Transcript

From Condemnation To Forgiveness

John 7:53-8:11
Sunday, March 16, 2003
Pastor Randy Smith

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Before we press on in the gospel of John this morning, I feel compelled to review the material we examined last week. Tragically, countless Christians are joyless, powerless and purposeless because they fail to comprehend and apply the specific and crucial principle we learned last Sunday. This essential principle is simply summarized by saying, "Fill up with Jesus and then allow Him to overflow through you in blessings to others."

The specific text we studied was John 7:37-39. "Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'' But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."

Jesus gives every human a glorious invitation. The invitation compels all to cease drinking from the stagnant waters of worldliness and turn to His refreshing waters of eternal life and satisfaction. Drinking from Jesus is simply a metaphor to believe in Him, appropriate Him, cast yourself wholeheartedly into His loving arms, surrender, yield, forsake all to have Jesus. This is not a one-time act, but a habitual thirst for God that finds quenching only in the Person of Jesus Christ. Contrary to the bill of goods that the church has bought from the Father of Lies, the sacrifice is not drinking too much of Jesus, rather the sacrifice is found in slurping from the brackish waters of this sin-tainted world which offers no pleasure. Drinking from Jesus. That is the command. That is the gospel. That is the meaning of life. That is the source of joy, peace and contentment. But that is not the whole picture.

The remainder of these three verses in John 7 gives us the other half of the picture. They exhort us not only to take Jesus in, but also to give Jesus out. We are to fill ourselves with Jesus through the Holy Spirit whereby He overflows from us in ministry to others. We were not created to be a sponge. We were created to be a fountain. Therefore we don't minister in our own strength for our own glory, but rather mediate Jesus as He ministers through us for His glory. We simply flesh out the spirit of Christ and function as His mouth and His hands and His feet.

Professing Christians have erred greatly in failing to understand this two-fold principle. Let me present them in three groups. The first group neither drinks in Christ nor ministers Him to others. They find little interest in filling up with Jesus through personal Bible reading and church activities. As a result, they are not used by God and often conduct themselves no different than others in the world. The second group is bent on growing in knowledge, but have no outlet in ministry to others. Contrary to the words of Jesus, they find greater blessing in receiving than giving (Ac. 20:35). In their taking, they become like the "Dead Sea" which we discussed last week. They sabotage their faith and are often consumed with spiritual pride (1 Cor. 8:1). They fail to realize that ministry to others in the community and the church is essential for a healthy and balanced Christian life. The third group is zealously committed to service apart from Jesus Christ. They fail to first fill up from Jesus and therefore are often found drained and burnt-out. Their life emulates a factory more than a fountain. Their service is fleshly. Their rewards are temporal. Their Master is not glorified. Though they may minister Jesus, Jesus is not ministering through them!

Before we move on, beloved, examine your life in relation to this crucial principle. Are you continually seeking to be filled up with Jesus? Are you committed to daily Bible reading and prayer? Are you reading sound Christian literature? Are you participating in the ministries of this church (Sunday service, Sunday school, prayer meeting, growth groups, ladies Bible study, Men's Discipleship)? Then, are you continually allowing Jesus to minister through you to others? Are you sharing your faith? Are you using your gifts in the local church? Are you marked as a person committed to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23)? Oh how I pray that The Grace Tabernacle will be found in this fourth group, continually drinking in Jesus and then allowing Him to overflow through us in ministry to others.

With this principle always in the forefront of our mind, let's begin John chapter 8. However, before we begin, I feel it necessary to remind you about the transmission of the Scriptures. We have the confidence that approximately 99% of what we read in our Bibles today is the actual text penned by the original author. That's incredible and it gives us great assurance that we are actually reading the inspired Word of God. But you ask, what about the remaining 1%? Fortunately most translations identify questionable texts by a footnote. Often these rare discrepancies center on the tense of a word or exactness of a number. Never has anything doctrinal been in dispute! However, two large bodies of Scripture have been debated as to their authenticity. One is the ending of Mark 16 and the other is our text this morning, the first 11 verses of John 8.

Some argue that the text should be dismissed because it is not found in the oldest and most reliable manuscripts and ignored by most of the church fathers. Yet others believe the story is authentic (though possibly not inspired), perfectly in line with the character of Christ and the context of the gospel. Therefore I am willing to err on the side of conservatism and treat this text as genuine.

Please follow along, beginning in 7:53: "Everyone went to his home. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, 'Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?' They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, 'He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.' Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?' She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said, 'I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more'" (Jn. 7:53-8:11).

This morning we are confronted with a text that best exemplifies the compassion and mercy of Jesus Christ. This morning I'd like to exegete this text and present a message that I trust will encourage you and bring you ever closer to our beautiful Savior.

1. THE SETUP (7:53-8:5)

Verse 53 begins by informing the reader that "everyone went to his home." You will recall that many traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. After living in make-shift huts for 8 days, the people returned to their homes at the conclusion of the ceremony. "But (according to 8:1) Jesus went up to the Mount of Olives." Often this was the favorite resting place where our wearied Savior would retire in the evenings (Jn. 18:1-2; Lk. 22:39). Verse 2 says early in the morning Jesus continued ("again") His teaching ministry in the temple. In light of the rejection He received in chapter 7, Jesus continued with the ministry. There is a great lesson in there for us to persevere despite apparent setbacks in the Christian life. Jesus never quit. He pressed on with selfless service to the Father.

The people began to gather around Him to hear His teaching. The scribes and Pharisees also came to Him; however, this latter group had a different objective in mind. Verse 3 says they brought a woman caught in adultery. They set her in the center of the court and said (beginning in verse 4), "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?"

John's commentary in verse 6 exposes the motives of the religious leaders. They didn't care about the woman nor did they care about the law. They simply wanted to "(test (peirazo-often translated 'tempt') Jesus), so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. In other words, their prior overt tactics had failed to silence Jesus, so now they resorted to a more crafty and subtle approach. In speaking of their diabolical schemes, A. W. Pink said, "'The roar of the lion' had failed; now we behold the 'wiles of the serpent.'" And this poor woman would be their pawn, used as a tool to achieve their sinister agenda.

Before we press on, we must understand the serious dilemma that confronted Jesus. The religious leaders had once again devised a very effective trap (c.f. Mt. 22:17; Mk. 10:2). If Jesus did not enforce the Law of Moses and permit the stoning, He would be branded a false teacher, unconcerned about upholding the 7^th Commandment and rightly dealing with sin. He would have contradicted His own purpose when He said, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill" (Mt. 5:17). On the other hand, if Jesus did uphold the Law and permit the stoning, He would not have demonstrated Himself to be a "friend…of sinners" (Lk. 7:34) or a Savior noted for His mercy and forgiveness. He would not fulfill John 3:17, "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him."

Additionally, the Jewish law called for death, however, Roman law prohibited the execution of capital punishment by the Jews. Where would Jesus show His loyalty. Which law would be violate?

The crowd waited. He was forced to answer the loaded question. Silence would have cost the woman her life. Would He side with holiness and righteousness and permit the stoning? Or would He side with mercy and compassion and prohibit the stoning? What attributes would Christ relinquish? He was trapped! Either way the overconfident religious leaders would win. They licked their chops and awaited their guaranteed victory.

2. THE SOLUTION (8:6-9)

A knife was needed to cut through the tension. The people anxiously waited for an answer. Seconds seemed like hours. Verse 6 says that Jesus "stooped down and with His finder wrote on the ground." Though we cannot be certain as to why Jesus did this, many explanations have been suggested throughout church history. Some say He wrote Jeremiah 17:3, which says, "O Lord, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the Lord."

Some say He wrote all the sins that the accusers were guilty of. Some say Jesus simply wanted to shame His adversaries. Possibly the best explanation sees the finger writing on the ground, symbolic of the finger that wrote the Law of God. Based on this interpretation, was Jesus once again demonstrating Himself to be superior to Moses? Was Jesus informing the leaders that they were trying to trap Him in the very law He composed? Was Jesus reminding them that He came to fulfill and not abolish the law?

Regardless, the Pharisees thought they had stumped Him. They misinterpreted His silence. In verse 7 they "persisted in asking Him." Like Belshazzar in Daniel 5, they failed to see the "handwriting on the wall." They were unsatisfied with His delay. They pressed Him to answer their dilemma. How would Jesus respond? Verse 7 says, "He straightened up, and (profoundly) said to them, 'He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.'

Jesus recognized the crime, the punishment and the witnesses. He acknowledged the valid application of the Mosaic Law. He even offered the first stone and told them to carry out the sentence. However, He took the situation further than they had imagined. In calling them to be "without sin" He identified another Mosaic requirement that they had apparently overlooked. Namely, that all witnesses be without malicious intent. Deuteronomy 19 declares, "If a malicious witness rises up against a man to accuse him of wrongdoing, then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days. The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you…Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot" (Dt. 19:16-19, 21). In other words, if the leaders were malicious, they were subject by the law to the very punishment (of stoning) they intended for the offender. Jesus knew their hearts were not pure in their hypocritical attempt to fulfill the law. After all, Deuteronomy 22:22 does not prescribe the specific penalty of death for adultery. Additionally, that Scripture states that both parties were to be executed. Where was the man? Furthermore, where was her trial and why did she need to be exposed to public humiliation?

In thinking Jesus would dismiss the law, Jesus upheld the law more than they expected or wished to accept. Jesus knew that these men were nothing more than a lynching mob. They were accusing this woman of physical adultery, but they themselves were committing spiritual adultery against God through their self-righteousness and deception. The words of Christ exposed their double standard. Their conscience was pricked (see the King James Version). They knew they were wrong. They dropped their rocks and left without protesting Christ's verdict.

As a footnote, this verse is not justification to oppose capital punishment, church discipline, or biblical reproof. Moses expected God's community to hold each other accountable to the Scriptures. Additionally, Moses never stated that a man must be perfect in order to judge using the Scripture. Every human has sin. Therefore the call is not for silence, but rather for pure motives and personal examination before lovingly and gently confronting another with the Scriptures. The New Testament equivalent is found in Matthew 7. "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye" (Mt. 7:3-5). Or Galatians 6:1, "Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted." I heard of a pastor who keeps a smooth rock on his desk with the inscription, "The First Stone." That was his way to remind himself of the need for self-judgment and self-examination first.

Back to out text. After Jesus "stooped(ed) down and wrote on the ground" a second time, verse 9 records the leaders departing "one by one beginning with the older ones." Interestingly, those who came to shame Jesus left in shame. Those who came to silence Jesus departed in silence. Those who came to trap Jesus were caught in their own trap.

Chuck Swindoll commented, "The boomerang of condemnation often injures the one throwing. The Pharisees condemned the woman in order to condemn Christ. But they ended up the only ones condemned, not by Christ but my their own hearts" (Christ At The Crossroads, p. 29). In addition, another author said, "It's worth noting that Jesus didn't condemn bad people. He condemned 'stiff' people. We condemn the bad ones and affirm the stiff ones. Whether it was a prostitute or a tax collector or an outcast ... Jesus reached out to them. It was a motley crew of riffraff that followed Him around, and it never embarrassed Him or made Him feel uncomfortable. One of the most radical statements Jesus ever made is found in Matthew 9: 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners'" (Matthew 9:12-13). (Steve Brown, Christianity Today, Vol. 38, no. 9.)

The remainder of verse 9 says, "He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court." Imagine the scene. The accusers had departed, potentially even His listeners as well. The text says all of them left Jesus except the one who was labeled the grossest sinner of them all! The "greatest sinner" was left with the greatest Savior! The dust was settling. The humiliated woman uncoiled from her crouched position, wiped the tears from her eyes and looked directly into the compassionate face of Jesus.

3. THE SAVIOR (8:10-11)

Verse 10 says Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" Jesus did not ask if she was guilty. Both He and she were well aware of her actions. He only asked if others were there to condemn her. According to the law, 2 or 3 witnesses were necessary to confirm a verdict (Deut. 19:15). Additionally, the witness of the crime must be the first to carry out the execution (Deut. 17:7). Neither of these situations applied, therefore the law was upheld to the letter, but powerless to condemn her.

For the first and only time in this account, the woman speaks in response to Christ's question. In verse 11 "she said, 'No one Lord.'" "And Jesus said, 'I do not condemn you, either.'"

Here is where we are now left with the mother of all theological problems. How can God not condemn the sinner while not encouraging sin? How can holiness and forgiveness be harmonized? How could mercy flow to this woman not at the expense of justice? We know that God's anger burns against sin whereby He cannot look at it nor can it remain in His presence without punishment. This flows from the holiness and justice and wrath of God. However, we know that God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness, ready to forgive the transgressions of those who believe. This flows from the mercy and goodness and grace of God. Yet how do we reconcile these opposing attributes?

The ultimate dilemma in our text this morning was not between Jesus and the religious leaders, it was between the attributes of God and the sinfulness of man. A. W. Pink summarized well: "The problem presented to Christ by His enemies was no mere local one. So far as human reason can perceive it was the profoundest moral problem which ever could or can confront God Himself. The problem was how justice and mercy could be harmonized. The law of righteousness imperatively demands the punishment of the transgressor. To set aside that demand would be to introduce a reign of anarchy. Moreover, God is holy as well as righteous; and holiness burns against evil, and cannot allow that which is defiled to enter His presence. What, then, is to become of the poor sinner? A transgressor of the law he certainly is; and equally manifest is his moral pollution. His only hope lies in mercy; his salvation is possible only by grace. But how can mercy be exercised when the sword of justice bars her way? How can grace flow forth except by slighting holiness? Ah, human wisdom could never have found an answer to such questions. It is evident that these scribes and Pharisees thought of none. And we are fully assured that at the beginning Satan himself could see no solution to this mighty problem. But blessed be His name, God has 'found a way' whereby His banished ones may be restored." (The Gospel of John, pg. 421-22)

Or more particular to our text this morning, how could Christ uphold the Law that said to this adulteress, "Judgment!" and still forgive her without being unjust? How could He fulfill the minutia of the Law and yet not condemn this woman? Answer: the cross! Jesus Christ didn't condemn her because He was soon about to be condemned in her place. Soon the full revelation of God would come together at Calvary. The cross would be the greatest display of God's love, forgiveness and mercy, as guilty sinners would be shown undeserved mercy by receiving Christ's righteousness. But the cross would also be the greatest display of God's wrath, holiness and justice, as Christ would become sin for us. Therefore, based on the cross, the law is upheld, sin is punished and sinners are forgiven. God remains just and justifies those who have faith in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:26).

If I can stretch the exegesis a bit, let me explain this awesome principle another way. When Jesus wrote on the ground with His finger, it may have symbolized the composition of the 10 Commandments, which were written by the finger of God (Ex. 31:18). We know that Moses destroyed the first copy of the Commandments (Ex. 32:19). However in verse 8, Jesus wrote on the ground a second time. Possibly that was symbolic of God's second writing of the 10 Commandments written to replace the first copy that was destroyed (Ex. 35:29). You will recall that the second copy, the two stone tablets were placed in the ark (Ex. 40:20). On the top of the ark was the mercy seat (Ex. 25:21). In order to make atonement for sin under the Old Covenant, blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat (Lev. 16:15). Sin was covered through the sacrifice of an innocent substitute while the law remained below the mercy seat unaltered and uncompromised. Justice and mercy were reconciled.

In the same way, all this pointed to the cross. Jesus Christ was able to both uphold the law and forgive this woman without compromising either His justice or His mercy because He would be the innocent substitute. Jesus would be the Lamb of God who would shed His blood for her sin so that she might receive mercy. This was the only means whereby a just God could not condemn a guilty adulteress who had violated His law.

Sin cost God a great price, the death of His Son. And lest this woman think that God is now indifferent toward sin, Jesus left her with these parting words in verse 11. "Go. From now on sin no more" (c.f. 5:14). The NIV translates this verse, "Go now and leave your life of sin." Though Christ did not condemn her, He never condoned her sin. Rather, He encouraged her and us who have received a similar mercy to make a decisive break with sin and commit to a life of holiness.

Maybe Romans 12:1 summarizes all that we have discussed this morning. "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." Like the woman in our text this morning, all of us who profess faith in Christ have received God's mercy. God has pardoned us, forgiving all our sins that deserve an eternity in hell, by the blood of Christ. Because we have received this great mercy, we are exhorted to present ourselves to God, yield ourselves to Him, as a living sacrifice. Possibly the greatest way we fulfill this is to drink deeply from Jesus and then allow Him to overflow through us in ministry to others.