John 8:1-59, Leave judging to God

John 7:53-8:11 (NIV) Then each went to his own home. 8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.


But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."  8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.


9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"


11 "No one, sir," she said.


"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."


• The actual penalty was death and it was to be applied to both the man and the woman (Lev 20:10; Deut 22:22)
• One wonders why the man was not included?
• If the person was betrothed but not married, both were to be stoned (Deut 22:23)
• If the daughter of a priest, she was to be burned alive (the man is not mentioned in this case)
• Why was this a trap?
• If he agrees to stoning, he would be guilty under Roman law (only the Romans could condemn a person to death)
• If he verbally disagrees, he places himself at odds with the OT law
• We don't know what Jesus wrote on the ground, the scriptures do not say. But what if it is related to what has happened, what he said, and what happened next, what would you conjecture?
• They only charge the woman, not the man
• Jesus pronounces that if any are without sin, let them be the first to throw
• Jesus then goes back to writing
• Men begin to leave, beginning with the oldest
• CONJECTURE:
• He started writing their secret sins on the ground beginning with the oldest (explains why it is not recorded; explains why they leave; explains why the man is not found guilty)
• Maybe he wrote the verse down and underline the man
• Maybe he wrote the name down of other women, the other men had known sexually
• If that is true, then what was the root problem in the group?
• They were guilty of judging another for a sin that they were at one time guilty of themselves
• APPLICATION: It is not just the Israelites who had a problem of judging, believers do it to each other all the time
• We are far better finding sticks in the other person's eyes than logs in our own eyes
• The result is that no one is left. Why is that significant? Why does Jesus not throw the first stone?
• Jesus was asked to be the judge in the case
• Without prosecutors or witnesses, Jesus dismissed the case, which was his prerogative as judge ("Where are your accusers? Does no one condemn you")
• But Jesus does not leave it there, what does he say? Go, and sin no more
• APPLICATION: Just because we are not condemned but forgiven does not mean we are to go on sinning


John 8:14-18, 31-38 (NIV) Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."
. . .
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."


33 They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"


34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father."


• Jesus seems to say that when it comes to testifying for himself, he is an exception, why?
• No one else, but God, could validate his claims
• The works validate him
• He validates himself, there is no one else who could do it
• Jesus differentiates his judgment from their judgment, how?
• They judge by human standards; inference is that his are divine
• They judge people; he does not judge others (not this visit)
• His judgments are right because they are the same as the Father
• When we judge another by human standards, what is the danger?
• We don't have all the information
• Our decisions will not always be right (but we think they are right)
• For the disciple, what is a solution to the dangers of judging?
• Hold to Jesus' teaching (do it yourself, just don't talk about it)
• Learn the truth and be set free from human standards and sin
• The word of God can wash our minds of ugliness of human standards
• Immersion in the word is a protection from judging (because judging really is a sin, and many of us are slaves to judging others)
• The crowd reacts quite negatively to the idea of being slaves. What is the problem with their statement?
• The history of the nation shows multiple instances of slavery (from a human perspective)
• But, Jesus is talking spiritually
• Why are the people ready to kill Jesus or to make a wrong judgment?
• They have no room for the word
• APPLICATION: When we don't have time for God's word in our life, we are susceptible to poor judgment and very bad decisions


John 8:42-59 (NIV) Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? 47 He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."


48 The Jews answered him, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?"


49 "I am not possessed by a demon," said Jesus, "but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."


52 At this the Jews exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"


54 Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."


57 "You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"


58 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"  59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.


• How does Jesus describe Satan?
• A murderer from the beginning (Adam, then Abel)
• Does not hold to the truth (he gave up the truth even though he saw God's glory)
• His native language is to lie. He is a liar and the father of lies. His greatest skill is lying
• In contrast to Satan, how does Jesus describe himself?
• He is here, sent from God
• Jesus tells the truth
• Jesus is not guilty of any sin (this statement alone denies his being a mere mortal)
• Jesus belongs to God
• The Jews return to the leader's explanation for Jesus' miracles, the charge of being demon-possessed. How does Jesus respond?
• He categorically denies the charge (it should be obvious)
• The charge dishonors Jesus
• Jesus warns them of the ultimate Judge, God the Father who will judge them (implied is death)
• BUT, if you keep Jesus' word, you will never taste death (spiritual death)
• Jesus response reinforce their claim of demon-possessed. Although technically it would not reinforce that claim but what possibility?
• He could be crazy
• He could be who he claimed to be
• He can't be demon-possessed because no one can convict him of any sin
• His power to do miracles must come from somewhere but he does not lie or sin. Yet he makes outrageous statements ("who do you think you are?")
• Lastly, Jesus references Abraham seeing his day, implied that Jesus knew Abraham. This is the strongest claim yet to divinity
• Notice what he did not say … "before Abraham was born, I was."
• John 10:30 (CJB) I and the Father are one.
• APPLICATION: Jesus' claims cannot be dismissed. He cannot be judged by human standards because you will miss the incredible power of a life lived for Jesus Christ