Jesus: The God Who Forgives. John 8:1-20

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1 Scripture Focus John 8:1-20 Jesus: The God Who Forgives John 8:1-20 Key Verse John 8:14 TDM Competency Live Biblically: Understand and apply biblical principles to all areas of life. Jesus commands the woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more. He commands that she live biblically. Living biblically requires that one, in a metaphorical sense, live with an open Bible. Such a life is not easily achieved. It requires discipline on the part of the individual to regulate all of life through the filter of Scripture. All choices, investments, commitments, and concerns are weighed not in light of personal loss or gain, but rather in light of the scriptural directive of each issue. All plans for pleasure, family, business, school and discretionary time are developed out of a view of life from God s perspective, which can only be known with an open Bible. Due to our sinful condition we must constantly measure our life by both the words and pattern of Scripture. A willingness to repent of long practiced and believed religious principles that are determined wrong by the Bible is a mark of a maturing believer. Overview Jesus uses a moment intended by the Pharisees and scribes to trap Him in an offense against the law as a moment to present the gospel. The woman caught in adultery served as an illustration to the message Jesus went to teach in the temple. Since Jesus is God, He is also perfect judge; therefore, the attempts of the scribes to corner Him in an offense against either the Roman or Jewish law resulted in each of the scribes being individually judged by Him. Jesus is presented in this text as the God who not only forgives but also as the only one worthy to judge sinful man. Theme Jesus is the God who forgives. He forgave a woman caught in the act of adultery and taught that since He alone is able to judge, He alone is also able to forgive. In this passage Jesus forgives the woman caught in adultery and judges the religious leaders. Desired Learner Response [Aiming at the Heart for Life Transformation] To demonstrate belief in Jesus as God and Judge by living and proclaiming in a way that reverently, fearfully and faithfully conforms to the standard of His Word. To examine one s approach to gospel sharing by the content of Jesus messages as well as the methods by which Jesus presented the good news. 1

2 Outline I. Revealing the Sinful Nature of Man (vv. 1-11) II. Revealing the Perfect Nature of Jesus (vv ) Lesson I. Revealing the Sinful Nature of Man (vv. 1-11) v. 1 The Mount of Olives is the place where the events of Matthew would be preached, a message regarding the end of the age, destruction of Jerusalem, and the Great Tribulation period. v. 2 The temple was a common venue of scribes to gather students for instruction. The teaching of the scribes could not compare with what Jesus taught for He is Truth. His message was not that which He had gained through experience, but rather a message from the very essence of His nature. Notice, as with last week s lesson, that Jesus taught the gospel through careful conversation with a group of people willing to listen. He once again teaches the gospel in an environment where people were accustomed to learning. Note: Challenge your class to consider the methods used in evangelism today in light of the methods Jesus used. Perhaps we have strayed too far from that which Jesus practiced. We must examine our ways of sharing the message of salvation to determine if we are merely speaking a memorized series of words or presenting truth in a manner that can be grasped and considered by those that are hearing. v. 3 The Scribes were considered specialist in matters of Jewish law. They had a reputation of being rude, arrogant and judgmental. Only the woman is brought to Jesus, not the man, for the culture so devalued women that they were regularly subjects of public rebuke, while men s sins were often overlooked. The idea of boys will be boys is not a modern sinful condition but rather a condition rooted in chauvinistic thought. The woman was brought into the temple in the midst of all those men that had gathered to hear Jesus teach. She stood there with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of eyes looking at her. The scribes wanted to put Jesus in an impossible legal dilemma, thus causing Him to publically break the law. v. 4 The scribes were less interested in justice and more interested in trapping Jesus. Deuteronomy 22:23-24 is the basis of their actions; but since no man was brought to public rebuke, the scribes were guilty of breaking the law. Their arrogant attitude was so deep that they easily overlooked their own sin as they aggressively accused this woman of her sin. To state that she was caught in the very act shows the shrewdness of the scribes public accusation against the woman. Ask: What New Testament passage warns us against such an attitude? See Matthew 7:3. Note that the real issue is not the action; but the focus of both texts is on the heart of the individual. It is a sinful heart that unjustly judges others. vv. 5-6 The Law of Moses clearly stated that adultery was punishable by death. However, Roman law stated it was illegal to stone a person caught in adultery. So the scribes were seeking to put Jesus in a situation in which if He spoke in harmony with the Law of Moses He would 2

3 break Roman law. If He spoke in harmony with Roman law He would break the Law of Moses. The scribes were eager to bring Him before Jewish leaders as a violator of the Law of Moses or before Roman leaders as a violator of Roman law. Jesus response was not verbal. He stooped down to the ground and began to write. The text offers no clues as to what Jesus wrote, so the Holy Spirit did not intend us to know the message that was written on the ground. No time needs to be given in speculation of that which the Spirit of God did not make known. vv. 7-8 The word continued includes the idea of persistency. It appears from this word that the scribes were somewhat incensed by Jesus appearing to ignore them. They held themselves in high esteem, so someone looking away from them, stooping down and writing in the dirt would have insulted them. Their rhetoric increased in its aggressive nature. Jesus stands and offers an option that put the scribes on trial. By making this statement, Jesus neither broke the Roman or Jewish laws. Stooping back down seems to indicate that Jesus knew such a question would end the discussion and convict all the scribes. v. 9 The scribes knew that they could not stand against such an accusation for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. It is significant that John includes the details that they left one by one, beginning with the oldest to the last. Such a statement reveals that man may sin in a group but is individually and personally guilty of breaking God s law. It should not be assumed that the oldest leaving first carries any idea of the oldest being wiser or more sensitive to conviction of sin, but rather indicates the hierarchy among the scribes and that as the older led to trap Jesus they also led to remove themselves when publically revealed as guilty. Once the scribes had left, Jesus and the woman are in the midst of all those gathered in the temple. vv Remember that Jesus is not just talking to the woman but is before an audience of people that He set out to teach (v. 2). Like so many other occasions in the Gospels, Jesus uses the situation of the moment to teach the gospel to those people gathered around Him. Ask: What can we learn from this method Jesus used about how we can look for opportunities to share the gospel? In response to Jesus question regarding her accusers, the woman states that they had all left. Jesus reply that He did not condemn is significant in that it carries the idea that He did not condemn in the sinful manner that the scribes had condemned her. Remember, all the scribes that brought an accusation against her and were guilty of sin had departed. Jesus said that He did not condemn her either, meaning that He had accused her of sin, but would also be merciful and forgive her of her sin. He had not left with the accusing scribes for He had no sin. He was the only one who could justly condemn her and justly sentence her to death for the wages of sin is death. Jesus was also the only one who could forgive her of her sin because He had no sin. Jesus commands her to demonstrate a repentant heart that He must have seen in her to forgive her. She was to sin no more, which would serve as an outward indication that her repentant heart was genuine. He was not calling her to sinless perfection but rather to live no more in the habitual state of sin that had characterized her life up to that point. Jesus forgiveness allows us to do that which we could not do before being forgiven. His forgiveness allows us to live in obedience to Him. Prior to forgiveness we are slaves to sin, we have no choice but to sin when 3

4 we are outside of Christ. In Christ we are set free from this bondage of sin and filled with the Spirit of God who empowers us to live a life that is patterned after Christ rather than a life that is patterned after a sinful nature. The proper response to grace and mercy for past sins is a life of pure living. Ask [without seeking an outward response from class members]: Do you have a outward life change as a result of Christ s mercy and grace on your life? Ask [seek a verbal response from several members]: What significant events in our lives result in a total lifestyle change? After a few responses, note that when Christ changes us it is a total recreation of our hearts that produces radical lifestyle transformation. Biblical living is only possible because of His continual grace in our lives. He does not call us to sin no more by living under our own power, but rather by yielding our lives to Him as dependent servants. II. Revealing the Perfect Nature of Jesus (vv ) v. 12 The spotlight of truth had shined on the scribes revealing their personal sinful condition. Jesus uses this revealing of their sin as an opportunity to teach about His nature as pure light. The contrast of light and darkness reveals the contrast between Christ s perfect nature and the sinful nature of the scribes. It will be helpful for you to read John 1:1-13, noting the context in the Gospel of John of the word light. In John 8 Jesus gives the reason that the woman was to sin no more. Followers of Christ do not live in habitual darkness or habitual sin, but rather are possessed by Christ. Read I John 1:1-10 for commentary on this matter. v. 13 The law required there to be at least two witnesses in order for a testimony to be accepted as valid. A person could not testify on his own behalf, but rather was required to have others testify in order for the testimony to be accepted in a court. v. 14 Jesus establishes Himself as utterly different from all other men. The requirement for other witnesses to testify on behalf of someone was due to the sinful nature of man. Sinful man is prone to lie and offer false testimony. Jesus was not sinful in His nature; therefore, His actions were certain to be sinless. His words were perfectly true because His nature was perfectly right. Jesus came from Heaven, which is a revelation of His eternality and all-knowing nature. The you do not know statement served as an intense indictment against the spiritual condition of these men who believed themselves not only to be certain of eternity in Heaven, but also among the most spiritually elite people on earth. Jesus condemns them as men who were without eternal life. v. 15 Again, Jesus indicts them. Verse 14 is an indictment against their heart. Verse 15 is an indictment against their head. Judging according to the flesh is to weigh the matter according to a man-centered view of right and wrong. The incident with the adulterous woman exemplified how they handled the law. They were not concerned with honoring God by rightly handling His Word, but rather used the law of God as a weapon against others. Jesus judging no one is in context of the manner in which they were judging. Jesus judges according to His own righteousness as revealed in the Law of God, not according to a sinful man s wrongful interpretation of the law. 4

5 v. 16 The if is not a statement of doubt or uncertainty but can be read since I judge. The I is what is emphasized. Jesus is the I and has already stated that His witness is true and is about to equate Himself with God. He is Truth; therefore, His words are true. He is God; therefore, His judgment is perfect. He alone has the authority to judge because of who He is. vv He alone is the only one who has the full qualifications to testify on His own behalf. He has no need of anyone else to validate His witness, since God the Father testifies on His behalf from Heaven. Note that Jesus does not need man s witness to validate His Word, but rather allows us by grace to speak His truth that lost people may be saved from the penalty of sin and that saved people may mature in His likeness. vv Again, just like in verse 14, Jesus indicts their heart. Their inability to recognize Christ as the Messiah indicated that they did not know God the Father, even though they had reputations of being God s representatives on earth. Had they known God the Father, they would have known Jesus as the Messiah. Verse 20 reminds us that God was soveriegnly in control of this entire episode. Even though the scribes and Pharisees came with the mission of trapping Jesus, God had determined that no harm would come to Him at this time for God had appointed the time for Jesus suffering, death and resurrection. Note again that the method by which Jesus presents the gospel in this text is that He taught in the temple. He confronted the scribes as violators of God s law, thus separated from God. He presented Himself as the only way to know God. He demonstrated that He alone is worthy to judge and will judge sinful man by His own standard, not by their self-made standards of right and wrong. Jesus delivered this message in a shepherding, teaching manner, thus demonstrating His care for the heart of sinful man. Challenge your class to have a gospel conversation this week with the purpose of honoring the Lord by speaking the gospel in the manner Jesus spoke: clearly, compassionately, directly confronting sin, nurturing, shepherding, loving, and theologically specific. Ask: How is the manner in which Jesus presented the gospel different from how you have presented the gospel in the past? Ask: What will you have to change about your witnessing method in order to model the manner in which Jesus witnessed in this text? Note: Remember that biblical living means following not only the words of Scripture, but also the pattern of conveying the message of the gospel. Although Jesus lived in a very different culture and we do not have the opportunity to go to a temple and witness to a captive audience, we can still model His methods. We can still enter into a conversation that is gospel centered, sin confronting, God fearing and mercy extending with someone. 5