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    Apr 18, 2021

    The Accused and the Accusers All Need the Gospel

    Passage: John 8:2-11

    Speaker: Bill McCurine

    Category: Sermon

    Sermon Summary:
    In an attempt to trap Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees use a woman allegedly caught in the act of adultery: If Jesus denies the Law that requires her stoning, he's a false teacher; if he condemns the woman, it undercuts his message of God's mercy. But Jesus turns the tables on them by showing that their own sin is worse than the alleged sin of the woman.
    1. He stoops down while they speak to him - a cultural sign of contempt for their position.
    2. He writes with his finger in the dust - a visual reference to the finger of God writing the Law (Ex 25:18), and the dust from which God made man (Gen 2:7). These experts in the Law, asking Jesus about a matter of the Law, would not miss the significance of Jesus' actions. They would also be very familiar with these pertinent sections of the Law:

      • Lev 10:10 - "The Law of Adultery"
        • Both the man and woman shall be put to death.
      • Deut 17:5-6 - "The Law of Stoning"
        • 2-3 eye witnesses are required
        • The eye witnesses are required to throw the first stone
      • Deut 19:16-19 - "The Law of False Witnesses"
        • Both accuser and accused are to stand before the Lord and the priests and judges to make their case, and the judges will weigh the evidence.
        • A witness found to be false shall have done to him what he sought to have done to the accused.

    With his invitation for the one without sin to throw the first stone, Jesus brings all these scriptures together, and shows that the scribes and Pharisees are guilty:
    1. Assuming the crime took place, they should have brought the accused before the priests and judges, not Jesus. They are breaking the Law.
    2. They did not bring the man. 2-3 eye witnesses would be able to identify the man and be required to bring him with the woman. They are breaking the Law.
    3. By failing to pick up a stone to throw they show that they are either not eye witnesses, or failing to obey the responsibilities of eye witnesses. Either way they are breaking the Law.
    4. In OT Law, all the sacrifices are for sins committed in ignorance or to regain purity after something made them unclean. But if someone purposefully, knowingly, and willfully transgressed the Law of God, there was no sacrifice available to them. Jesus is bringing the scribes and Pharisees face-to-face with the fact that they are committing a willful sin against God, and giving them one last chance to stop. He is actually showing them "loving contempt."
    5. The older ones leave first. They have the wisdom that comes from a longer record of mistakes, and know they are guilty.


    Application:
    • God is the true Eye Witness - Whether we identify with the accused or the accusers in this story, we are all guilty before Him, with no defense.
    • By Grace Alone - In the OT, a person guilty of willful sin had only one option available: to throw themselves completely and solely upon God's mercy—the same option available to us today.
      • Grace for the Woman - Left alone with the woman, Jesus does not condemn her. Not necessarily because she is innocent, but because He has God's authority to forgive sin and show mercy. By grace he sets her free, commanding her to walk in new life from now on.
      • Grace for Us - The life, death and resurrection of Jesus assures us that God's mercy is available to us. too!



    Discussion Questions:
    1. Read through the summary above and help each other understand the logic of how this scene plays out.
    2. How are the scribes and Pharisees in the same boat as the woman they are accusing?
    3. What does Jesus' final interaction with the woman tell us about Jesus?
    4. How does this passage impact your own relationship with Jesus?
    5. Pray for each other.