Church in Pakistan through Whatsapp
Translated by Reverend Ravi Daniel
Greetings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has taken us from the chains of the Mosaic Law and has now bound us to the grace and mercy which flows from his Death and Resurrection.
The message for today comes from John Chapter 8 Verses 1-11.
Let us read it for you.
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
Early in the morning he came again to the temple.
All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.
The scribes and pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery
And placing her in the midst, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?
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.
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.”
And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.
But when they heart it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones,
And Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.
Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemn you?”
She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go from now on sin no more.”
The bible word for today will help you to understand who you are and what Jesus Christ has done for you. It may not seem this way at first when you hear it, but listen closely. You will understand what I mean.
Jesus, woke up early in the morning and went to the temple.
When he came inside, all the people gathered around him.
He began to teach them as he sat down.
As Jesus was teaching in the temple, the scribes and Pharisees came into the temple. These were people who normally teach in the temple. They wrote down the words of God, studied them and taught them.
Instead of coming to listen to what Jesus had to say, they came to test and trap him. They couldn’t find any fault in Jesus until now, so they though this was their chance. They knew the law very well so they thought they could trap Jesus.
How did the try to trap Jesus?
They found a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. Adultery is the act of having intimate relationships with a married man, or a married woman having relationship with another man. Either way, this was a violation of Mosaic Law. It was a great sin.
They came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.”
Everyone knows that adultery is wrong.
Everyone knows that adultery is destruction.
Everyone knows that adultery causes harm and affliction.
You and I know, that if our spouse were to cheat on us, it would break out hearts and violate our commitment to each other. This is in plain sight a sin against the spouse and a sin against God.
Then the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say? “
They are saying, “Jesus Christ, you claim to be the son of God, will you follow the law of God?”
Some of you may be thinking, sure if it is Mosaic Law and God said it, we should stone her. We should condemn her. We should put her to death, because we caught her in the act.
The scribes and Pharisees thought if Jesus Christ didn’t stone her,
He would be disobeying God word.
He wouldn’t be the son of God.
He wouldn’t be who claimed to be.
But, Jesus Christ showed them that he was the son of God and that he came to save the world.
How did he do that?
He bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.
As he is writing on the ground, the scribes and Pharisees ask him again and again.
Jesus, Look at this adulterer, Will you stone her?
Jesus, Look at this sinner, Will you condemn her?
Jesus, Look at this harlot, Will you put her to death?
As the scribes and Pharisees place judgement upon this woman,
Jesus Christ stands up.
He looks them in the eyes.
He says to them.
“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
You have come to accuse this woman, than have you lived a perfect life?
You have come to stone this woman, than have you followed the law perfectly?
You have come to condemn this woman, than are you perfect?
One by one, even the scribes and Pharisees, walk away.
Everyone realize that they are a sinner.
Everyone realize that they too should be stoned.
Everyone realize that they too should be condemned.
Everyone realize that they too should be put to death.
Why?
Because, we are all sinners. We all fall short of the glory of God.
Among the men with stones in their hands, none were righteous, not even one.
Now, here is Jesus Christ, the only man without sin.
The only one who has the right to cast the first stone.
The only one who has the right to put her to death.
He says to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
She answers Him by saying, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus Said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go from now on sin no more.”
Now, I want to turn my attention to you.
Who do you think we are in this story?
Yes, sometimes we are the scribes and Pharisees, who accuse others of their sins and demand justice for it without realizing that we also should be judged in the same way.
But instead, we are that woman who was caught in adultery.
How many of us have worshiped false idols instead of worshiping the TRUE GOD?
How many of us have lied instead of telling the truth?
How many of us have lusted after the desires of our hearts instead of GOD?
How many of us have live selfishly as if GOD doesn’t exist?
How many of us have broken the laws as given to us by Moses?
At one time or another, all of us have sinned before God.
ALL OF US DESERVE TO BE STONED.
ALL OF US DESERVE TO BE CONDEMNED.
ALL OF US DESERVE TO BE PUT TO DEATH FOR OUR SINS.
But, Jesus Christ standing in front of us with a drawing on the ground.
He says to us, “Where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
We look around at each other,
We look at our neighbor,
We look at our friends,
We look at our family,
There is none righteous, there is none sinless that can cast the first stone.
We confess to Jesus, “LORD, LORD, LORD no one is left.”
And as we call Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, instead of picking up the stone and condemning us, he will forgive us and empower us to live for the glory of God.”
Therefore, don’t think about when you should come to Christ.
Do it now.
Do it at this moment.
For there is nothing to fear or nothing to change before you come to him.
Come as you are.
Come as a harlot.
Come as those with addictions
Come as those with anger issues
Come as those who worshiped false idols
Come as those who break the law of God
And when you come to Jesus
Call him Lord and he will tell you.
“Neither do I condemn you, go from now on and sin no more.”