53 [[They went each to his own house,
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 a 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.”]] —John 7:53-8:11
1. What we learn from the Pharisees
- a. They are not interested in justice. They are interested in power and significance. (v.4-5)
- b. God does not dismiss our scheming. He takes sin seriously. (v.7-9)
Religion without
- c. Religious people are just as guilty of sin as openly immoral people are. (v.7-9)
- d. Three reflective questions for the pharisee in all of us:
i. Am I more committed to proving
ii. Do I believe that highlighting
iii. Am I more interested in
2. What we learn from Jesus
- a. Jesus forces the scribes and Pharisees to examine their hearts before carrying out the law. (v.7)
Jesus humbles the
- b. Jesus exalts himself over religion (v.7-11)
i. John 5:14 “See, you are well! Sin no more….”
ii. John 7:23-24 “Are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well?” - c. Jesus deals with sin mercifully (v.10-11)
The
- d. Jesus cares about you living a righteous life (v.11)
3. What we learn from the woman
- a. It is a great when a person’s sin remained in the dark. (Deut. 22:22; Lev. 20:10)
”If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel. —Deuteronomy 22:22
“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
We have
b. God’s grace is the basis for a holy life (Romans 6:1-4)
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. —Romans 6:1-4
c. Jesus’ grace empowers a life free from sin (1 John 1:5-10)
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. —1 John 1:5-10
We are
Small Group Questions
What did God teach you through this passage and sermon? Share the work of God in your heart with the group.
What questions did this passage and sermon raise in your mind?
What is our responsibility as Christians when we see our brother or sister sin? If you are stuck in sin, would you prefer to be left alone or confronted?
How does the gospel’s good news both humble the arrogant and give hope to the broken? How has God humbled or healed you?
Spend time praying that Jesus’ compassion towards you will call you into greater obedience to him.