Who Is Jesus - Jesus Forgives John 8:1-11 03/11/2012

Sermon 3-11-12 who is this Jesus – lent 3 Jesus forgives John 8:1-11
Jeff find a stone!!!!!!

1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Why is this the title of the story? woman caught in adultery
Other possible titles-

• Jesus interrupts an execution
• Jesus forgives a woman
• Jesus challenges religious leaders
• Jesus reveals hypocrisy
• Who do you want to stone
• Is there a rock in your hand
• Does your religion hurt people or help them

Please understand when you read scripture that they had a very unhelalthy view of relationships and the value of people

Iran 2010
Sakinay Ashtiani, 43, was convicted by a court of adultery. One court sentenced her to 90 lashes another court sentenced her to death by stoning.

Where was the man caught in adultery?

I think Jesus is pleased w a world of mutuality of respect

Three things
1. What did Jesus write in the dirt
2. Is there anyone that you want to stone
3. Do you know that you are forgiven



What is he writing in the dirt?

1. What is he writing in the dirt?
There has to be more going on here that we think
Writes in the dirt – we don’t know what he wrote
Jesus is a Jewish rabbi- he is at a Jewish feast
Feast of tabernacles – water ceremony
Numbers 20 - Moses strikes the rock

Isaiah 12:3 – therefore with joy, shall we draw water, from the well of salvation-

Chapter 7
Jn 7:37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as[c] the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39

Back to the woman…why is he writing in the dirt

Passage of Jeremiah
Jeremiah 17:13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water

We thought it was a story about adultery.
It is a story about living water

Reject living water, name written in dust
Stinging unexpected rebuke of them

I am the living water. When you are focused on me, you no longer want to stone people and you are no longer lost in your in sin.

2. Who do you want to cast stones at?
In this life we choose. To hurt or heal
Each of us must decide what role we want to play in the story

Video of the throwing stones and the bridge building.....

Life can get very complicated. Situations rarely boil down to these are the good ones and these are the bad ones.

The men around her are not just that they are saying something about this moment, they are saying something deeper about your value. Her essence and identity.
You assume divine responsibility to declare the value of another.

This is not our role. Ever.

When we say - Don’t judge is not a justification for our foolishness – not a whatever goes
To say do not judge is not a sly way for us to get to do whatever we want
Bad behavior is still bad behavior
But when we stop judging others It simply allows us to live and let live.
For us to focus on life instead of judgment.

Judgment is rooted in our desire to control. once we rest in god and realize that we need to rest in god, we tend to go a little easier on others.

If we trust people to god, we stop trying to control them, disapprove of them, and manipulate them. Shame them.

This is not really about us and them. It is about us entrusting them, and ourselves to God.

It is the only way to help another person. To give them room to find him.
We give people to god by remembering that we have problems too.
We all deserve to be stoned.
We are all in the same boat.

I am powerless over fixing anyone.
But I can take people to Jesus, and when I do, I release them and myself from wanting to stone them

3.Your sins are forgiven.
We have been taught to focus on our sin
In this passage, Jesus gives a wonderful picture of the victory of grace over guilt
Of mercy rejoicing over judgment

He does not justify her sin
We all know that sin is bad
It is bad for you and bad for me.
God is not the cosmic killjoy, its not that he doesn’t want you to have fun, he knows sin hurts us

Sin is a liar, it promises what it cannot deliver.
But we know that.

Here Jesus focuses on grace
Where are those who would condemn you?
once we get close to the living water we stop wanting to condemn others

Neither do I condemn you

conclusion
what Jesus said to her he says to all. I do not condemn you
Jesus knew there was another chapter in her life
If you are sitting here today…………..

what is the next chapter in your life.
Is it time for you to put down your stones
Is it time to drink of the living water

Jesus gives us the opportunity…..
Go. Live. Love.