Today, on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. The NIV says, Go now and leave your life of sin. Yes, the implication is this woman is guilty. She has broken the law. She has broken the seventh commandment.
But Jesus says, I'm not going to condemn you. Go from now on, sin no more. Welcome to the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. In today's culture, speaking directly about sin is often more of a taboo than the sin itself. We've largely accepted the notion that making a judgment of any kind is a transgression of its own.
But as we continue our series on encountering Jesus, we'll see how Christ addressed the sin of those he met. To introduce this study, titled Sinning No More, here's Pastor John Monroe. After a short break, today we're continuing our series, Encountering Jesus. As we see Jesus in various encounters as presented in the Gospel of John. Encountering Jesus personally is central.
to the Christian faith. Today we'll see a dramatic encounter Jesus has with religious men were very accusatory, very judgmental. We'll also meet a woman who is accused by these legalists. How will Jesus deal with this woman in this dramatic encounter. There are many dimensions to the story and I marvel at the brilliance of Jesus.
Are you the kind of individual who's always finding fault with others? and seem to be blind to your own shortcomings. Listen then. to the drama of this amazing story which I've called Sinning No More. Today, an unnamed woman has a dramatic and very personal encounter.
with Jesus. This story, this brilliant story that we're going to look at has many intriguing dimensions and has a mind-blowing conclusion. And although this story is very well known and is sometimes quoted, I think it is frequently misunderstood and very often quoted out of context. Is Jesus in the passage we're going to be looking at is Jesus teaching that we can live as we like, that we can commit The Sena is aware of our personal choice, and no one can say anything against us. is Jesus advocating a tolerant View of sin.
What are we to make? Of this passage. Let's read it together now in John chapter 8, the fourth Gospel. John 8, then verse 1. 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. And the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery. And having set her in the midst, 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? And they were saying this Testing him. in order that they might have grounds for accusing him. But Jesus stood down.
and with his finger wrote on the ground. And 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. And again he stooped down.
and wrote on the ground and 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 had been in the midst and straightening up Jesus said to her, Woman, Where are they? Did no one condemn you? And she said, No one, Lord.
And Jesus said, Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, Sin no more. Again, therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in the darkness.
But you will have the light of life. Incredible. story. I want to draw to your attention this morning eight significant words as we go through this passage and think of some of its implications. The first significant word is the text.
John 7, verse 53 through verse 11 of chapter 8 is disputed as an authentic part of John's Gospel. The study notes in my Bible give a typical comment this story, though probably authentic, is omitted in many manuscripts and may not have been originally a part of this Gospel. That is, many of the earliest and most reliable Greek manuscripts do not include this section of Scripture. The passage is found in one of the old manuscripts in And it is certainly an ancient text. And commentators, textual critics and theologians and commentators on John's Gospel generally agree that this passage does have an authentic ring.
To it. Whether it should be placed at the beginning of John 8, as it is in most of our Bibles, or whether it was transposed from one of the other Gospels is debatable. Perhaps someone copying the ancient text remember they copied the Holy Scriptures perhaps someone copying the ancient text didn't like this passage of Scripture because on the face of it it appears to be condoning sin, but it does seem that it is a historical part a historical account of the life of Jesus, and I believe It is part of the inspired record of of scriptured. Number one, then, the text. Number two, the charge.
Jesus here is teaching in the temple, and the scribes and the Pharisees bring this charge against this poor woman. If the charge against this woman then is unambiguous, Adultery. Verse 4. Number 1, the text. Number 2, the charge.
Number 3, the evidence. Where is the evidence against this woman? They said, very straightforward case, actually, teacher. She has been caught in adultery in the very act. Inflagrento delicto is the legal term.
Caught in the very act.
Now, by the very nature of the offence, adultery is normally difficult to prove. People committing adultery and immorality generally don't advertise the fact that they are doing so.
So, surely, in bringing this woman to Jesus and making such a public spectacle of her, here it is in the temple where Jesus is teaching, the crowds are there, they bustle their way in as these self-important religious people throw this woman in the midst, surely they've got the evidence against her. What is the evidence? This woman has been caught in adultery. This woman? What about the man?
It takes two to tango, doesn't it? Is this Osena? Is this a case of entrapment? Where is the man? Is this an example of male chauvinism where a woman is being exploited, pointed to as the guilty party and the man led off?
I mean, what's going on here? You're claiming that you've caught her in the very act. Where then is the man? Where's the evidence? Where are the witnesses?
we would say can the charge be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
Now we must understand as we look at this passage in John chapter eight that in Jewish law proof of a serious offence required corroboration. Corroboration says that the evidence of one witness, however credible, however reliable, is not sufficient in law.
So if someone says, as you leave Haris Teeter, that you stole a large ham And there is only one person, even if that person is the most truthful person in all of Charlotte, there is not corroboration.
Now my understanding of US law is that you don't require corroboration even for serious crimes, even as serious a crime as murder, that is, that someone could be sent to death row on the evidence of just one person, with due respect. I think that is unfortunate. Certainly, under Jewish law, corroboration was required. Let us see that in the book of Deuteronomy The fifth book in the Old Testament, so you all can find it. Deuteronomy chapter nineteen.
Now you have to remember, these scribes and Pharisees know their Bible. They know the Old Testament, they know the law. Deuteronomy 19 Verse fifteen, they are saying This is the law. What was the law? Deuteronomy 19.
Verse 15. Here is the law of corroboration. That is, that every material fact has to be corroborated, that there has to be two independent lines of evidence coming from independent source pointing to the guilt of the accused before anyone can be convicted. That's what's called in law corroboration. And we still have it today, I'm glad to say, in Scotland and many legal jurisdictions, but not here in the United States.
But for Jewish law, it was a central part of the law of evidence. Deuteronomy nineteen, verse fifteen, a single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed. On the evidence of two or three witnesses, a matter shall be confirmed. Corroboration is necessary.
So, in bringing this woman to the Lord. The evidence just can't be one person, there must be at least two or three witnesses. Look back at John chapter eight, verse seventeen. Receive again. As Jesus says in dialogue, with the religious leaders.
John eight, seventeen, even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true. Not just the testimony of one man, however credible, however reliable he may be the governor of the state of North Carolina, but you need more if you're going to have a conviction under Jewish law. No. every material fact. Has to be corroborated.
So, the claim that this woman has been caught in the very act, as they bring this woman to the Lord. They claim she has been caught in adultery in the very act It implies that there was credible and corroborating evidence. Number one, the text, number two, the charge, number three, the evidence, number four, the penalty. What do they say? Verse 5.
Now in the law. Moses commanded us to stone such women. Interesting. Just women, not men, but women. The penalty for Adultery Death.
By Stoneck. Let's see that in Leviticus, the third book in the Old Testament. Leviticus twenty. Let's see if these scribes and Pharisees got their law correct. That's what they're saying.
Leviticus twenty. There's Ten. We're gonna find yes, they knew the law. They were good lawyers, they knew their sources, and here it is. If there is a man who commits adultery with another man's wife, One who commits adultery with his friend's wife As often is the case.
the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. Who is to be put to death under the law? Just to the adulteress, just the woman? No. the adult as well.
Both put to death. under the law.
Now we understand that although that was the maximum penalty under the Jewish law, certainly in the first century and even in preceding centuries, it was very, very rare for an individual actually to be put to death by stoning for adultery. You think of King David himself, who committed adultery and was not stoned, was not put to death, but that was, as it were, the maximum penalty, just as in our laws there are maximum penalty. penalties. The religious establishment clearly have no compassion for this woman. As far as they are concerned, It is an open and shut case.
It's a slam dunk. The charge adultery. The evidence caught in the act. The penalty death By stoning. End of verse five.
They come to Jesus. What then do you say? And with that we come to our fifth word, the trap. The trap. And it's a very clever trap.
that they have just set. For Jesus. But before we think of the trap, let's think of their motivation. You remember in John chapter five we thought of the healing of the paralyzed man. John 5, verse 18 reads, The Jews were seeking all the more to kill him.
Kill Jesus because he not only was breaking the Sabbath but also was calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. They're out. to kill him. In John chapter eight, We read in verse 6 that the scribes and the Pharisees were saying this, testing him. In order that they might have grounds for accusing him, they are setting up Jesus, they want him dead.
They are amassing their case, they are building their case, their goal is the death of Jesus. Their motives clearly are devious. These are wicked. evil men. Hiding under the cloak of religion.
Before the crowds at the temple They are deliberately trying to put Jesus as we would say on the horns of a dilemma. Their goal isn't justice for the women. They don't care about the women. She's just exhibit A as it were. Their goal is to trap Jesus.
When they come to Jesus verse four, they refer to Jesus as Teacher. Teacher. But they are the most unteachable. Of men. They are there to discredit Jesus.
They're looking for a way. to accuse Jesus of a capital Offence.
Now they knew the law. The Mosaic law, as we have seen, prohibited adultery. The Mosaic law gave death as the penalty. Jesus is a religious leader, and he therefore must follow the the Mosaic law. If he goes against the Mosaic law, if he disregards it, He will be shown to be a lawbreaker and a false prophet.
On the one hand. On the other hand, if he Upholds the Mosaic law. And says, yes, you're right, this woman should be put to death if he upholds the Mosaic law. He's going to lose tremendous credibility. Before the crowd, because the crowd, the multitude, the ordinary men and women, They regard Jesus as a man of compassion, as a man of forgiveness, as a man of grace.
Also, to complicate matters more and to make it more difficult for Jesus, only the Romans have the legal right. to impose the death penalty. Remember, at this time in the first century Israel is occupied by Rome. The legal power is Rome. And the Romans made it very clear they weren't really interested in Jewish religion or Jewish laws.
They didn't want to be involved in that. but they reserved for themselves the death penalty. Only Rome could say who lived. or die.
So, if Jesus is going to say that the woman should be killed, following the Mosaic law, and the law is very, very clear, as we've seen. from Deuteronomy and Leviticus. It If Jesus says that the woman needs to be killed, he's going to be regarded as a troublemaker by the Roman authorities. Perhaps they may try to get rid of him. According to the scribes and the Pharisees, there's no doubt as to the women's guilt, caught in the very depth.
In the very act. There is no doubt as to the sanction under the Mosaic law death. How then can Jesus uphold the law and at the same time say he had come to forgive? He'd come to save. How could he do that?
Whatever way he decides He's lost. These clever, arrogant religious leaders have said have baited a very clever trap.
However, Jesus answers the question, what then do you say they've got him? There is no way out. Or so they think. Our sixth word is Judge, the judge. Interestingly, When they say in verse five What then do you say?
Jesus makes no immediate response. The silence must have been deafening. As Jesus Stoops down. Verse six. And with his finger.
Roads. on the ground. says nothing. But with his finger he writes on the ground. He is surrounded by his critics who are there to accuse him, to trap him, to set him up for death.
The crowd is also there. straining forward not wanting to miss the tiniest of detail. Wanting to hear everything that is being said, watching the body language of Jesus and the scribes and the Pharisees. Wondering what Jesus is writing. tremendous drama In the middle of it all is this poor wretched woman.
A disposable object of scorn as far as the scribes and the Pharisees are concerned. And Jesus. It's still writing. on the ground. Do you realize in the Gospels, this is the only record of Jesus writing?
And we don't know what he wrote. That hasn't stopped many suggestions being made.
Some have thought, with some validity I think, that Jesus possibly wrote Jeremiah 17, verse 13. Listen to it. This is from the NIV. 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. Those who turn from the Lord. The Lord, the living water, such as the scribes and the Pharisees, they are going to be written in. The dust.
So some have said. He wrote that scripture from Jeremiah 17. Others have suggested that Jesus was merely doodling as he considered what to say, or that Jesus was so angry that he was writing until he calmed himself. That to me doesn't seem very convincing, not very like Jesus. Another suggestion is that he was possibly riding down the sins of his accusers.
The Roman magistrates usually wrote the sentence down before it was read. And so some say Jesus possibly was writing the sins of his accusers. There are various possible explanations. But simply put, we don't know what Jesus wrote. We're not told.
The emphasis, it seems to me, is not so much on the content of the writing, but on his very act of writing. When the leaders come to Jesus, how do they address Jesus? Teacher. Teacher of what? Teacher of the law.
He is a teacher of the law, an expositor of the law. And they themselves had referred to the law of Moses. They also are teachers. They also know the law. And they're coming to Jesus.
Jesus, you're a teacher. You tell us what would you do in this circumstance? Here's the law. Let me remind you about it.
Now think of the Law of Moses that they are quoting. that they are saying must be followed. How was the law of Moses given? It was written on tablets of stone. Who wrote the original Ten Commandments on tablets of stone?
How was it written? It was written With the finger of God. Read it. Excellence. The original Ten Commandments was written with the finger of God, Exodus 31, verse 18.
Faced now with interpreting the law of Moses. As they come to Jesus the teacher, Jesus may be reminding them that He, the Son of God, the Messiah, is not just a teacher of the law, but He is the giver of the law, He is the source of the law. What happened to the two tablets of the Ten Commandments? When Moses came down the mount. They were broken, weren't they?
Why were they broken? Because Moses was so angered as he learned about the making of the golden calf. There was a broken law. The scribes and the Pharisees here now are confronting Jesus with a woman who they say. And probably correctly, who has broken The law of God.
And the finger of God. The very finger that originally wrote You shall not commit adultery. Who wrote all of the commandments? The finger of God is still. Riding.
on the ground. What is his judgment? Here's the seventh word. The verdict. We can't be sure what Jesus wrote on the ground, although it's intriguing to try and guess and to talk about it.
Certainly, he cannot be dogmatic about what he wrote on the ground, but his spoken words. Are explicit and they are unforgettable. Here is the verdict. He who is without sin among you. Let him be the first.
to throw a stone. At her This is the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. We'll continue our lesson titled Sinning No More next time. But stay with us, because John'll be back in a moment. With all the problems we see in the world around us, we may be tempted to become anxious, or start to make our own contingency plans as we search for peace and security.
But in times of uncertainty and trouble, it's crucial that we put our trust in God. and refocus on him. And to help you do that, no matter what you're going through, John has written a wonderful personal booklet called Trusting God in Tough Times. and we'd like to send you a copy, completely free, as our gift to you. To receive a copy of Trusting God in Tough Times, just go to our website.
at the verdict.org. While you're there, you'll also have the opportunity to take a new step towards reaching others with the gospel by supporting the work of this radio ministry. We're grateful for listeners like you who help us share God's word across the globe by sending a financial gift of any amount. We've made it quick and easy to give on our website at theverdict.org. You can also give over the phone by calling us at 833-551-2231.
The verdict is a ministry of Calvary Church in South Charlotte. were located on the corner of Highway 51 and Ray Road. If you're looking for authentic Bible-based teaching and a community of Christ-centered fellowship, then we encourage you to visit us this coming Sunday. For more details and directions, visit theverdict.org.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? Did you catch the drama? Could you imagine the scene in your own mind? the women's accusers are skimmers and rushing to judgment. They're all focused on setting a trap for Jesus.
They're not really interested in the woman at all. Where is the love? Where is the grace? What about you? Where do you see yourself in this story?
Don't miss the next broadcast as we think of the perfect response given by Jesus. The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
