Presentation 25
Presentation 25
Introduction
If an executioner offers a prisoner the choice of
death by hanging, or a lethal injection, since both
choices lead to death, the prisoner is in a ‘catch
22’ situation - no winning options exist. We may
all have been in situations where we have to give
an answer, or make a choice that we are
reluctant to make for we know whatever decision
we make we cannot win.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day attempted to
engineer such a situation from which Jesus could
not escape in order to discredit him. As we will
see Jesus frustrated their design with
consummate ease and used the situation to
teach an important truth.
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The Plotters
The religious leaders confronted Jesus with a woman caught in the act of
adultery. Jewish law demanded eyewitness testimony from two or three
witnesses. A Jewish Mishnah from this period records that such evidence was
very rare - one case came up every seven years! This suggests that the
religious leaders engineered some form of entrapment, discreetly
hiding their eyewitnesses to observe the deed. The
woman was of little interest to them.
Merely a pawn to be sacrificed, collateral
damage in their war against Jesus.
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The Plan
This scheme was quite different from other tests which they had posed Jesus.
On one occasion they had asked a tricky tax question - should they pay taxes
to Caesar or not. On another, a hypothetical theological question was asked
about the resurrection and concerned a woman who married seven brothers
in succession after each of her previous husbands had died. Who would be
her husband in heaven?
But now Jesus was not faced with a hypothetical
question. Significant issues were at stake.
First, Jesus’ teaching about the
compassionate nature of the
kingdom of God.
Secondly, Jesus’ attitude to the
moral law of God?
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The Plan
It was common knowledge that the ministry of Jesus was marked by
compassion. He had befriended outcasts, eaten with notorious sinners. He
had said, ‘Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden’ Matt.11v28.
Therefore, if out of compassion for this woman, he waived the law of Moses,
he could be denounced as a false prophet, someone opposed to God’s law
and who trivialised adultery.
On the other hand, if he upheld
the law and condemned her to its
retribution - stoning - then he
would be ridiculed as a hypocrite
who extended welcome invitations
to sinners but would slap them
down once their sin was exposed.
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The Plan
At the heart of the Jewish leaders thinking lay a theological conundrum. How
can God remain just if he does not condemn law-breaking, wherever he finds
it. Paul puts the question this way, ‘How can God be just and the justifier of
the ungodly’ Rom.3v26. It’s a justice problem that people face every day.
Not just when they are confronted with the
ungodliness of others but as they realise
that they themselves constantly miss
the mark of God’s righteousness.
People cannot easily grasp that God
can do the seemingly impossible
without in any way compromising
his character.
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The Response
Having set the scene. How would Jesus reply? He appeared to ignore them
bent down and wrote on the ground. A great deal of speculation has gone into
why Jesus did this, including; giving himself time to think, or waiting for the
accusers’ consciences to shame them. Others think he wrote the words that
he was about to speak.
We don’t really know the reason but we
do know that it did not diminish the
volume of accusation against
the woman.
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The Response
Could Jesus harmonise justice and mercy, without, either encouraging sin, or
condemning the sinner? Jesus simply said, ‘If anyone of you is without sin let
him be the first to throw a stone’. How simple yet how disarming!
They were reminded not only that they too had
broken God’s law but that by denying the woman
mercy they were effectively closing the door of
mercy upon themselves. What does the proverb
say?
“People who live in glass houses shouldn’t
throw stones”.
After Jesus spoke no stones were thrown.
The accusers melted away.
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The Response
But the big issue remains. Can justice and mercy be reconciled? Can God’s law
remain good, perfect and just, while at the same time he is seen to extend
mercy and forgiveness to those who have broken it? Will God sweep sin under
the carpet? No! And this brings us to the very heart of Jesus’ mission - his
atoning death upon the cross. We begin to understand why Jesus has been
described as ‘God’s dustbin’ - because
all of his people’s iniquity was
laid on him.
He bore their punishment. And so
God’s justice was not dismissed but
exhausted in the one who stood in
his people’s place. Amazing!
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The Response
Martin Luther, the famous Reformer was
preaching on this subject and said,
‘look upon the cross and what do you see?
You see a murderer, you see and adulterer,
you see a liar…’ the list goes on but
Luther’s point is clear.
God treated his sinless Son, our substitute
as we deserve to be treated! So closely did
Jesus identify himself with his people that
he allowed himself to be clothed as it were
with their sins. And he paid the penalty on
their behalf.
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The Response
The Bible teaches that ‘the wages of sin is death’ Rom.6v23. Now death
involves separation but the particular element of separation that should
concern us is separation from God. What happened as Jesus experienced the
condemnation of God’s law while hanging upon the cross? He experienced
something he had never experienced
before - separation from God - a sense
of God-abandonment. He cried out,
“My God my God why have you
forsaken me?” Matt.27v46.
The answer to that anguished cry is found here.
He paid the wages not only of this woman’s sin
but the sin of all who would trust in him as Saviour. He
experienced our hell that we might enjoy his heaven!
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The Result
Put yourself in this woman’s shoes. What you thought was your secret sin has
been uncovered in the most humiliating fashion. The whole community now
knows! Your husband or fiancée also knows. The religious leaders offer you no
hope. To them you are no more than a piece of bait being used to hook Jesus.
You hear the crowd shout, ‘stoned her, stone her!’ The terrors of God’s law
begin to wash over you. You are a lawbreaker and know it. You can’t undo
what has been done. If only you could wind the clock back but you can’t!
For some, only after their sin has been hung out on the public washing line,
does its seriousness begin to produce regret. But often they are not sorry they
have broken God’s law but only that they have been caught!
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The Result
The charges are read out, the witnesses are ready to give evidence, the
clamouring voices of the crowd add to the tension. And then Jesus speaks
with a calm authority. The voices are silenced. The accusers
slink off into the shadows aware of their own sin.
What judgement will Jesus pass?
“Neither do I condemn you”.
There must be some mistake! You feel you need
to replay those words over and over again just to
make sure you have not misunderstood him.
Your accusing conscience is startled! Could it
be true? Then you experience an inrush of
peace such as you had never known before.
Your burden of guilt has been lifted.
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The Result
I suspect that the question that she wanted answered but daren’t ask was this,
“How can you do that?” How could the condemnation of the law be lifted?
Luxuriating in the forgiveness of God, she would know that Jesus had not
viewed her as an impersonal pawn used to score points against his enemies
but as someone in desperate need. Someone on whom he had placed
immense value.
The atoning death of Christ was still some
six months ahead but already she was
experiencing the benefits it would bring.
And in the words of Wesley’s hymn,
‘her chains fell off her heart was free’.
And that same freedom is something that Jesus
continues to offer men and women, who are conscious
of their guilt and sin and want to be free of it.
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The Result
Importantly, Jesus had more to say. She was left with the words, ‘leave your life of
sin’ ringing in her ears. God’s forgiveness is not given so that we can indulge in a
sinful lifestyle. It is not cheap grace automatically dispensed at the push of a button.
George used to tell his colleagues what he had planned for his weekend.
He was a self-confessed Casanova. When asked how he could live
with his conscience as he took advantage of one girl after
another, he replied,
“But I go regularly to confession”.
He had no intention of changing his lifestyle but believed he
could still enjoy forgiveness. He had missed the point and
viewed God’s grace as cheap grace! God does not forgive
in order to make it easier for us to indulge our sin!
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Conclusion
This passage of scripture is significant. God has, in Christ Jesus, made
marvellous provision for the forgiveness of sinful men and women, and their
release from the prison and terrors of conscience. God has done
what for men is impossible. He has squared the circle.
He has satisfied his justice completely without
impoverishing his mercy in which he delights.
But not without cost, not without the cross
and all that was accomplished there!
Do you need to hear the words ‘neither do I condemn
you’ ringing in your ears. Does it seem too good to be true?
This is the glory of the gospel. Not cheap grace but grace to
walk into newness of life with a new beginning and a
new empowering. This is what the gospel offers!
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