“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” —John 1:14
“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” —John 1:16-17
“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 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?” 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 heard 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 condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” —John 8:1-11
Grace Doesn’t
, But It Doesn’t
Either!
“If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” —Leviticus 20:10
The Threefold Purpose of the Law:
- A
- A
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The law was given to help us recognize our need for a savior. The truth is, no one lives up to the law and its demands. It was all designed to keep us humble and able to receive the grace of God which came in the form of a person, Jesus Christ. God sent Jesus to take the punishment of the law. He lived a perfect life according to the law, a life without sin.
Jesus did not sin and he broke no laws, but he was put to death as a criminal for our sake. Because we have broken the law, we deserved death, yet He took our punishment in our place and in exchange, he gives us his righteousness.
Grace Doesn’t
Stones
We’ve all heard the saying, people who live in glass houses should not throw stones. The truth of the matter is this, we all live in a glass house. We can all be broken by the stones thrown at us.
“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone.” Therefore, dear fellows, let the stones lie. I will not pick up any either. Let them lie, and do not throw at one another. Drop the stones, and say: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matt. 6:12). —Martin Luther
Grace
You!
Jesus says in verse 11, “Neither do I condemn you, go and from now on sin no more.”
Jesus loves the woman. He doesn’t condemn the woman. He doesn’t throw stones at her, but he doesn’t want to see her stuck in her sin. He encourages her to stop.
“Grace is the mother and nurse of holiness, and not the apologist of sin.” —Charles Spurgeon