John 8:1-11

A New Lease on Life

Introduction: We all have needs in this life.  Some of us have the same needs; whereas, some have different needs. What do you really need to survive? Some of you may be surprised to find out that a car, video game, VCR and TV do not even make the list. Only the most basic needs are necessary for life. You may be able to do without one or the other for some time, but not for long. The basic needs for life are: Air, Water, Food, Shelter and Clothing.   These are basic physical needs; however, in the sermon today (purpose), I would like for us to look at what we all need spiritually and that is A NEW LEASE ON LIFE.  Due to the fact “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” and since “the wages of sin is death,”  we all need a new lease on life.

Jesus has gone to the Mount of Olives and the morning has come and he is doing what he does and that is going into the temple, and people are coming to him and he is found sitting down teaching them.  Then the religious leaders of that day, the scribes and Pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery sets her down, with some force in the midst of where Jesus was. 

·         they must have really wanted to get Jesus to catch a woman in the very act, there is no telling what a person would to get at you 

·         They interrupt the teaching of Jesus for some mess

·         They meant it for her evil, but God turned it around

There are three things at work here…legalism, mercy and grace.

I. An Act of Legalism (3-9)

·         going by the letter of the law to the exclusion of human needs…no room for error, sin or redemption.

·         (vv.4-5) Leviticus 20:10 says to stone both of them, but they left one of the two.  There motive was wrong from the outset.

·         (v.6) They were trying to trap Jesus again.  And his response was to act as though he heard them not; or as though they were not saying anything and wrote on the ground.

·         (v.7-8) Jesus chooses his words carefully, because if said stone her he would have negated his teaching on forgiveness; and if he had said don’t stone her, he would negated the law to a certain extent.  And then stoops down again and writes on the ground.

·         (v.9) They start putting their rocks down, they drop their stones.  There are so many of us who need to drop our stones.

II. An Act of Mercy (vv.10-11a)

·         mercy is not getting what we deserve

·         she deserved to be stoned but she did not get from the crowd nor the Christ

·         He did not condone the sin, nor did he condemn the sinner.

III. An Act of Grace (v.11b)

·         Grace is getting what we don’t deserve

·         He said go and sin no more

Conclusion:  She got a new lease on life…this woman, the woman at the well; the man in the tombs; then there were three men of crosses and one of the men said, “Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom;” Jesus said, “This day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

I.  Testimony of the Power of God (v.20-21, cp. v.16)

·         This experienced power was preceded by prayer

·         To speak of the power of God is to speak of the omnipotence of God.  To have power is to have ability to do things.  By Daniel’s response while in the lions’ den is testimony to that fact that God has power. 

·         Daniel trusted in this powerful God before the test.

·         The same God who demonstrated his power with Moses and the others at the Red Sea.