Always First Giving Honor to the Lord for all his Blessings and the work he is doing in me. I write this Blog for His Glory, not my OWN!
On May 4, 2018, I drove my company truck from Washington, DC to Austin, Texas (1,465 miles over 22 hours). Now my wife, Virginia, will tell you that she thinks I’m crazy and maybe she is right. However, I enjoy a long drive; it gives me time to listen to the “You Version Bible APP “or my second favorite “OLD TIME RADIO Classic Mystery Theater.” For you young readers, before TV, Netflix, streaming, and cell phones there were radio classic shows. Batman, Horror classic, The Jack Benny Show and more….Listening to the Radio was like watching a movie but better, because you used your imagination and that is always better than any movie. Now, when you STOP laughing go into your PODCAST search, type in OLD TIME RADIO and select Suspense, then select a story, listen and let your imagination do the work from there.
Now while listening to the You Version Bible App on my drive, I was listening to scriptures from John 8:1 -11 in the NKJV. It’s one of the top 10 most read story in the Bible and I believe everyone ” Christian and Non Christian has heard many times. The story of Jesus and the woman that the Jewish leaders wanted to stone for committing adultery. This time when I was listening to the story if felt different because the Lord used my imagination and placed me at the scene of the event. It seemed so real that I could almost touch Jesus, and when it was all over, I felt the Lord say to me, “Teach others to share this story the same way.” So from this point on, I want you to use your imagination. I want you to place yourself in that very moment in time: You are a bystander listening to the Teaching of Jesus Christ at the temple courts. It’s a beautiful sunny day, you can feel the cool breeze blowing, and you are pushing people to move so that you can get closer to hear him speak. Because, like the other people there, you have heard the stories of his miracles and you are hoping to witness one today. So as you are sitting there listening to the Teacher, Jesus Christ speak, the following events happen.
Let’s go into the scriptures
John 8: 1 – 4 NKJV
“but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn, he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 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.”
There is so much going on here that I feel needs to be addressed in these 4 verses.
We must understand that The Teachers of the Law and Pharisees were looking for ways to cast doubt on Jesus Christ and his Ministry. They needed to put a stop to his teaching and discredit him from a movement that they had no control over. His Teaching was causing Jews to relook at the way God wants us to view him. Now I have to admit in my early years when I read these four scriptures I didn’t see any humor in it, but now when I really began digging into these four verses, I found myself asking a lot of questions. For example, how did you ‘just happen’ to catch this woman committing adultery? Go peaking throughout the city into single ladies’ or widows’ windows seeing if they were with a married man? REALLY! Can you imagine the Pharisees and leaders of the religious law looking into windows saying to themselves, “Oh not that one, she’s alone”? Then after several windows, they say to themselves, “Eureka! We found one!” No, they just didn’t happen to come upon a women and man in the act of committing adultery . This was planned. This was a pure setup and the reason why I titled this blog One of the Greatest Setups that ever FAILED.
As I do before every blog, I pray to the Holy Spirit asking for his presence and guidance when I write. As I stated in my very first blog, the works I do are not to glorify me but for him alone. Amen
Now let me show you how this became one of The Greatest Setups That Ever Failed
John 8:1 & 2 NKJV “ but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn, he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. .”
The Scripture states that Jesus went to the Mount of Olives the evening before after his teaching in the temple court. The very next day at dawn he went back to the temple court to begin teaching again. Jesus was there for the Festival of Tabernacles, he actually met with Jewish Leaders the day before discussing who the Messiah is. Those same Leaders sent Temple Guards to arrest him later that day. So imagine when the Temple Guards fell to arrested him, they started plotting for another way to trap Jesus. Now that would mean that the Pharisees and the teachers of the religious law knew that Jesus would be back to teach the next day at the temple court. There was no discussion on whether Jesus would be there, the discuss was on how to trap him.
John 8: 3 & 4 NKJV : 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.”
So remember as I stated earlier in my blog I want you to imagine yourself at the temple court listening to Jesus as he is teaching that day. While he is teaching, the scripture says: “Pharisees and teachers of the religious law interrupt his teaching to bring a woman who was caught in the act of committing adultery.
Now let’s pause for a moment. I can’t believe that they just happen to come upon this woman in the act of adultery. And by the way, doesn’t it take two to commit adultery? How come the man wasn’t brought before Jesus as well? I have my own feeling here, and I don’t know this to be true, but maybe he was part of the whole set up. I believe this relationship may have been going on for a while. I actually believe the Pharisees and the teachers of the religious law knew of this relationship and used it at this very moment to set Jesus up. Now that’s just my own belief.
As we imagine ourselves there at that very moment, I’m assuming that you and I would get caught up in the commotion that is taking place around us. We must remember that this woman is being dragged into the middle of the Temple Court in front of you, me, and others, maybe not even fully clothed – remember she was caught in the act of adultery. I imagine she isn’t fully clothed, crying, and scared, not knowing what is going to happen to her. I’m sure she is fully aware of the law of Moses when it comes to committing adultery and the outcome of being put to death.
Haven’t we all at one time faced a moment when we were not in control of a situation in our lives that was steamrolling out of control? I know I have and I know how I felt during that time, so imagine how this lady is feeling right now. Dragged in front of a group of people half dressed, fearing for her life, and having no control. These events alone in scripture could be a made for TV movie, and I can hear the announcer saying, “The saga will continue right after these commercial breaks.”
Let’s read further into the scripture of John 8: 5 & 6
“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 anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
We now see the beginning of the setup. The Pharisees quote the Law of Moses knowing that if Jesus would go against the Law, they had him. I imagine in the back of their minds they are just feeling so good about themselves. I imagine they are saying to themselves, “We got him, no way out of this one.” I remember as a child whenever I got one over someone, doing a little victory dance, yelling, “I got you that time.” It may not have lasted for long, but it was my moment of sweet victory. For all my fellow Freedom leaders and students, yes I was swinging from the wrong side of the tree. (For those of you who haven’t been through Freedom, sign up for the Fall session and you’ll understand my comments.)
As we read further into verse six after they question Jesus on what they should do to this woman, they are waiting for an answer. Jesus basically just ignores them and bends down and starts writing in the dirt. I can just imagine that they are looking at each other wondering, ‘What’s up with him. Did he not hear us, is he playing dumb, should we repeat ourselves?’
What about us in the crowd, what are we doing? I imagine that we are looking at each other whispering, “There is going to be a stoning”, or “What is Jesus doing, why doesn’t Jesus answer them?” and “What is he writing in the sand?”
Here are the tougher questions… Did you pick up a rock in all the excitement? Did you become part of the crowd? You see, I feel sometimes we follow blindly just to be part of the crowd, even when we know in our heart it isn’t right. Remember it’s easier to be a follower, it can be hard to stand alone. They say True Friends are hard to find. I say I know a True Friend I like to introduce you to name Jesus who will never forsake you or leave you. Now back to my original question would you follow the crowd or not, I can’t answer that for you, but I like to think in my heart I wouldn’t my wife and friends will tell you I’m not much of a follower,
Let’s Talk about the setup,
The setup only works if the other party follows the outcome you have a planned. So when Jesus just ignores them, this was messing with their plan. So they’re thinking maybe he just didn’t hear us. So they continue to repeat the questions like maybe he didn’t get it the first time. When I read these verses I keep thinking Jesus is thinking to himself, maybe if I ignore them they’ll go away.
Parents you know this to be true, when your child keep asking the same question 50 times and no matter how many ways they phrase it the answer is still no. My Mom would say, “What part of no did you not understand the first time?”
As we read further in verse 7 & 8 : When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground
Jesus stands up and throws a curve ball into the whole setup by saying, Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” then stooping back down to write in the dirt. I imagine the Pharisees and the Teachers of religious law are completely stunned. They have to be looking at one another and questioning, ‘What did he say?’ They circled around each other trying to figure out how to respond. If they answer they had never sinned, they would be lying before God. They’re now boxed in a corner trying to figure out how to get out of this situation without looking foolish.
What about us watching in the crowd? I would like to think I am yelling, “You just got burned!”, but honestly, I’m sure I’d be looking around to see the expressions on everyone’s face in the crowd. Maybe a few of them picked up stones ready to join in on the possible stoning. Imagine how they feel now, or maybe just imagine how you would feel if you had followed the crowd and picked up a stone. Would you feel disappointed or guilty? I would feel guilty and disappointed in myself for even thinking about stoning someone, if I had picked up a stone.
What do the Pharisees do? Let’s read verses 9 thru 11
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.”
I would like to say, AND THE CROWD GOES WILD! But, NO it didn’t
To those in the crowd, it was a teachable moment, for Jesus showed Grace, Mercy, Forgiveness, and Love.
For the Pharisees and Teachers of religious law, they lost a little respect from those in the crowd. For them, it was also a teachable moment, but it was more motivation to put an end to Jesus and his teaching.
What about you? You were in the crowd. What did you see, how did that moment affect you?
OK, so, I know you weren’t really there. We have all heard this story many times, so my question to you is, what life lesson did you learn?
As for me, I wondered, “How many times have I followed the crowd? If Jesus can show Mercy, Grace, Forgiveness, and Love for a stranger why can’t I?”
Jesus loves us the way we are: Broken, Lost and with All our Sins. He died on the cross for our Salvation; He wants a personal Relationship with each of us. He wants you to be with him in Heaven.
John 14:2 NIV “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”
The Lord is preparing a place for you today; there is no better time than now to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior. If you feel that calling, just pray and let the Lord Jesus know you are a sinner, you are broken and you want to build a personal relationship with him. Then Please, Go out, find a bible based Church, speak with the Pastor, and tell him or her that you want to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They will talk with you and walk you through the next steps to begin your new Christian walk.
