Main Idea: God did not send Jesus to condemn the world but to save it by Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. Regardless of what you have done, you can be saved by saying “Yes” to Jesus.
Text: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:3-11 NIV).
Note: This message can be preached as an illustrated message. The characters in the drama are three Pharisees and a woman. On one side of the platform the three Pharisees are holding three big rocks. On the other side of the platform is the woman on her knees.
Message: Jesus was teaching a large crowd of people. The Pharisees were religious experts who became jealous of Jesus. The Pharisees did not like Jesus. Before people listened to the Pharisees, but now the people listened to Jesus.
The Pharisees decided to lay a trap for Jesus. They said, “We will fail Jesus. We will show that He breaks God’s law.” In order to set the trap, they brought a woman who was caught in the act of adultery to Jesus.
Let’s look at the scene. On one side stand the Holy Pharisees, wearing holy garments. They look so holy.
On the other side, there is a woman on her knees crying. She is a sinner. She was caught committing adultery with a man.
The Pharisees say, “The law of Moses says she must die. Jesus, what do you say?” Each of the Pharisees has a big rock ready to throw at the woman. They expected Jesus to say, “Please don’t kill this woman, I am a friend of sinners. Let her go free.”
Do you understand the trap the Pharisees were laying for Jesus?
If Jesus said to kill the woman, then everyone would know the Pharisees were right.
They were thinking of the law that says, “The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife…the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 20:10). Or perhaps they thought of the verse that reads, “The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4).
If Jesus said, “No, don’t kill the woman” then everyone would know that Jesus breaks God’s law because the Law says that all who sin must die.
What does Jesus say? Does He say to kill the woman? Or does He command them to let the woman go free? Jesus said, “He who is without sin can throw the first stone.” Then Jesus kneels down and starts to write in the dirt.
The Pharisees thought they had the perfect plan to trap Jesus, but His reaction shocked them. They were amazed at how His words were filled with power and authority. Let’s watch and see how the Pharisees react to the words of Jesus.
The first Pharisee is ready to kill the woman. But these words of Jesus hit his heart like an arrow. He could see God’s commandment written on a tablet of stone, “You shall not lie.” He remembers that when he was a little boy, he lied to his mother. He realizes that he is a sinner. On the outside he looked so holy, but on the inside he knew he was a sinner. He said, “I cannot kill her today for I am a sinner.” (The first Pharisee stands over the woman ready to throw his stone, but then he gently lays the stone on the ground and walks away.)
The second Pharisee is also ready to kill her. He was even more angry. But suddenly, he remembered God’s commandments “You shall not steal.” He remembers that he once stole a pen from another student. He begins to shake with fear. He said, “I cannot kill the woman because I also have broken God’s Law.” (The second Pharisee stands over the woman ready to throw his stone, but then he gently lays the stone on the ground and walks away.)
The third Pharisee said, “I will kill the woman.” But as he thinks about the Law, “You shall not commit adultery,” he looks at the word Jesus wrote in the dirt. Perhaps it was the name of the woman who was not his wife whom he himself had slept with. The word of God is so powerful, so pure, so sharp. It went straight to his heart and he said, “I cannot kill the woman.” He went away full of shame. (The third Pharisee stands over the woman ready to throw his stone, but then he throws the stone to the ground and runs away with his head down.)
The three Pharisees have run away, now Jesus is alone with the woman. She waited for the stones to kill her. But no stone hit the woman.
Jesus says to her, “Where are those who wanted to kill you?” She said, “They are gone.” Jesus said, “Then neither do I condemn you.” The woman went home free and forgiven!
Jesus was the only one there who had never sinned. He could have been the one to throw a stone, but instead He chose to forgive her.
Why didn’t Jesus kill the woman? The woman was guilty of sin. She deserved to be killed. Why didn’t Jesus kill the woman? Jesus did not throw a stone at the woman because the Word of God says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NKJV).
This is the heart of the Gospel. This is the heart of the love of God. Jesus was on his way to die on the cross. Jesus was on his way to die for that woman. Jesus already carried her sin. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the price for the woman’s sin.
God did not send Jesus to condemn the world, but that through Him the world might be saved! (John 3:17).
Jesus has already died for your sin. Before God we are all sinners. Perhaps you have not killed anyone, or perhaps you have not committed adultery, but before God we are all guilty and deserve to die. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The price of sin is death but through Jesus you can be saved. The blood of Jesus was shed for you.
The Pharisees in this story made a terrible mistake. They were convicted of sin but they did not repent. They walked away and said “No” to Jesus. They were convicted of their sin, but they were not forgiven of their sin because they did not ask Jesus for forgiveness.
If you say “Yes” to Jesus, He will wash you clean tonight. God does not condemn you tonight. If you say “Yes” to Jesus, you will be forgiven tonight.
