Preached at Las Vegas Presbyterian Church
Good afternoon, Las Vegas Presbyterian Church.
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ whom has brought us from the chains and weight of the Law as shown to Moses and bound us to the freedom and grace which flows from Christ death and resurrection. As sure as the election of God results in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the gift of faith, the perseverance of the saints and the life everlasting, may we put our full trust in the Lord as our deliver and our strength.
The passage for todays’ message come from John chapter 8 verses 1 through 11. For our reading today, let us join together and read responsively. I will be ready the odd verses and church please read the even verses. Let us all stand in reverence for the word of God.
John 8:1-11
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 the 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.”
This is the word of the Lord, Thank be to GOD.
You may be seated at this time.
Let us pray to the Lord and ask him for the illumination of the holy spirit that we may understand clearly, and for the anointing of the Holy Spirit that I may communicate rightly.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank you for the word that will be shared today. We believe that what the word of God says is true. We believe that it is purposeful for our salvation. We believe that it is edification to the body of Christ and nourishment to our soul. May we come with open hearts and hungry minds for the knowledge of God. I pray also for myself that as I preach your word, you would anoint this vessel. There is nothing without me that is so great that you chose me for this task, I am simply here because you want me to be here. May I manifest your glory as found in your word. In Jesus Christ precious name we pray, Amen.
Jesus came to the place called Mount of Olives and what was going to happen there was very similar to what happened at the first instance of Mount of Olives in the Old Testament.
King David was reigning at the time, but an enemy of David called Absalom was gaining trust and loyalty from the Israelite people. He did this through lies and deception. When people of Israel came to King David for judgment, Absalom told them that King David didn’t have anyone to listen to their case. He then told them, if I was king, I would reign justly. As Absalom was gaining reputation through lies, news came to King David that he must flee, because Absalom has gained much influence in the land and was about to overthrow him.
King David ascended to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot with his head covered.
In todays passage, King Jesus is at the temple of Israel. He has come to become the King of the Jews. He does this, not by way of lying or in secret that the leaders wouldn’t see. He does it in plain sight, in the temple and in front of everyone to see including currently scribes and Sadducees whom at that time were like kings in the land.
In the following verse, it said that Jesus came again into the temple, early in the morning. When we look at the phrase “Early in the morning” throughout the passage in the bible, it becomes clear that this is stating urgency and importance of what will happen that day.
Early in the morning, Abraham rose to see Sodom and Gomorrah up in smoke after God had place judgement upon the city.
Early in the morning, Abimelech rose to tell his servants that he would die if he took Abrahams wife.
Early in the morning, Abraham, saddled his donkey, and took two young men with him, as his son Isaac. Whom God asked for a sacrifice.
The Lord told Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus say the LORD, “LET MY PEOPLE GO, that they may serve me!”
Early in the morning, todays passage will be the last time in the bible it says, Early in the morning. All the urgent work is completed in Christ life, death and resurrection.
Early in the morning he came again to the temple, all the people came to him and he sat down and taught them.
Interestingly, Jesus wasn’t the only one who came early in the morning. Many people also woke up early in the morning to listen to him. We see in todays passage, that the urgency wasn’t in the teaching, but what will happening in the following verse.
“The scribes and the 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?”
The kings of Judaism came to check up on this man at the gate of the palace. This man Jesus who was gaining so much popularity among the Israelite people. They couldn’t find any fault in him. He didn’t try to secretly overthrow them, he was honest and told the truth and even taught things about God that showed understanding beyond their own. They thought, He wants to be a king? He wants to be the judge? Let’s see if he will rightly place judgement upon this woman.
They found a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. It’s plain and simple, even without the law to know that adultery is a great evil in marriage commitment and covenant. It isn’t just the Jews who know that adultery is wrong. It doesn’t take a highly intelligent person to know that this is wrong. It’s just wrong on many levels. The weight of how wrong this sin is becomes clearer in the bible, but the Pharisees and Sadducees did something funny with the word of God here.
They only focus on the woman, but in the Law, God focuses on both the Man and the Woman.
Leviticus 20:10, “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” We see here that it’s both.
Deuteronomy 22:22, “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die.” We see here that it’s both.
Deuteronomy 22:24, “Then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor’s wife. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.”
Now, we come to a tricky verse, where it talks only about the womans’ adultery. At first glance this seems like simple reading of God focusing on womans’ adultery, but when you read the whole context it becomes more clear.
Ezekiel 16:38 & 40, “And I will judge you as women who commit adultery and shed blood are judged, and bring upon you the blood of wrath and jealousy.” “They shall bring up a crowd against you, and they shall stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords.”
This is the only passage in the bible that points only at the woman, but if you actually look at the context of the passage, it’s talking about Jerusalem, the Harlot whom has committed adultery against God. He speaks to Jerusalem as a female. He calls them she.
So, already from the beginning of this confrontation with the scribes and Pharisees, we see an error in their theology. They shouldn’t of just brought the adulterous woman to be stoned, the man too should have been brought out who was caught in the act of adultery.
So now, we can say that in the story of David and Abimelech when connected with this account at the Mount of Olives, the scribes and Pharisees are shown to be Abimelech and Jesus Christ as King David. The scribes and pharisees sit at the gate of the true King, lie to the people and desire for themselves to be the judge and king of the land, meanwhile not knowing that they don’t really understand.
I have conviction that Jesus could of state here, the misinterpretation and only half judgement in this scenario, but instead he does this.
Jesus bent down and began writing with his finger on the ground.
While this is happening, the scribes and Pharisees continue to badger him.
Jesus, look at this sinner, will you stone her?
Jesus, look at this harlot, will you condemn her?
Jesus, look at this adulterer, will you put her to death?
He stood up, look them in the eyes and said to them a phrase that is reverberate throughout all of history and beknown by many of his followers as a sign of what is to come. The new covenant under the grace of God.
“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
You want to stone her, have you lived a holy and perfect life?
You want to condemn her, have you played the harlot before God?
You want to put her to death, has Israel never committed adultery with Idols?
As they heard this, they went away one by one.
The older ones left first and the younger later. Perhaps the Older could see more clearly the sins that they have practiced and perfect in their lifetime. One by one, they left. Until all those who had stones in their hands were gone.
The only one left was a man without sin.
The only one left was Jesus Christ, who came into the world sinless and lived a sinless life.
The only one left was the only one who had the right to cast the first stone.
Only JESUS has the right to place judgment upon man, because Christ is him who is without sin.
There, Jesus was, an eerie but spectacular sight.
Jesus standing alone with the woman and he asks her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
She answered, “No one, Lord.”
There was no one, because there is none righteous, not even one.
All have fallen short of the glory of God.
But, do you see the shift in the woman? Instead of calling Jesus,
“No one, Man”
“No one, Dude.”
“No one, Sir.”
She calls him Lord. She calls him Lord Jesus Christ. She claims him as the rightful King of Kings and Lord of Lords. She recognizes who Jesus is and submits to him. She has faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
This faith is why Jesus Christ responds with, “Neither do I condemn you, Go on and sin no more.”
When we make Jesus Christ our Lord, there will be many who come to stone us for our sins and weaknesses, but whatever judgment that they cast upon us will never be correct, because the only one who had the right to put someone to death is Jesus Christ. He is the only one who is him who has no sin. This is why Jesus Christ is the judge. As a King of Kings, now only He has the power and authority to place judgement upon us.
Therefore, let us place out faith in Jesus Christ, giving him Lordship over our lives and pleasing our king by living a life of Holiness and Purity. Not for the sake of salvation, for that is sealed upon faith, but for the joy of our coming King as we await his return.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before you today as harlots and adulterers. We come before you as sinners in need of the grace of God. We recognize your son Jesus Christ as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We thank you that He is the exact imprint of you. We thank you that he demonstrates your Love to us. As we live this life, may we not be distracted with the same sins that cause you to send your perfect son to die on the cross. As we live this life, may we understand the great grace that has been shown to us and in doing so, live a life that is pure and holy, satisfying to you.
In the precious name of your son, Jesus Christ, we pray AMEN.