 00:21:08.260 --> 00:21:13.460 But when he met those that were broken, Jesus was one of grace. 00:21:14.760 --> 00:21:21.820 I think even the other woman that's mentioned in John chapter four, the woman at the well, how gentle Jesus was in dealing 00:21:21.820 --> 00:21:23.090 with her. 00:21:25.560 --> 00:21:32.410 Verse nine: When they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones. 00:21:33.320 --> 00:21:40.800 And Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him and Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where 00:21:40.800 --> 00:21:41.180 are they? 00:21:43.020 --> 00:21:50.140 Has no one condemned you?" And she said, "No one Lord." And Jesus 00:21:50.140 --> 00:21:59.660 said, "Neither do I condemn you, go and from now on sin no more." 00:22:01.420 --> 00:22:08.540 I want you to imagine for a moment, as you see in this story, the finger of God writing in the 00:22:08.540 --> 00:22:08.640 sand. 00:22:12.180 --> 00:22:12.900 What if you were there? 00:22:16.900 --> 00:22:21.420 And what if Jesus started to write your sin in the sand? 00:22:25.180 --> 00:22:25.860 How would you respond? 00:22:31.220 --> 00:22:33.200 Would you stick around long enough to find healing? 00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:40.800 What you find in this story is the man involved nowhere to be found. 00:22:44.080 --> 00:22:51.240 The religious leaders who bring this woman and the crowd that's around Jesus, one by one feel so awkward and maybe ashamed, 00:22:51.440 --> 00:22:52.200 that they start to walk away. 00:22:54.660 --> 00:22:58.140 But there's only one person that we see finds healing. 00:23:00.010 --> 00:23:03.800 And it's the person in this moment who comes to Jesus most broken. 00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:09.180 Everyone walks away but this one. 00:23:09.460 --> 00:23:11.430 And what does Jesus bring up as the topic? 00:23:12.740 --> 00:23:13.360 Condemnation. 00:23:15.560 --> 00:23:19.470 Condemnation, because we all struggle with the weight of condemnation. 00:23:21.540 --> 00:23:28.200 And religions answer what the Pharisees are trying this in this story is, "Try better." Just try better. 00:23:28.820 --> 00:23:30.040 Eventually you'll get it right. 00:23:30.120 --> 00:23:31.500 Maybe God will love you enough. 00:23:31.500 --> 00:23:32.760 Just try better. 00:23:32.760 --> 00:23:35.700 Or the guy in the story that we don't really get to read about. 00:23:36.180 --> 00:23:39.400 It's, "Just hide." Just hide, maybe God will just forget about you. 00:23:39.400 --> 00:23:41.600 And you're just sort of flipping through the back doors. 00:23:42.320 --> 00:23:47.500 No, I have to go through the pearly gates, but you go through the exit only sign and someone comes out, right? 00:23:47.520 --> 00:23:50.180 Or this lady. 00:23:51.800 --> 00:23:57.740 And Jesus says to her, "I do not condemn you." Why? 00:23:58.620 --> 00:24:02.420 Because when we mess up, we feel condemned. 00:24:05.140 --> 00:24:12.740 And what you do in that moment is so important because it demonstrates if you understand the difference between 00:24:12.800 --> 00:24:16.520 religious condemnation and the beauty of the gospel. 00:24:18.660 --> 00:24:25.680 And if I were just to give you one thought as you walk away from today, just to meditate on and churn on and 00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:32.760 let your soul find peace in it would be this last statement that Jesus gives in verse 11. 00:24:33.300 --> 00:24:37.380 Look at this guys: She said, "No one, Lord. 00:24:37.380 --> 00:24:41.840 And then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. 00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:51.360 Go and from now on sin no more." Most 00:24:51.360 --> 00:24:58.360 of the time we think God says it like this, "Go and sin no 00:24:58.360 --> 00:24:58.680 more. 00:24:59.800 --> 00:25:06.480 And therefore I will not condemn you." That's not how Jesus says it, is it? 00:25:08.320 --> 00:25:10.680 In a religious way of thinking we often reverse that. 00:25:11.920 --> 00:25:16.180 If I want God to love me, I've got to first become lovable. 00:25:17.400 --> 00:25:21.360 Go and sin no more, and then Jesus won't condemn me. 00:25:22.860 --> 00:25:24.820 But that's not what Jesus says at all. 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:33.500 Jesus in this verse says, "Neither do I condemn you, therefore go and 00:25:33.500 --> 00:25:35.560 sin no more." Why? 00:25:38.400 --> 00:25:45.640 Because it's the difference between understanding self-righteousness religiously made, and what the gospel 00:25:45.640 --> 00:25:46.540 is. 00:25:47.940 --> 00:25:52.400 When we understand the gospel, we don't live for God so that we can be loved for God. 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:55.780 It's because we are loved by God that we live for God. 00:25:57.480 --> 00:25:58.360 Does that make sense? 00:25:58.580 --> 00:25:59.530 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:05.520 I'm not here this morning to worship the Lord and hope that God would love me. 00:26:06.600 --> 00:26:11.300 I'm here this morning because God already loves me, and therefore, I worship him. 00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:14.960 That's the whole meaning of the gospel. 00:26:15.160 --> 00:26:22.360 And this is where the religious leaders are failing to see how their blindedness is causing them to devalue this woman 00:26:22.360 --> 00:26:29.720 and treat her like a tool rather than the image of God made 00:26:29.800 --> 00:26:30.690 known in her life. 00:26:34.680 --> 00:26:36.580 Jesus gives her worth. 00:26:39.960 --> 00:26:44.630 Not because of what she's done, but of who he is. 00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:47.340 "Neither do I condemn you. 00:26:48.220 --> 00:26:51.820 Go and sin no more." And I love how she responds here. 00:26:53.900 --> 00:26:58.740 She refers to him in verse 11, "Lord." Lord. 00:27:00.260 --> 00:27:06.420 And I don't doubt in verse 11, she has no idea the capacity of everything that word should mean in her life. 00:27:08.040 --> 00:27:09.880 She's learning about who Jesus is in this moment. 00:27:12.180 --> 00:27:19.360 But whoever he is, what she knows in this moment is that he loves her, and he has spared her life. 00:27:21.020 --> 00:27:21.320 Lord. 00:27:23.140 --> 00:27:23.400 Lord. 00:27:25.600 --> 00:27:32.600 Can I tell you the powerful thoughts of this story, guys, and one of the things I hear people often say that 00:27:32.600 --> 00:27:36.040 sounds humble, but is important to think about for just a moment. 00:27:36.220 --> 00:27:37.200 I hear people say this. 00:27:38.660 --> 00:27:46.580 Some people will look at their lives and they'll say, "You know, I believe in this story that Jesus forgives me, but 00:27:46.580 --> 00:27:49.320 I can't forget me." Right? 00:27:50.680 --> 00:27:51.480 And it sounds humble. 00:27:51.580 --> 00:27:56.160 Sometimes we want to pander to that and encourage it and sulk with the person. 00:27:56.220 --> 00:27:56.800 Right? 00:27:57.240 --> 00:28:04.380 "I know Jesus forgives me, but I can't forgive me." Can I just tell you, and this is a little bit of a harder word, but can I just tell you 00:28:04.380 --> 00:28:06.400 the problem with that statement? 00:28:08.620 --> 00:28:12.720 You think too much about you and too little about Jesus. 00:28:15.240 --> 00:28:21.960 Do we understand who this is that's forgiving this woman? 00:28:25.400 --> 00:28:30.160 Do we understand everything that he's about to do for this lady on the cross? 00:28:34.120 --> 00:28:41.220 Do you understand who this is in your life and everything that he's done for 00:28:41.220 --> 00:28:44.440 you, and what he offers? 00:28:46.760 --> 00:28:51.880 The position that he gives and the value that he speaks over you because of the price he's paid for you? 00:28:55.200 --> 00:29:02.300 Who are we to look at him and say, "But I can't forgive me." What more could you possibly 00:29:02.300 --> 00:29:05.350 do than what Jesus has already done? 00:29:06.200 --> 00:29:12.910 Could you imagine what this woman would tell us if she were here today? 00:29:14.920 --> 00:29:18.920 If we said to her, "Hey, tell us about the lowest moment of your life." And she goes, "That's easy. 00:29:18.980 --> 00:29:19.900 It's in the Bible." Right? 00:29:20.880 --> 00:29:27.040 "There was a moment where I was branded and so humiliated and, yes, I did this. 00:29:27.680 --> 00:29:28.000 It was me. 00:29:30.980 --> 00:29:38.480 Then I met someone and never again in my life have I been so incredibly loved 00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:45.400 and forgiven and valued and elevated. 00:29:47.300 --> 00:29:54.360 Do you know, the crowd didn't even know my name, but in the moment with him, my past was gone and 00:29:54.600 --> 00:29:56.560 he knew my name. 00:29:57.860 --> 00:30:05.010 And in that moment, everything changed." And maybe she would go on from there and say this to you. 00:30:05.300 --> 00:30:10.060 She would say, "You know, that was a hard story, but if I had to do it all over again, I would. 00:30:10.060 --> 00:30:11.350 And here's the reason why. 00:30:11.580 --> 00:30:18.680 It's because from this moment on in the shame of my story, the world has read it over and over, and people in 00:30:18.680 --> 00:30:25.800 their brokenness have come to read about and understand that Jesus who meets us where we are, and loves 00:30:25.800 --> 00:30:29.120 us as we are, and frees us in him. 00:30:29.120 --> 00:30:32.250 And he says to us, 'You are no longer condemned. 00:30:32.480 --> 00:30:37.920 Go and sin no more.' It's this new identity and the greatness of who this God is. 00:30:37.940 --> 00:30:41.130 And from that day forward, I lived for a different purpose. 00:30:41.400 --> 00:30:45.820 I had a different value and I was renewed in my meaning in this life. 00:30:48.300 --> 00:30:55.360 This is a powerful story, that if God would meet me in my 00:30:55.360 --> 00:30:56.560 heart this way. 00:30:57.980 --> 00:31:05.000 And let me live this sort of life before others, that they could meet God in this way, too." 00:31:09.080 --> 00:31:16.180 When I read this story, one of the beautiful things for me, and maybe even the icing on the top is 00:31:16.180 --> 00:31:16.900 how it all starts. 00:31:19.080 --> 00:31:25.570 John chapter eight, verse one: Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 00:31:27.880 --> 00:31:34.900 I love that thought because I think what it's saying to me is that this story is no accident, and here's why. 00:31:36.500 --> 00:31:43.920 When you read through the Bible, the Mount of Olives has historical value and meaning that's rich with imagery. 00:31:45.240 --> 00:31:52.420 In second Samuel, chapter 15, verse 30, this was the place where when King 00:31:52.420 --> 00:32:00.680 David was betrayed by his son Absalom, he went to the Mount of Olives weeping over 00:32:00.760 --> 00:32:01.400 the sin of his son. 00:32:05.100 --> 00:32:08.380 This is, in the story in John eight, where Jesus meets this woman. 00:32:08.480 --> 00:32:15.700 But this also becomes the place where on the night Jesus was betrayed he takes his disciples to spend his final 00:32:15.700 --> 00:32:22.410 hours as the weight of sin comes upon his shoulders before he takes it to the cross and pays for you. 00:32:24.300 --> 00:32:30.260 The Mount of Olives is the place of letting go of your past because of what Jesus has done. 00:32:32.620 --> 00:32:39.960 And in Zachariah chapter 14, verse four, really the whole chapter, there is a picture painted by 00:32:39.960 --> 00:32:48.220 Zachariah that says, "And one day, this king will come and 00:32:48.220 --> 00:32:56.100 he will return to the Mount of Olives, declaring his victory over all sin because 00:32:56.100 --> 00:33:03.340 of what he's done for you." No doubt when this lady left this moment, 00:33:05.180 --> 00:33:12.820 she didn't live a perfect life, but the next time she messed up, where 00:33:12.820 --> 00:33:13.580 do you think she went? 00:33:15.960 --> 00:33:17.590 Do you think she went to the religious leaders? 00:33:19.520 --> 00:33:20.280 I don't think so. 00:33:21.940 --> 00:33:29.100 I think because she learned about the grace of God the next time she messed up the place that she went, and I think she went without 00:33:29.100 --> 00:33:32.860 delay, she ran straight to Jesus. 00:33:35.040 --> 00:33:37.260 And guys, that's us. 00:33:37.280 --> 00:33:37.920 That's us, right? 00:33:40.520 --> 00:33:44.560 God, isn't testing in your life in order for you to fail, right? 00:33:44.840 --> 00:33:49.700 I think God tests us in our life, he doesn't just tempt you in your life or test your life in order for you to fail. 00:33:50.060 --> 00:33:51.160 The Lord is for you. 00:33:51.240 --> 00:33:52.660 The Lord wants you to succeed. 00:33:52.700 --> 00:33:55.950 And part of understanding that is to realize in our lives, we're not going to be perfect. 00:33:57.500 --> 00:34:05.060 But the place we find healing, and transformation, and renewal, and opportunity once again to pursue our king is 00:34:05.060 --> 00:34:19.340 not on our own trying to prove to him we're worthy of his love, but falling at his knees and calling him 00:34:28.960 --> 00:34:31.980 Lord, because because he already loves you.