Day 142
Be encouraged…you aren’t condemned! THERE IS GRACE!!! DON’T MISS THE POWER OF GRACE! If you will repent, and truly ask forgiveness….and turn from your life of wickedness….JESUS WILL HEAL YOU…NOT CONDEMN YOU…don’t think so?
You have probably heard the story about the woman caught in adultery. This is not to downplay adultery…it is a horrible sin that causes great pain to many. It is the sin that God allows the consequence to be divorce. It is HORRIBLE….but there is GRACE available to you! Let me break the story down for you…it is a normal day for Jesus….but please…be a human…put yourself in the scene…this is amazing!
John 8:1-5 – 1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. 3The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court,4they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5“Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?”
This woman was dragged out of a sexual encounter with a man (where was the man by the way?)….put yourself in that scene. She is naked, hair tussled, trying to cover up the shame of her naked body being put on display for a mob who didn’t care about her more than an object lesson. She was probably bruised, and cut, scraped…and crying.
COME ONE JESUS….what do we do with this SLUT? This WHORE? And any other name that could degrade her lower than the dirt that she was being dragged across. SHE IS GUILTY JESUS….DO WE KILL HER? OR ARE YOU GOING TO LET HER OFF THE HOOK?
Jesus is amazing….
John8:6-7 – 6They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Talking about silencing the crowd….can you imagine the silence? It was DEAFENING! Can you imagine them looking over where Jesus was to see what He was writing? What did He write? We don’t know, but consider this passage…
Jeremiah 17:13 – O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water.
Back to the scene…
John 8:8-9 – 8Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9When they heard it, they began to go out one by one,beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court.
Beginning with the OLDER ONES!!! Don’t miss that. Can you imagine what Jesus wrote….how about this…
- Dan….Liar
- Dan….Cheater
- Dan….Adulterer
- Dan…Murderer
- Dan….and the list goes on….back to the scene…
John 8:10-11 – 10Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
Oh how sweet grace is. It isn’t written, but I think that Jesus gently covered her with a robe, stood her up, and wiped the hair away from her face so He could look at her. So she could peer in to the eyes of Grace, Forgiveness, Love…and Truth. Please don’t miss this. Here is what Jesus said in my paraphrase…”None of those people have the right to condemn you. I do have the right to condemn you…but I choose not to. So don’t condemn yourself any more. Just change your life, and live as one who has had their debt paid. You are free to live. Now do this for others.”
How sweet redemption is. How sweet the unloading of the burden of sin is….she had been carrying that guilt and shame for years…and she is FREE!
You want an altar call? You talk about grace like THAT!!! People would drag themselves across the state of Virginia for that altar call. Just to peer into the eyes of grace! You talk about stuff like that in a church….you won’t be able to get people to leave. The Holy Spirit will come upon THAT church…I can assure you of that.
Be encouraged brothers and sisters. Oh what a God we serve that would save a wretch like me.
Grace and Peace, Dan
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed! (John Newton, Amazing Grace)…
Amen and Amen my brother!
Dan,
Great Post and Great timing as well. That is one of my favorite stories from the bible. If only people could forgive 1/10,000 as easily as Jesus does, there would be a lot less hate and condemnation in the world.