Episode 2175 - Caught in the Very Act

Good morning and welcome to this brand new day. This description links daily dose of inspiration for Thursday, August 15, 2024 and today is national lemon Meringue pie Day. I like a good lemon meringue pie. It's hard to find that, though, you know, not many places have it. It also is national relaxation Day. That, uh, sounds like my kind of day. Unfortunately, I got to work today, so no relaxation there. But if you're off work today and you can celebrate National Relaxation Day, make sure you celebrate it with a piece of lemon meringue pie as well. Uh, yesterday I, uh, didn't do a broadcast. Um, you know, I had an early morning appointment. Um, so yesterday's read. We had to double up in our bible reading today. Um, so we got to read Genesis 25 through 27 again. Genesis 25, 27, and proverbs 14 and 15. And that will get us all caught up in our bible reading. Um, today I want us to take a look into the gospel of John, chapter number eight. And if you use one of those modern day translations of the Bible, this story may or may not be in there. Uh, if it is in there, it most likely has a little, almost like a disclaimer saying that some of the manuscripts doesn't include this particular story. Um, but it is in the King James Version of the Bible. That's what I teach from, that's what I preach from. And so therefore, it is in there for our learning, and we're going to study it. And it's a story of a woman that was caught in adultery. And the Pharisees and the religious leaders was going to try and use this lady to trap Jesus into saying something that they can use to accuse him. Let's take a look at the story, chapter eight of the Gospel of John, starting in verse number one. Jesus went on to the Mount of Olives. And early, uh, in the morning, he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him. And he sat down and taught them. And the scribes and the Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said unto him, master, this woman was taken in adultery in the very act. Now, Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned. But what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them nothing. So when they continued asking him, he lifted himself up and said unto them, he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down and rode on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience. Went out one by one. Beginning at the eldest, even unto the last. And jesus was left alone. And the woman standing in the midst. And when Jesus had lifted up himself and saw no one, or saw none but the woman, he said unto her, woman, where are thine accusers? Hath no man condemn thee? She said, no man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. What an awesome story that we see here. An awesome account here is we see the love of Jesus so well in here. But let's break it down here. They have a trap set for Jesus. Jesus is teaching in the temple. And the scribes and the Pharisees, they brought on to him, uh, this woman who was caught in adultery. Set her in the midst and said unto him in verse four, master, this woman was taken in adultery in the very act. I can almost see him saying that. In the very act. And then the Pharisees go on in verse number five. To remind Jesus what the law says. About what they should do with somebody that was caught in adultery. Now, maybe I'm missing something here, but I believe it takes two people to commit adultery. But only one of them is brought before Jesus here. And let's take a look back in Leviticus, chapter number 20. Leviticus, chapter number 20 in the Old Testament. And it's going to be verse number ten. This is what the law that the Pharisees, the religious leaders just quoted to Jesus. As to what they should do to this woman that was caught in adultery. Let's take a look at it. Leviticus, chapter 20, verse number ten. And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife. Even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress. Shall surely be put to death. Now, looking at this particular verse, the Pharisees got the quote of incorrect. Because it clearly states at the end. That both the adulterer and the adulteress. Both the man and the woman that's committing adultery, should be stoned. That's what the Old Testament says. And if Jesus would have looked at the Pharisees and said, yes, indeed, she should be stoned, jesus would have been justified in his actions. Because that's what the law says. Now, they brought the woman. They didn't bring the man. And as I was studying this, some of the commentators and the biblical scholars. Suggest that maybe the reason a man wasn't brought along with the woman. Was because the man was one of the Pharisees himself or religious leaders himself. It wouldn't surprise me none. Now, uh, that's just speculation right there, but let's look at Jesus response. Now, these Pharisees brought this woman to him. To tempt Jesus. That jesus could say something that they can use to accuse him so they can get rid of him. So what did jesus do when they kept bickering and kept bugging him, wanting an answer? Jesus stooped down and started writing in the sand. I m would love to know what it was that he wrote in the Sandheen. Some speculations say that, that maybe he was writing the sins of the religious leaders. That was bringing this woman into adultery. Or that was bringing this woman caught in adultery to be stoned. Maybe he was writing down their sins. Maybe he was writing down some verses that could be used to forgive this woman. Maybe he was writing out, who knows what he was writing? But he was writing something down. And they kept asking. They continued. They wouldn't let this drop. So finally Jesus stands up and he says to him here in verse number seven. He that is without sin among you. Let him first cast a stone at her. Now, you see with Jesus answer there, that really kind of cuts real good. Was isn't it a lot easier to point out the sins of others. Than it is to reflect in our own sins? Now, I know if I would have been there with the Pharisees that day. And I see my name written in the sand, and I see my sins written in the sand, I'd be hightailing it out of there. I'd be getting out of dodge. But Jesus says he that's without sin. Cast the first stone. In other words, they weren't qualified to cast a stone at her. Uh, because they have their own sin. You know, there's, there's. When it comes to God and when it comes to the Bible, there's no degrees of sin. It doesn't matter if you, if you stole a soda out of a grocery store, if you were an adulterer, if you're a liar or you're, you're a homosexual, it doesn't matter. All sin is the same. Sin is sin. That's it. So just because I might not use one of the big sins. That the Pharisees would have called the big sins, that doesn't mean that you're sin free. So Jesus again, stoops down, continues right in the ground. Only this time, scripture tells us that they were convicted by their own conscience because of his word. And one by one, they started leaving, dropping their stones and walking away, getting away. And scripture says, beginning at the eldest, so beginning with the oldest, going down to the youngest, they started walking away. How do we deal with it when we're confronted with our own sins? We'll talk a little bit about that tomorrow. Um, but today, let's finish this up here for today. After they all are gone, Jesus stands up and looks around, and there's nobody left. And he looks at the woman and says, woman, where are thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? He says, woman, where's the people that was wanting Estonia? Where'd they go? Aren't they going to condemn you? And she said, no, man, lord. And Jesus said to her, neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. What does this story have to do with us today? Well, Jesus knew this woman's sin. He didn't excuse her sin. He knew her sin, but he saw a woman that needed forgiveness. And a lot of times, we like to point out the sins of others so that our sins don't look too bad, so that our sins doesn't look quite as grave as somebody else's. But, you see, that's not the way it works. Jesus knew her sin, but he saw a person. Jesus didn't come to condemn us. Let me repeat that. Jesus did not come to condemn us. In his conversation with Nicodemus here in John, chapter three, verse number 17, Jesus says, for God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. God didn't send Jesus here to condemn us. We're already condemned in our sin. He sent him here to save us. In Luke, chapter 1910. This is like Jesus mission statement here, if you will. He said, jesus says, for the son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. This woman in the story was lost. Yes, she committed sin. Yes. Each and every person that was standing there with the rocks ready to stone her had sinned. But Jesus didn't come to condemn us. He came to seek us out and to save us. God knows your sin, but he loves you in spite of that sin. That's why he sent Jesus to die on the cross for us. Paul writes in Romans, chapter five, in verse number eight. But God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Is that not love right there. True love. While we were yet sinners, while we were living in sin, while we didn't care about God, we didn't care about his word, we didn't care about his church, we didn't care about following him. While we could care less about goddess, God provided that payment for our sins so that we could be saved. And that payment is Jesus Christ and his death on the cross and his resurrection from the grave. I firmly believe with my whole heart that that woman we read about is in heaven right now. Friends, God knows your sin, and God is ready to forgive that sin if you put your faith in Jesus. I don't understand how it works, but that's where faith comes in. I don't understand how a car works. I know. I get in the car, I turn the key, and the engine is supposed to start. I put the car in drive, and it's supposed to take me where I want to go. M if something happens in there that the car won't start, that the. I can't shift it into gear, the tires are flat. There's not a whole heck of a lot that I'm going to be able to do because I don't understand that either. But one thing I do know and I do understand is that God loves us. That's why Jesus came to die for our sins, so that we can live for him and spend an eternity in heaven. Are you ready to put your faith in him and accept that free gift of salvation? Think about that as you go through this day. And remember, get into God's word and allow God's word to get into you. Then share that word with someone today. Have a blessed day.