"A Mystery" 1-14-24

Overview

A Mystery Solved: Forgiveness in Christ

Humans love a good mystery. We chase answers in science, in crime stories, and even in our daily lives because we long for clarity. The same drive shapes our faith—we want to understand the why, the how, and the who of what God has done. The encounter in John 8:2-11 is layered with mysteries that lead us straight to the heart of the gospel.

The mystery of intention. When the scribes and Pharisees drag a woman caught in adultery before Jesus, their motives are not what they appear. They knew the law of Deuteronomy 22 required both the man and woman to be put to death, and Deuteronomy 19:15 required multiple witnesses. Yet they bring only the woman, and John tells us plainly in John 8:6 that they came "to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him." If Jesus refused the stoning, he would appear to reject Moses; if he allowed it, he would betray his own ministry of mercy. They thought they had cornered him.

The mystery of his response. Jesus stoops and writes on the ground. Then he stands and speaks one sentence that pulls the righteous ground out from under the accusers: "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." Their sin was no more hidden from him than hers was. One by one, beginning with the elders, they walk away. This is the searching word Scripture speaks to all of us. Genesis 6:5 describes hearts inclined only to evil; Romans 3:10-12 declares that no one is righteous, not even one; and Romans 2:1 warns that when we judge others we condemn ourselves, for we do the same things. None of us can stand on our own righteousness before God.

The mystery of forgiveness. Left alone with the woman, Jesus asks, "Has no one condemned you?... Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more." How can the holy God acquit a guilty sinner? Paul calls this "the mystery of our religion" in 1 Timothy 3:16—God manifest in the flesh. The mystery of godliness is Christ himself, who took the false charges of our sin upon his sinless shoulders, bore the wrath of God at the cross, and was raised again, vindicated by the Spirit. The how of forgiveness we will not fully grasp this side of heaven, but the why is plainly written in John 3:16: God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.

The mystery of the Christian life. Jesus does not merely dismiss the woman; he commands her, "Sin no more." How does a forgiven sinner live? Paul answers in Romans 6:1-4: we who have been baptized into Christ's death have been raised to walk in newness of life. God has poured his wrath upon himself so that he might pour his grace upon us, and in that grace we are empowered to live by the Spirit who dwells in us. You do not stand before the Lord condemned. You stand loved, washed, and righteous—now and forever. That is no longer a mystery. That is the gospel.

Transcript

If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of John the 8th chapter, if you're using 3s

a Puedition of Scripture, you can find this on page 87 in the New Testament, we're in the Gospel 10s

of John the 8th chapter. 18s

Everyone I know loves a good mystery. 23s

We love as humans. 27s

We love to figure things out. 30s

Yes, we enjoy a good crime mystery. 34s

We like to know who did it. 37s

We like to figure out and get the solution and the resolution. 39s

But mystery and figuring out the mystery is what drives science. 44s

Isaac Newton wanted to figure out the mystery of gravity and that drove him 50s

in his studies. 57s

We have scientists even today that are trying to clarify and make sense of the world around 59s

us. 66s

And so they're solving the mysteries. 66s

We do this across the board in our daily lives because we as humans want to understand 69s

the world around us. 76s

We want to understand and have clarity to what is going on. 78s

So we always love a good mystery because we always love getting to the solution, getting 83s

to the aha moment. 91s

And nothing, nothing about a mystery is outside of our faith as well. 93s

We attack or tackle the mystery of our faith because we want answers. 98s

We want to know why we want to know how we want clarity in every aspect of our life, 104s

including our lives of faith. 110s

The text that we are studying today, it is shrouded in mystery. 115s

There is mystery at every turn. 120s

And so we're going to, we're going to look and study through this text in the Gospel 122s

of John finding the mystery and finding the answers that scripture gives us. 128s

So please turn with me to verse 2 in chapter 8. 136s

Early in the morning, he that is Jesus came again to the temple. 142s

All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach him. 147s

Teach them. 151s

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and making 152s

her stand before all of them. 158s

They said to him, teacher. 160s

This woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 163s

Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. 170s

Now what do you say? 176s

What do you say? 181s

And here we come to the first mystery of our text. 183s

What is their intention? 188s

Why are they going to seek out what Jesus has to think or has to say about the act of adultery 189s

and about what should happen to this woman? 199s

They had the law. 203s

They were scribes and Pharisees. 204s

They were well versed and well knowledgeable of the law in due to ronomy. 206s

Chapter 22, it says if a man is caught lying with the wife of another man, both of them, 211s

shall die, the man who lay with the woman as well as the woman. 217s

So you shall purge the evil from Israel. 222s

They knew that according to the law, she should be executed. 226s

She should be stone. 232s

They also knew that they could not bring her before the judge. 235s

They could not condemn her and execute her with or on the on the basis of one witness, 239s

according again to the law, they had to have more than one witness. 245s

In due to ronomy chapter 19, we read a single witness shall not suffice to convict a person 252s

of any crime or wrongdoing in connection with any offense that may be committed, only on the evidence 259s

of two or three witnesses shall a charge be sustained. 266s

So they, they were not bringing this woman before Jesus without knowledge of the law. 272s

They weren't coming to Jesus humbly seeking his opinion because he was one who taught with authority. 283s

They weren't seeking his real concern. 292s

In fact, think about this. 296s

Sin is rarely done in broad daylight. 302s

When we sin, when one sins, it is, it is tried to happen behind darkness or in darkness 306s

behind closed doors so that the sin is not before everyone. 313s

And this woman was caught in the middle of a tall tree in the middle of the act of 319s

a tall tree. 326s

Second question raised here. 328s

In the law it says both the man and the woman are two bees stoned. 331s

But the scribes in the ferries he's have brought forth. 337s

One, they've brought forth the woman and the very fact that she is being convicted and one 340s

witness will not suffice. 349s

So there has to be at least two or three witnesses who have caught her in the act of adultery. 350s

This raises the question was it orchestrated? 359s

Was it orchestrated for the very purpose of seeking out Jesus? 365s

And if it was orchestrated for the very purpose of seeking out Jesus in regards to this, 372s

what was their intention? 380s

What is behind it? 384s

The mystery of their intention. 388s

It's not so mysterious. 390s

If you look with me, please, at first six, we find that they said this to test him so 392s

that they might have some charge to bring against him. 399s

Their intention was not humble. 405s

It was not righteous and it was not for the benefit of the Jewish people. 408s

It was too test Jesus. 416s

If he objected to stoning her, he would be found in contempt of Moses law. 420s

He would be found rejecting Moses law, which that in and of itself would make him liable 425s

to execution. 433s

Because it was illegal, wrong, blasphemous to reject the law of Moses. 435s

But if he supported the stoning, if he supported her execution, then he would be inconsistent 442s

with his own ministry of mercy and compassion. 449s

He was often found sitting with tax collectors and prostitutes and sinners. 456s

And so if he said, go ahead and stone her, then his ministry, all of a sudden, seems null 462s

and void he has lost the weight of his ministry before the people. 470s

So how does Jesus respond? 477s

We look again at verse 6. 480s

Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 484s

He didn't respond to them. 491s

This is another mystery. 496s

Why? 498s

Why didn't he respond? 498s

What was he writing? 500s

Was he scared? 502s

Did he not know what to say to Jesus? 504s

He felt trapped. 506s

Their intentions of trapping Jesus, their intentions of that wicked entrapment, making 511s

him answer Jesus was aware. 520s

Their intentions were absolutely no mystery to Jesus, but they still believed that they 523s

had him cornered. 531s

They believed that they had him trapped and so they pressed. 534s

And they pressed. 539s

Look with me at verse 7, when they kept on questioning him, he's straightened up and 540s

said to them, let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at 547s

her. 556s

And once again, he bent down and wrote on the ground. 557s

When they heard it, they went away one by one beginning with the elders. 564s

And Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 569s

Their intentions of entraping him. 576s

Their intentions of bringing this woman before Jesus, they were not a mystery to Jesus. 580s

The sin of this woman was not a mystery to Jesus. 588s

But the scribes and the Pharisees, their sin was not a mystery to Jesus either. 593s

He didn't deny the woman's guilt. 603s

He didn't address her sin. 605s

He didn't let it fly. 610s

He didn't deny it. 612s

But instead, he calmly raised himself and he asked them or gave them a profound statement. 613s

He exposed the sins of her accusers. 625s

He exposed the sin of her accusers. 630s

He removed the holy ground right from beneath them. 635s

They thought that they had Jesus trapped. 641s

They thought they had this sinner stuck and trapped. 645s

They thought they could stand on righteous ground because they were the scribes and the Pharisees 650s

who knew the law and they were going to prove that they could accuse. 656s

They were going to prove that the woman deserved death. 665s

They were going to prove that Jesus was a fraud. 669s

And yet Christ, in one sentence, calmly takes it out from under their feet. 676s

They have no righteousness to stand upon. 687s

In his statement, he revealed their very unbitness to be her judge, her executioner. 690s

And just as the sins of those who are accused or who are accusing this woman and just as the sins of the woman who was adulterous, 701s

just as those are no mystery or were no mystery to Jesus. 710s

My brothers and sisters, our sins are no mystery to Jesus either. 714s

In Genesis 6, chapter, we read that the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth 720s

and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. 729s

In Romans 3, chapter, we read that there is no one who is righteous, not even one. 736s

There is no one who has understanding. 743s

There is no one who seeks God. 746s

All have turned aside. 748s

Together they have become worthless. 751s

There is no one who shows kindness. 753s

There is not even one. 756s

Our sins are ever before the Lord. 762s

Not a single one of us can keep our mouth open in accusation of a brother or sister or neighbor. 765s

Who has offended us? 773s

Who we see has done wrong. 775s

None of us is righteous or more righteous than our neighbor. 778s

We all stand accused under and according to the law. 785s

In Romans 2, we read, we have no excuse. 791s

Whoever you are, when you judge others, for impassing judgment on another you condemn yourself. 795s

Because you the judge are doing the very same things. 804s

And so these scribes and Pharisees, the those who are choosing this woman of her wickedness of 814s

sin of her evil, they have to face the reality of their own sin, 821s

of the thought the words and deeds that they had done. 834s

Just as when we read God's word and we read of the law and the perfect precepts that are 839s

within, we are faced with our own sin, the thoughts and words and deeds that we are ashamed of, 846s

that we shouldn't have done or that we should have done. 856s

And we find that the righteous ground that we try to stand on 861s

of our own righteousness, of our ownworthiness, that it is, 867s

it is taken out from beneath us because no one not one can stand righteous before the Lord, 872s

according to his or her own doing. 882s

And Jesus, 890s

Jesus is left with this woman standing before him, all her accusers have been made aware of their 892s

own sin and they know that they cannot, they cannot accuse her of the very things, the very sin 902s

that they are guilty of. 913s

And they walk away one by one beginning with the elders and Jesus is left there. 916s

Still writing on the ground with the woman standing accused before him. 923s

She stands before the Lord very well aware of her sin, very well of the law that has been put 933s

before her very well of the accusation that was rightfully made against her. 940s

And yet her accusers have walked away and we come to the question that Jesus poses, 948s

verse 10, Jesus straightened up and said to her woman, 957s

where are they? Has no one condemned you? 963s

She said no one's sir and Jesus said neither do I condemn you. Go your way and from now on do not 970s

sin again. And now we come, we come to the mystery of our faith, 981s

the mystery of forgiveness. When we are faced as those scribes in Pharisees, 991s

where when we are faced with the truth of our sin, with the truth of the wicked intentions, 1001s

the wickedness of our hearts, the corruption, the disease that we were born with of a sinful nature. 1006s

When we, when we face that truth and we come before the Lord, we cannot stand. 1013s

And we asked, how? How? Could we ever be forgiven? 1025s

Paul wrote to Timothy in his first letter. He wrote, without a doubt, the mystery of our religion is great. 1037s

He was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels proclaimed among Gentiles, 1046s

believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory. Matthew Henry at theologian of old, 1054s

wrote the mystery of godliness is, Christ. The mystery of our faith is, Christ, he is God who was 1063s

made flesh and was manifest in the flesh. God was pleased to manifest himself to man by his own 1072s

son, taking the nature of man. Though reproached as a sinner and put to death as a malfactor, 1082s

Christ was raised again by the spirit and so was justified from all the false charges with which 1090s

he was loaded. My brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ went to the cross. God himself, 1098s

Jesus went to the cross being loaded down with our sin, though he was without sin. The false 1106s

charges of our sin were laid upon him and feet took it willingly. And he sacrificed his 1116s

righteousness, his perfect lifeblood for our sin. Angels ministered to him for he is the Lord of 1128s

angels. The Gentiles welcomed the gospel which the Jews rejected, let us remember that God was 1139s

manifest in the flesh to take away our sins, to redeem us from all inequity and to purify 1146s

unto himself, a people, zealous of good works. The exact how this works, it can remain a mystery. 1155s

But the mystery of forgiveness is no longer a mystery because we know that the mystery of 1170s

forgiveness has been solved. We are forgiven by the the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross. 1179s

And we know that the victory was made. We know that the sacrifice was accepted because Christ 1189s

no longer is dead, but he was raised. In the Psalms it says that Hades could not keep him that 1197s

death has no power over him. So we know that our forgiveness, our forgiveness is real and true that 1207s

how of forgiveness, how the power of God works. This side of heaven we will never fully comprehend 1220s

how the power of God works. But the why? The why of forgiveness is clearly spelled out for us 1228s

within Scripture. John the 3rd chapter verse 16, the why of forgiveness for God so loved the world 1241s

that he gave his only son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but have eternal life. 1251s

The why of forgiveness is because God loves you. Because God wants and wanted to redeem you, 1261s

because God has chosen you out of his love and his mercy, not because of anything that we have 1274s

done or could do. He, Jesus Christ, Son of God, second person of the Trinity, 1284s

he took the wrath of God poured out upon himself so that he in turn could pour out his grace and 1297s

his love upon each and every one of us. His love is no mystery. His love for you is shown. 1310s

Through his word, his love for you is shown through his actions, his love for you is known, 1324s

because he has called you to be his own, wash you in the waters of baptism and feeds you with 1331s

his word every single day. And we're left. We're left with one more mystery. One more mystery 1338s

as Jesus told her that he no longer condemns her this sinner. As we are told that Jesus no longer 1351s

condemns us, we are no longer burdened under the weight of our sin, but we are free in the righteous 1360s

gift of God's love for us, shown through the sacrifice of Jesus. He says to the woman from now on, 1367s

do not sin again and this, this is the mystery of the Christian life. And I think it's best answered 1379s

or explained in detail. By Paul in his letter to the Romans in the sixth chapter, 1390s

he says, what then? Are we to say? Should we continue to sin in order that grace may 1397s

abound? By no means, how can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us 1404s

have been baptized into Christ Jesus? Were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried 1413s

with him by baptism into death so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the 1421s

woman, the condemnation of our sin has been lifted from us. And instead, God's grace and mercy 1442s

and love has flowed down and is poured over us. God took the pouring of his wrath upon himself 1452s

so that he can pour his grace and love out upon each of us. And in that grace, we are called 1461s

and we are empowered to walk in the newness of life, the life of a Christian, the life of one 1472s

who is God's own chosen. It's the life that is lived in the spirit and by the spirit 1482s

who dwells in us by the grace and mercy of God. I love a good mystery. I love the clarification. 1491s

I love the journey of figuring out the who, how, when, where, what, why, I love a mystery. 1505s

Especially a mystery that brings us to a very clear and present solution. 1516s

In the mystery, in the mystery of forgiveness, we may not comprehend fully this side of heaven, 1526s

the mystery of forgiveness, but the great mystery. The mystery of God's love for you, the 1535s

mystery of being able to stand right before the Lord, the mystery of God's love is solved and it's 1543s

for you. You do not stand before the Lord Jesus condemned, but you stand love, blessed, and righteous, 1555s

now and forever. 1569s