The Adulterous Woman

One thing to have to wear a scarlet on once Justice Esther Britton was required to do in the Scarlet letter, but this woman is dry physically into the public place of the temple itself by the religious authorities of the day and placed at the feet of Jesus is nothing more humiliating than the incident. Such was the case with a woman caught in adultery we read about in John chapter 8. While this is a familiar story.

There is so much more to it than meets the eye today on Renewing Your Mind, Dr. RC Sproul Texas into the accusing crowd shows us Jesus amazing response. One of the customary things, that takes place in churches all over the country on Sunday morning. Is that when it comes time for the reading of the Scripture. It's a simple matter for the minister to say turning your Bibles to Luke chapter 10 verse one, and so on.

Everybody in the room could be on the same page. However, today when we look at another person in the series of those who came face-to-face with Jesus.

I have a little problem with that particular custom because I'm not sure where to ask you to open the text of Scripture because the narrative that were going to be concerned with today is found at different places and different Bible may be astonishing to you, but if the it raises a question aside question before we get to the topic of this person who comes face-to-face with Jesus of what we call textual criticism, textual criticism, sometimes called lower criticism to distinguish it from higher criticism has to do with the science of reconstructing the original texts of the Bible and I use the word science deliberately because this is quite a pedantic dimension of biblical studies that requires close careful sifting and careful analysis of literally hundreds and hundreds of accident manuscripts that are copies of one sort of another of the original documents of Scripture. For example, we don't have a full copy of the original Gospel of John. Fact one of the earliest portions of Scripture we do have is the Rylands fragment that the dates perhaps into the first century, a tiny little piece of that original Gospel of John, but for the most part we have to rely upon subsequent copies of manuscripts that they back to the early centuries. While we have a passage in the New Testament that is highly disputed in terms of where it should actually go and it is that narrative that teaches us the story of the woman who was caught in adultery usually is found somewhere in or around the eighth chapter of John's Gospel in some English versions. The whole thing is an extended footnote and not even considered part of the text and that reason for that is simple, the sum of the earliest manuscripts that we have of the gospel of John, do not include this passage, but later manuscripts do and if there is a consensus among textual critics. It is this that this story about the woman caught in adultery was in all probability not part of the original Gospel of John and was not penned by John at all, and yet at the same time. The consensus among those scholars is that even though perhaps John didn't write it, and was not part of John's Gospel.

It is most probably apostolic in origin and certainly belongs in the New Testament.

The only question is where well I don't know if it's going to help you, but in the Bible I'm using. We find this record in the eighth chapter of John. Beginning at the first verse. Of course, the Bible is the new Geneva study Bible. The preferred Bible of the elect. We read in chapter 8 of John's Gospel beginning at verse one in my text but Jesus went to the Mount of olives early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him and he sat down and taught them, and then the scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst they said to him, teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act so easy to read over this quickly, dispassionately and miss the X substantial import of this text will most difficult things for any of us at any time is to experience authentic empathy. That is to try to project ourselves into the skin of somebody else and try to feel what they are feeling. And to think what they are thinking and yet in the New Testament we are called as part of Christian virtue to weep with those who weep and to rejoice with those who rejoice, and to be people who manifest a spirit of calm passion. If there's any sense in which the Christian is called to imitate God. It is at this point to be people of compassion because were it not for the compassion of God. None of us could possibly stand in his presence and literally the word compassion comes from the prefix column, which means with and from the root cause CO which means to feel it has the intensity of of passion what is passion but intense feeling and calm.

Passion is entering into the feelings of another person.

Now usually we are not X exercised or offended if somebody says that we should show compassion for somebody in pain or in great suffering and try to feel what they are feeling. Sometimes we resist the idea of having a sense of compassion for someone who's involved in gross and heinous sin. We don't want to feel sorry for somebody who is wicked and yet if there's any place where we should have the ability to have like passions.

It is with the wicked. It should be easier for us to relate to the wicked than it is to the virtuous because of who we are and we could like the Pharisees of the day, look at this woman who was caught in the very act of adultery with absolute abject contempt and say that lousy worthless select she deserves anything that she gets.

Obviously, this was the calm passion for the feelings of the scribes and the Pharisees, the scribes and the Pharisees were the theologians and the clergy of the day they prided themselves in their morality.

They prided themselves in their singular virtue and they were disgusted when they came upon a woman involved in the very act of adultery and they used this occasion to put Christ himself on trial because that's the dynamic of what is going on here, which I'll get that in a few moments, but I don't want us to hurry over this matter of how that woman felt I once talked to two men who were elders of the Presbyterian Church in Ohio and they told me of an experience they had were they were in this wonderful hotel and the hotel had a a Helsing Sonos center and these men had gone down to this Health Center in the house in the hotel and had taken a sauna and the had left their close another floor and there was a private elevator that went from this one floor to the other in the when they were finished they were in the bath altogether and they were talking conversation got on an elevator, press the button weren't paying close attention to where they were. They continued their conversation. The elevators doors opened and they walked out without any tiles without anything and as they were talking the door closed behind them, and the elevator continued and they open their eyes and they saw that they were standing right there in the lobby of the hotel at there was no retreat. They listen to these men tells I was dying laughing. I have no compassion whatsoever is the funniest thing ever and they did to. As they were recounting it later, but can you imagine their mortification to be caught naked is one of the most embarrassing things that can happen to human to be caught in flagrant elect to be caught naked involved in an illicit sexual act publicly. It's one thing to have to wear a scarlet a on one's chest assessed reprint was required to do in the Scarlet letter, but this woman is dry physically into the public place of the temple itself by the religious authorities of the day and placed at the feet of Jesus. I one has to ask the question.

Where was the man. Why wasn't the man brought here. Probably the Pharisees were afraid of him who knows only what they might of been a man of status in the community night and one of them, but they use the woman and her brokenness and her shame and her helplessness at this moment and make of her. A public spectacle.

They brought her to the wrong man. Let's see what happens.

They set her in the midst, and they said to him, teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned.

But what do you say this they said testing him, that they might have something of which to accuse him to hear what's going on.

They weren't interested at all in this woman in her guilt in her sin in her punishment or in her rehabilitation. That's not why they dragged her into the public square, to humiliate her they were using this woman to put a test on Jesus, what was the test. Remember that the Jewish nation at this point in her history was under Roman subjugation. The Roman government ruled over Palestine, and the Romans were noted for the somewhat gracious manner in which they treated subjugated nations that they allowed a certain measure of home rule in those nations that they conquered most other conquering nations in the ancient world didn't do that. But one thing was essential in a Roman province or a Roman satellite that had been conquered by the armies and that was that Roman law would rule supreme, and though the Romans gave the Jews of the right to have their own religion. The right to have their own Herodian king, and so on. The one thing they didn't allow was the exercise of the death penalty by the Jews. According to Jewish law, but only the Roman government could exercise the death penalty.

According to Roman law. That's why Jesus was crucified and not stoned to death.

We know that, but on this occasion, here's the test.

The law of Moses prescribed the death penalty for adultery. The Roman law didn't so they dragged this woman to trap Jesus in the throat. The woman at his feet and said okay give us your verdict. The law says the stoner the law of Moses. What do you say you see the trap if he says stone her.

What are they gonna do their going straight to the government authorities there going straight to Pontius Pilate.

Negative say this guys a rebel. He's in insurrectionist things out or advocating the overthrow the Roman government.

The Roman what legal system by saying that we should execute this lady who was caught in adultery and a lot of Jesus says don't stoner now are they going there going back to the Sanhedrin and organist say this, Jesus is supposed to be a teacher and a rabbi and and an expert in the law of God has just publicly denied the law of Moses so they trap Jesus on the horns of a dilemma, and test him to see what he'll do, though the irony of this event and the thing that I find the countless people miss when they read this text, is that cheeses made a decision.

He took a stand and just try to dodge the issue and avoid both horns of the dilemma, he sided with one over the other what they say let the law of Moses prevail stoner. That's what the law says she's guilty. No doubt about it, stoner. But then he proceeded to appoint her executioners and listen to how he does that. This they said testing him, and they might have something of which to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with his fingers, though he didn't hear them so when they continued asking him, he raised himself up and said them he was without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first and again he stooped down and wrote on the ground and those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience one out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last until Jesus was left alone in the woman standing in the midst what a fantastic story. This is the only place in Scripture where we hear the Jesus ever wrote anything and he wrote twice. We don't know what it is that he wrote oh I wish that that the Bible would tell us what he wrote in the ground. Let me guess something that's a the preacher's prerogative that the take a crack at it here and this is vintage scroll. This is pure speculation that's all it is. But it's it's an educated guess I'm trying to imagine what would what was Jesus doing these guys are screaming for this woman's head and they're waiting for Jesus to answer the test and he acts as if he doesn't even hear what they're saying. Instead, he stooped down and he starts doodling in the dirt he starts writing on the ground as he say what he wrote that he stands up and says let him who among you is without sin cast the first daughter starts writing again and now we are told they all fall under conviction from the eldest of the youngest and one by one they meekly drop their stones and go on home know what kind of writing would cause them to do that. The only thing I can think of is a Jesus. Okay stoner and he looks at this one whole guy in the crowd and writes in the dirt. Shirley McKay drops his stuff he likes another man in Wright's embezzlement and drops his stone away. He goes I think the Jesus could read the souls of every person there, and I think what he was writing on the ground was the last thing they wanted to see him right the hand of God the finger of God writing instructed in the ground the sins of those who were there. And when Jesus wrote those sins in full view matters that were undeniable.

The guilty and the crowd dispersed until no one was left.

Now what Jesus raised himself up and saw no one but the woman he said to her, woman, where are those accusers of yours has no one condemned you. She said no one Lord Jesus said to her, neither do I condemn you go and sin no more. Don't miss this. Please don't miss this. Remember, the terms of execution.

He who is without sin among you cast the first stone.

11 there was a person in that crowd, who was without sin and who was qualified to carry out the law of Moses to execute the law to its fullest measure, and had he done that, beloved, he would've been acting justly, our Lord loved the law of Moses and Jesus was not playing like with a grievous sin of this woman had Jesus after everyone had dispersed said to this woman, where are you accusers then they she said will nobody Lord. He could've said all there's one I accuse you, you are guilty and you must die.

Had Jesus done that and I know this flies in the face of everything that we hold in our culture today. Jesus would've been despised by us had ceases, said I accuse you and Jesus through the stone and killed that woman would've been perfectly just to do it under the law of God.

He had every right to executor God had every right to executor. She had violated the 10 Commandments thou shalt not commit adultery but because he had the roof sovereign rights to have mercy upon whom he would have mercy, and he said to this woman. Neither do I condemn you go and sin no more. It's embarrassing for any adulterer or adulteress to come face-to-face with Jesus. It's embarrassing for any safe any embezzler and a liar and a criminal any sooner. Come face-to-face with Jesus.

The only way we can stand before Jesus is.

Jesus says neither do I condemn you go and sin no more.

Jesus did not minimize this woman's sin. He didn't say it wasn't a sin's statement go and sin no more can only make said have since made out of it. If we understand what Jesus is saying is that what she had done was sit in a stellar don't do it anymore.

And yet he didn't make her not doing it again unnecessary condition before he would forgive her the moment she confessed her sin and humbled himself before chronometers before Christ, he exercise grace see that woman story is my story and normal and intrusive is the only way we can ever stand before Christ face-to-face is on the basis of his compassion, his mercy and his grace is adventures like our Savior's compassion is never at the expense of his righteousness, and it's always in conformity with God's law. That's what the woman caught in adultery learned from Jesus and is one of the crucial lessons from Dr. scroll series face-to-face with Jesus will feature more lessons from the series next week. You're on Renewing Your Mind. We do hope you'll join us. There are 12 messages in all including our Lord's encounters with a woman at the well, the rich young ruler and Moses and Elijah. Each of these encounters teaches us something about the perfect character of Christ and why he is worthy of our praise would be glad to send you the entire series on DVD for your donation of any amount to litigator ministries just as for face-to-face with Jesus. When you call us at 800-435-4343. You can also requested online@renewingyourmind.org as a reminder, it is your financial gifts that support the ongoing work of lagoon or ministries so we are grateful once again our phone number is 800-435-4343 here litigator ministries. We are dedicated to providing you with trustworthy teaching. We want to equip you with the very best resources on theology, Bible study, apologetics, and church history, it's all waiting for you when you set up an account on our free link in your app you'll have access to online articles, devotionals, podcasts and sessions were more than two decades of our national and regional conferences all available when you download the litigator app. Thank you for being with us today on Renewing Your Mind. We do hope you will be with us again Monday as we take an in-depth look at that dramatic face-to-face encounter on the Mount of Transfiguration