The Sinless One Shamed
July 21, 2019

The Sinless One Shamed

Speaker:
Passage: John 8:1-11

Good morning, church. We are jumping back into the gospel of John this morning— this morning we are in chapter 8. If you’ve done any reading ahead, you might have noticed this passage is in brackets, or marked with a footnote. The footnote reads: [The Earliest Manuscripts Do Not Include 7:53–8:11.] 

You may be wondering: what does that mean, and why then, is this passage the Bible? I’m going to answer briefly, what I understand this to mean, and why we are still going to preach it.

There is a discipline in Biblical Scholarship called Textual Criticism. This discipline examines the historicity and authenticity of the writings as they have been passed down to us, as well as the accuracy of the content as it was transmitted from document to document. This discipline gives proof to how we know the Bible we have today is a reliable source, true to what the apostles penned by the Inspiration of the Spirit of God. Remember, before the Guttenberg press, manuscripts were written by hand, replicated and copied by scribes.

There are many reasons to have great confidence in the historicity and reliability of the Bible. Let me give you two: the Bible has 5,801 manuscripts preserved on record. No other ANE historical manuscript can boast as many. Other ANE historical manuscripts boast as many as 20, maybe a few in the hundreds, but none in the thousands that would be true to the time period.

Second, the very discipline of Textual Criticism supports the accuracy of the transmission of Scripture, and the greater amount of sources (5,801), the greater the accuracy with which scholars are able to determine the wording of the original source and what was a variant. What scholars have concluded is— though there are variants in the documents, they can narrow in on the documents that best represent the original, and furthermore, what they’ve discovered is that even the wording of the variant documents do not change the meaning or doctrine when compared to the original. Have you played the game telephone? A sentence is passed in a circle from one person to another. The majority of the time, the meaning of the sentence has morphed by the time it came full circle. 

What we see from Textual Criticism is that the meaning of Scripture, the Bible you have today, has not swerved in meaning from the pen of the Apostles to the eyes and ears of mankind in the 21st century. This is the preservation of the written Word of God by the Spirit of God.

So, why the brackets?

Scholars have determined that original source did not include John 8:1-11. They’ve determined as much because they can identify the earlier manuscripts, and furthermore, the writing style doesn’t match that of John. Furthermore, in the various documents that do have John 8:1-11, they’ve been placed in different places in the gospel of John.

However, scholars would also say that this discovery doesn’t debunk this event as fiction, or unhistorical. Here’s why: what the passage teaches is consistent with theology of scripture and the life of Jesus. Furthermore, we know from John, chapter 20:30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; and Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. - John 21:25

Scripture does not record the entirety of the life of Jesus. Oral tradition continued. I believe this passage — the one we read today, to be a genuine event in the life of Christ, but I’m appealing to a greater power than that of textual criticism. I appeal to and bend to the sovereignty of God. 

A bird does not fall to the ground without the Father knowing it (Matt 10:29), before there is a word on your tongue the Father knows it (Psalm 139:4), the cast of the lot is controlled by God (Prov 16:33), the kings heart is water in the hands of the Lord (Prov 21:1), the Lord does according to His will and none can stay His hand (Dan 4:35).

This passage is in your Bible because God wanted it there. He determined to show his power, his grace, his beauty in this obscure yet poignant 12 verses. And that is where we begin this morning. 

We are going to look at the passage under the following headings: The Trap, The Tables Turned, The Shamed One Forgiven, The Sinless One Shamed.

Would you stand with me as we read, beginning in John 7:53, through 8:11.

[53] [[They went each to his own house,

John 8:1–11

[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.”]] (ESV)

[pray]

The Trap

[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.

There is much to learn from the life and practices of Jesus. It was the habit of Jesus to retreat to the Mount of Olives to rest, to pray, to commune with his Father in heaven. Like we charge our phone at night, Jesus had a habit of recharging in rest and prayer. It revealed that He was both fully God, and yet fully man. And it seemed that his frequent retreat to the garden was to prepare him for ministry, for testing and trial, for teaching.

Our setting is laid out before us in the text. Jesus is at the temple, and having sat down in the outer court, he was teaching. The outer court is where rabbis would gather their disciples. This was his custom during the festivals, which may be why the encounter is placed here in the book of John. The narrative in John, recall from chapter 7, has us in Jerusalem at the Feast of Booths. What we see is a public confrontation, a public trap. All the cameras are rolling, ready to record a tidbit from Jesus that the Pharisees can run as a newsreel of misinformation to degrade his character in public. After all, he was taking their disciples, stealing the heart of the people.

So they brought to him a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. They, rightfully, state the law of Moses commanded them to stone such a women. The law commanded stoning only for a betrothed woman, who had unlawful intercourse with someone who was not her soon to be husband. This was likely a young girl, 13-14 years old. 

Note that this was a trap. They were looking for a charge against Jesus. How so? If he violated Jewish law — and didn’t condemn, he would be discredited before the religiously devout. He would be one who had turned his back on the law of Moses, a heretic according to scripture. God is holy, and righteous, and must be just! And his prophets would speak and act accordingly. He couldn’t claim to be the Messiah, the Prophet, if his words and actions contradict the law of Moses.

However, if he upheld Mosaic law, he’d be in trouble with the Roman authorities! The Jews did not have the right to carry out capital punishment. This is why the Pharisees had to bring Jesus before Pilot to have him crucified. He, then, could himself be killed by the Roman authorities. Furthermore, If Jesus condemned the young girl, he would lose the heart of the wayward Jewish people, for he had a reputation of eating with sinners and tax collectors and restoring the broken and outcasts of Israel. 

So, regardless of his response, the Pharisees and scribes believed they had Jesus in a compromising situation, one that would either discredit him, or get him killed. This was a win-win for the religious leaders of the day!

But what have we learned of Jesus thus far in John?

“…He knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” (John 3:24-25) And furthermore, as the officers had said in John 7:46, No one ever spoke like this man!”

Jesus was not so naive to fall into their trap.  They were eager to call out her sin, but Jesus could see the heart and intention of man, and instead of stepping into their snare, he turned the tables.

The Tables Turned

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.

It’s interesting that the transcriber recorded Jesus bending over and writing with his finger on the ground. We don’t know what was written, but only that it exasperated the Scribes and Pharisees. My children do this at times. They hear the request of their fellow sibling and, continues doing what they’re doing, as if thier brother or sister had no voice and had made no sound at all! 

I’m sure the heart intent of Jesus and my child were not one-in-the-same. We know God is patient with all his creation, even those opposed to Him. At some point, as they continued to ask him, he stood and gave a soul-piercing answer: 

“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

First, we need to understand the statement. The law required the one who witnessed the sin to preside, and be the first to cast the stone, in judgement. The law also required that that person not be implicated in the very sin they were judging. Jesus wasn’t saying, and the Pharisees and Scribes were not hearing, if you are without any sin at all— if you were a sinless person, then you may judge. On that account, there would be no person who could exact justice and carry out the law. But Jesus was calling out the sin of those who brought her to him. What did he mean? 

First, the law states that both man and woman who were caught in adultery were to be stoned. She, for being unfaithful to her future husband, and he for committing adultery with another man’s betrothed. Where was the man? They were caught—in the act! They both ought to be brought before Jesus. Could it be that she, too, was set up, and preyed upon? She’s a young teenager, maybe a 14 year old girl. And the Pharisees and Scribes were willing to use her as a pawn, to ruin her, to bring him death or shame. Jesus’ words, once again, pierced the darkness and exposed the heart of the matter. Though the young girl transgressed, it appears as if the Scribes and Pharisees were also guilty, even causing this young one to stumble. Their response: to walk away, beginning with the oldest. Those who should have been teachers and protectors were instead preying on the sheep. What a shame. I want to look now at the young lady in this passage.

The Shamed One Forgiven 

First, she was guilty… regardless of whether this was a set up, she was lured away into sin by her own passions. She didn’t refute the charges against her. She was guilty, she knew it, and now she was shamed, publicly. Her sin was exposed.

Sin always finds its way out of the dark and is exposed by the light. Friends, you can’t hide your sin. I’ve seen to many times how my words or actions have caught up with me. Very few secrets will anyone die with. It will be revealed either now as you are drawn to repentance, or in the judgment in front of all the angelic hosts and mankind. We must understand that the law exposes the magnitude of sin, and it’s consequence— death! 

But we also must see that the law magnifies grace. You would not know the meaning of grace unless you knew consequence of sin. Under the law, she rightly stood condemned. But, Jesus pronounced the passing of judgement — Not Condemned. Look at what he says to her: 

 [10] … “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.”]] (ESV)

This rings of Romans 8: [1] There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. [2] For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (ESV)

Under the law, she should die. Under Jesus, she lives. The law shows our need, and shines light on our depravity, but it cannot and does not provide grace: Only God himself, can provide grace… only God can forgive… and here we see Jesus pronounced the shamed one forgiven.

Why is she not condemned? How is forgiveness possible? God announced himself in Exodus 34:5–7 

[5] The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. [6] The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, [7] keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty…” (ESV) 

Because… The Sinless One Shamed

We don’t know what Jesus was thinking or what he was writing on the ground, but we know he knew her redemption meant his death. In place of the stones that would hit her body, he would take the beating of the rod, and the piercing of the nails. He knew her restoration to the community would mean he would be despised and cast out. Her acceptance meant he was to be mocked. She was forgiven because he was counted as sin and bore the punishment she deserved. Her restoration to righteousness was bought.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor 5:21)

So, what is our response?

What did Jesus call this young lady to after forgiveness? 

“Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

The response to the greatness of grace we’ve been afforded is godly obedience. 

Friends, grace produces obedience to God in way the law can’t — our obedience is a heart response to a person! The law could not produce this kind of obedience, only God can! And the evidence of our heart turning to him is our obedience to Him. The Bible doesn’t teach that we will be perfectly holy this side of heaven! That’s a lie that the devil uses to puff up the proud and to accuse and tear down the wounded. Only One has ever lived in sinless perfection, and that is Jesus, and if we say we have no sin then we are a liar (1 John 1:8-10). 

But the heart response to grace, to loving the person who saved you, namely, Jesus, is to keep His commandments. Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (Jhn 14:15) Church, holiness is not a requirement to be accepted by God; it is a result of knowing the grace of God. May our response to grace be the same: may we step into the light, and go and sin no more. And may we say with the Psalmist (32:1):

 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

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