Caught in the Very Act - Study 4/30/13
Caught in the Very Act
President Clinton was caught in the very act and it made big news. He was tried by the whole world being the leader of the most powerful nation of the world. His affair with Monica Lewinsky almost cost him the presidency and his family and the nation in a sense suffered shame. A recent big name caught in the very act is General Petraeus. He resigned his position because of his affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell. Not long ago, the World cried foul because of a Middle East woman who was going to be stoned because of adultery and there was no mention of the man involved nor any punishment for him. How come it is just the woman only in the Islamic Sharia justice system? After all it takes two to tangle.
About 2000 years ago, a woman was caught in the very act. She was brought to Jesus for judgment and again without the man/men involved. “3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught[b] in adultery, in the very act.”(John 8:3-4). This is one of the funniest episodes in the bible. It is funny not because of the sin in question but how Jesus dealt with it.
Jesus stoops and writes on the ground. Some have said jokingly that Jesus was writing the addresses, dates and times of the affairs of those men who brought the woman. When the men looked down and saw their own sin written on the ground, they each walked away. This explanation is possible but we will find exactly what Jesus wrote when we see Him face to face.
Jesus said to the men, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” He is saying the same to you and me. Are you without sin? God knows every of our sins. There is no need to hide or deny them. Many of us if we were in positions like President Clinton we would have made big headlines.
When there is no accuser, there is no judgment to be rendered in the court of law. Listen to Jesus. “Woman, where are those accusers of yours?[j] Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and[k] sin no more.” Jesus right now is the Savior from sin and from the accusation of Satan. He is coming back soon as a judge for those who have refused to accept the free offer of His very costly salvation which He paid on the Cross for the whole world.
Let us not miss Jesus’ last instruction to the woman, “go and sin no more.” If adultery, fornication, homosexuality is your lifestyle, Jesus is saying sin no more. Stop period. Don’t destroy yourself and lives around you. Paul puts it this way, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” Roman 6:1-4.
We must stop that which grieves the Holy Spirit in our lives whether it is “little” sin or “big” sin. We are to walk in newness of the Life made possible by the power of God. Also, remember that we are not the “sin police” in other’s lives. Jesus left this work of convicting to the Holy Spirit (John 16:8-9). Please pray for what you see in others, tell them about the love of Jesus and back off. If it is sin against you, then speak to the one. If he/she does not listen and he/she is a believer take him/her to the Church leadership (Matthew 18:15-17).
John 8:1-12
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Now early[a] in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught[b] in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded[c] us that such should be stoned.[d] But what do You say?”[e] 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.[f]
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up[g] and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience,[h] went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.
And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her,[i] “Woman, where are those accusers of yours?[j] Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and[k] sin no more.” 12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
If you have not yet believed in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus as the guarantee for your salvation from sin, then and now like the woman, you are not “condemned”. Jesus is still offering His underserved grace and mercy to you to reconcile you to God. The punishment for sin is death and it will be death everlasting but the gift of God now for all who believe in Jesus is life everlasting. Friend, the choice is clear.
What do you want to do with Jesus? His grace is for now and will not be available tomorrow if you died without Jesus in your life. I am reminded of those who went to watch the Boston Marathon and never made it home on that day. It was just like any other day in their lives.
Lord Jesus, I believe in you. Please help my unbelief. I ask for the fullness of your Holy Spirit in my life that I may “walk in the newness of life”. Forgive me for the times I have sinned and grieved you. Help me not to take your grace for granted and not to abuse my privileges you have made available to me through your death on the Cross. Let no sin have dominion or rule over my life. Let me always know that your grace is sufficient even for all my sins and inadequacies.
“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Thank you Jesus. Amen.
President Clinton was caught in the very act and it made big news. He was tried by the whole world being the leader of the most powerful nation of the world. His affair with Monica Lewinsky almost cost him the presidency and his family and the nation in a sense suffered shame. A recent big name caught in the very act is General Petraeus. He resigned his position because of his affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell. Not long ago, the World cried foul because of a Middle East woman who was going to be stoned because of adultery and there was no mention of the man involved nor any punishment for him. How come it is just the woman only in the Islamic Sharia justice system? After all it takes two to tangle.
About 2000 years ago, a woman was caught in the very act. She was brought to Jesus for judgment and again without the man/men involved. “3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught[b] in adultery, in the very act.”(John 8:3-4). This is one of the funniest episodes in the bible. It is funny not because of the sin in question but how Jesus dealt with it.
Jesus stoops and writes on the ground. Some have said jokingly that Jesus was writing the addresses, dates and times of the affairs of those men who brought the woman. When the men looked down and saw their own sin written on the ground, they each walked away. This explanation is possible but we will find exactly what Jesus wrote when we see Him face to face.
Jesus said to the men, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” He is saying the same to you and me. Are you without sin? God knows every of our sins. There is no need to hide or deny them. Many of us if we were in positions like President Clinton we would have made big headlines.
When there is no accuser, there is no judgment to be rendered in the court of law. Listen to Jesus. “Woman, where are those accusers of yours?[j] Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and[k] sin no more.” Jesus right now is the Savior from sin and from the accusation of Satan. He is coming back soon as a judge for those who have refused to accept the free offer of His very costly salvation which He paid on the Cross for the whole world.
Let us not miss Jesus’ last instruction to the woman, “go and sin no more.” If adultery, fornication, homosexuality is your lifestyle, Jesus is saying sin no more. Stop period. Don’t destroy yourself and lives around you. Paul puts it this way, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” Roman 6:1-4.
We must stop that which grieves the Holy Spirit in our lives whether it is “little” sin or “big” sin. We are to walk in newness of the Life made possible by the power of God. Also, remember that we are not the “sin police” in other’s lives. Jesus left this work of convicting to the Holy Spirit (John 16:8-9). Please pray for what you see in others, tell them about the love of Jesus and back off. If it is sin against you, then speak to the one. If he/she does not listen and he/she is a believer take him/her to the Church leadership (Matthew 18:15-17).
John 8:1-12
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Now early[a] in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught[b] in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded[c] us that such should be stoned.[d] But what do You say?”[e] 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.[f]
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up[g] and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience,[h] went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.
And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her,[i] “Woman, where are those accusers of yours?[j] Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and[k] sin no more.” 12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
If you have not yet believed in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus as the guarantee for your salvation from sin, then and now like the woman, you are not “condemned”. Jesus is still offering His underserved grace and mercy to you to reconcile you to God. The punishment for sin is death and it will be death everlasting but the gift of God now for all who believe in Jesus is life everlasting. Friend, the choice is clear.
What do you want to do with Jesus? His grace is for now and will not be available tomorrow if you died without Jesus in your life. I am reminded of those who went to watch the Boston Marathon and never made it home on that day. It was just like any other day in their lives.
Lord Jesus, I believe in you. Please help my unbelief. I ask for the fullness of your Holy Spirit in my life that I may “walk in the newness of life”. Forgive me for the times I have sinned and grieved you. Help me not to take your grace for granted and not to abuse my privileges you have made available to me through your death on the Cross. Let no sin have dominion or rule over my life. Let me always know that your grace is sufficient even for all my sins and inadequacies.
“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Thank you Jesus. Amen.
Comments