Title: Woman caught in adultery
Contents
Sunday Sermon_070930
Title: Woman caught in adultery
Text: John 8:1-11
In a village in England, he was caught committing adultery with a man next door. The angry villagers made her always wear a large letter ‘A’. The letter A was an abbreviation of the word ‘Adulterous’, meaning ‘committed adultery’. The woman wearing the letter A was naturally pointed at by the villagers and lived in pain.
At first, a turning point in her life came to this woman, who had just lived her life as if she had reached the end of her life, swearing at the locals. He came to believe in Jesus through the evangelism of a Christian who had pity on this woman. And when I saw a scene in the Bible where a woman similar to me was forgiven, I deeply repented. She put aside her former debauchery and began to live a new life.
He began to lead a good and sincere life, helping the poorer than himself and caring for orphans and widows. Also, he took care of all the dirty and dirty work in the neighborhood. At first, those who were far away from her mustered up the courage to be with her.
A young child who had been observing her ignorant of the woman's past asked her mother. “What does the letter A that that good aunt wears on her chest mean?” Then the mother held the child in her chest and shed tears of emotion and predicted this. “Yeah, that letter A is an abbreviation for Angel.”
Angel, meaning angel. After a sinful woman was converted, her life changed like an angel. The woman's life did not change because of the people's condemnation, but after meeting Jesus, who forgave a woman who was in the same situation as her, without condemning it.
Even today, I pray in the name of our Savior Jesus that such a beautiful story of change and forgiveness will come true in all of our lives. Amen.
Last week, I heard of ‘possession’ and ‘condemnation’ as the two factors that make people the most dangerous. This is because possession and condemnation are unique to God, the Creator and Judge. This week, I would like to talk about 'condemnation' as one of those two. The word “condemn” is the Greek word “katakrino,” which means “to judge worthy of punishment”.
The Bible is wary of acts of “condemnation” that are judged deserving of punishment toward people. We can think of it this way. You may ask, 'No, what's wrong with judging a person who has sinned and deserves the punishment?'
Then, let's take a look at why the Bible tells us that these actions of judgment and condemnation make us rather dangerous. The synopsis of today's sermon is as follows. It is recorded that when Jesus was teaching in the temple one day, all the people came out.
Some crowds came to Jesus at the place where so many people had gathered. However, the crowds approaching were the scribes and Pharisees, who had the respect of the people. But suddenly they threw a woman in front of Jesus. The woman was caught in adultery at the scene.
The scribes and Pharisees had their faces flushed with excitement, and the woman who was brought in was bare from head to toe. Rather than being treated like humans, they were treated like dangerous and dirty bugs and thrown away. It was clear that he had already been brought to Jesus right before he died at the hands of a commotion.
The reason why the woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus is recorded in verse 6. It is “to find fault with accusing Jesus.” These scribes and Pharisees are faulty people. These are the people who used all their knowledge of the law to judge and condemn people.
They are accustomed to the actions of judgment and condemnation because the function of the law is to point out sin. However, it is also a phenomenon of life that occurs when the law is not fully followed. The phenomenon of condemnation occurs when the standard of salvation is placed on the works of the law. It is a phenomenon that occurs when we always acknowledge our own merits rather than God's grace.
The time when a person first condemns and judges others is when he has moved away from the deep awareness that he is always a sinner. At this time, other people's small faults are more noticeable than my big sins. When we receive grace for the first time, this period is bound to pass.
It is because when the Holy Spirit comes, it illuminates our hearts. So, at first, he discovers that he is a sinner and spends a lot of time of repentance. However, after a while, the sins and faults of others begin to come into view through the eyes that used to see them. Then the life of condemnation begins.
All the sins that we find in ourselves, we begin to discover in others as well. In this case, the person is described as ‘legal’. Only death satisfies the law. In the end, if you come out with the law and start arguing, it will end only when you die. Because Romans says, “Jesus fulfilled the law by death” (Romans 10:4).
The Bible says we are all sinners. (Romans 3:9-12) “How then? There is none, and all have turned aside, and one has become useless; there is no one who does good, there is not even one.”
And Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” After all, if we do it by the law, we are all bound to die. However, a way has been opened for us. It is to live by grace. Not through our works or merits, but through the death of Jesus Christ.
This is the law of grace, the demand of grace. The requirement of the law is to kill, and the requirement of grace is to make life. According to the law of Moses (Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 22:22-24), all of us have no choice but to be stoned to death. This is verse 5. It is recorded that they were well aware of the requirements of the law and continued to question Jesus.
“What would the teacher say?” “What will the teacher say?” But Jesus spares the woman without expecting that the law is wrong. “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at him.” However, there is one condition. You must be innocent.
This is why we cannot condemn others. If I stone that woman, it may end up being next or far behind, but it's my turn to die. To stone that woman is to draw a number ticket for my turn to die in the end.
Jesus sums up our position. As we are sinners, we are not in a position to condemn others. If I stand for a moment and think about it, it will be no different from my position holding a stone or an adulterous criminal with his head hanging out.
The moment you condemn others, it is like picking up a “condemned number ticket.” How about ‘Condemned Number Tag’? Have you ever pulled one? One day it will surely come my turn to be stoned. Would you like to take a look at this numbered ticket? Maybe our handbags or inner pockets are full of tons of number tags?
(1 Timothy 1:15) “This is a faithful saying, worthy of all acceptance, that it is said that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Among sinners I am chief.”
Dear brothers and sisters, condemnation arises when we do not know our own position. When you cannot properly organize your position, it is expressed through your own eyes and attitude. Condemnation is like an awl in a pocket and cannot be concealed. In the end, it comes out in your eyes, your words, and your attitude.
This is the reason why it is difficult for a church with a lot of condemnation to revive. Because people never want to stay in an environment that condemns them. Condemnation is not far away. Those who have, condemn those who have not, those who have learned, those who have not learned, those who have received, those who have not.
There is absolutely no reason for condemnation among men. It is to condemn a person because he is not familiar with his subject. The sinner condemns the sinner. Jesus said this is like a blind man leading a blind man. And it is said that the disciple even criticizes the master. Let's look at Jesus' representative words on criticism and condemnation.
(Luke 6:36-40) “Be merciful, as your Father is merciful, and do not judge, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:36-40) You will receive and give, and it will be given to you; and it will be given to you, pressed down, shaken, and overflowing, and given to you. With the measure that you measure, you will be measured again. Shall not all fall into the pit? A disciple is not higher than his teacher, but everyone who is made perfect is like his teacher. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not understand the log that is in your own eye?"
That's right. Jesus tells us not to condemn. Because condemnation is not only of the law, but condemnation calls condemnation. The only way for me not to be condemned is to not be condemned. What the law of condemnation requires is death in the end. It ends when you die.
And the Bible says that condemnation and judgment eventually proves that you are doing the same thing as the person being condemned.
(Romans 2:1) “Therefore, you have no excuse whatsoever, you who judge others, in judging others, for you are condemning yourself, for you who judge do the same thing.”
This is the end of condemnation, and the futile effect of condemnation.
Dear brothers and sisters, now we are about to conclude the Word. The reason why people condemn the people in the past and now is “to correct the society or people. But condemnation can never correct a society or an individual's life. Because condemnation is not a law that saves people.
However, our Jesus has given us a way to live. Because even Jesus said we do not condemn. There is no condemnation in Jesus. He tells us not to sin again. The task remaining for us is not to condemn each other, but to not sin again.
(Romans 8:1) “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”
(Romans 8:34) “Who will condemn? It is Christ Jesus who died, and was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”
Condemnation belongs only to God. It's not our job. Only God has the authority to condemn people's sins. The following verse confirms this well.
(Jude 1:15) “That he might judge all men, and condemn them for all their ungodly deeds and for every harsh word they spoke against the Lord of ungodly sinners.” ”
A condemnation that does not belong to us will only destroy the community or make me commit sins that place me in God's place. From now on, I hope that I will not condemn others and live humbly like a human being. Like the lyrics of the hymn, ‘Call me when you are a sinner,’ I pray in the name of the Lord that you and I will live a blessed life as debtors of the gospel. Amen.