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Jesus Gave Me Grace and Forgiveness
What are some of your favorite stories of forgiveness?
THE POINT
Jesus took my guilt and set me free.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
Several years ago, I was preaching on forgiveness. I spoke of how God had forgiven us and, therefore, we needed to forgive others. The very next day, a man was waiting in my office to speak to me about my sermon. To know someone wants to “discuss the sermon” fills every pastor with a note of uncertainty. Will this be praise or a heavy critique? Was he going to point out some ill-advised illustration I had used? Was he going to critique my interpretation of the text?
What I found was a man in tears. He told me that he had done some horrible things in his life, and he wasn’t sure he could ever be forgiven. Many people live under this heavy burden. They know the pain they have caused, and they live daily in shame and guilt. The good news I shared with this man is the same good news that is available to all. Jesus came to forgive and to give grace to all who will trust in Him.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
John 8:2-6a
2 At dawn he went to the temple again, and all the people were coming to him. He sat down and began to teach them. 3 Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center. 4 “Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. 5 In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6a They asked this to trap him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse him.
There are few encounters recorded in the Scripture that are more thought-provoking than the woman caught in adultery. I suppose this is because it’s easy to see ourselves in the text. Sometimes we can see ourselves as the sinful woman. We have messed up big time, everyone knows it, and we are looking for any grace we can get. Other times we can identify with the self-righteous religious leaders who wanted to stone others. We look at someone’s sin and, in our zeal for truth and righteousness, we forget what it was like to be the one in need of grace. We are more interested in revenge or exacting justice.
Question 2:
Why is our first reaction often to judge others?
The religious leaders brought to Jesus a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. Let’s not pass by this too quickly. They didn’t bring her to Jesus to determine if she was innocent or guilty. She was guilty. She had “done the crime” and she was about to have to “do the time.” One interesting thing about this situation is that the guilty man is nowhere to be found. The law of Moses (Deut. 22:22) called for both guilty parties to be killed, but in this instance, they only brought the woman. This is our first indication that they were more interested in testing or accusing Jesus than they were in keeping the law. They were clearly more concerned with wiping out the Messiah than they were with wiping out the sin.
The test was set up this way. If Jesus said they should stone the guilty woman, then He would be viewed as cruel and a man without mercy. This would surely turn the people against Jesus. If Jesus ignored the woman’s blatant sin, then the leaders had cause to say Jesus had no regard for the law and the Scriptures. It seemed like the perfect trap.
The easiest response would have been for Jesus to refuse to get involved. He could have just affirmed the truth of Scripture and moved on, leaving the woman to face the consequences for her sin. However, Jesus, being full of compassion and grace, loved this woman and knew what was really happening. He knew she was guilty, but He refused to leave her at her worst moment. We are like this woman; we’re all guilty of breaking the law of God. None of us are righteous (Rom. 3:10). We are sinners to the core, and yet Jesus, seeing us at our worst, chose to die for us, the righteous for the unrighteous.
John 8:6b-9
6b Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. 7 When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. 9 When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only he was left, with the woman in the center.
We’d love to know what Jesus wrote on the ground, and many have speculated. I’ve often heard that Jesus was writing the sins of all those standing around. If this were the case, it would be easy to see why the men dropped their rocks and walked away. We really don’t know what Jesus wrote, but the text seems to indicate that the power wasn’t in what He wrote, but in what He said.
The religious leaders were persistent. They didn’t ask just once, but they continued to press. When Jesus gave them a response, it wasn’t the response they were expecting. They were expecting a “gotcha moment,” but they were the ones who were “got.”
Several years ago, I was pushing for some changes in our church that I felt were going to be beneficial to our future. I had painstakingly taught through the Scripture on these issues and felt like these changes were going to better align us with the biblical mission and structure of what is called for in Scripture. After talking with our leadership and putting together a plan, we began to present it to the church body in a series of what we called “asking and listening sessions.” We conducted several of these meetings where people could hear me explain the changes in a smaller setting and then ask any question or make a comment.
At one of these sessions there was a man who wasn’t a big fan—OK, he hated the plan—of what we were proposing. When his turn came to speak, he made the mistake of using the history of the church as a reason for not doing something the Bible was clear about. When I graciously responded that the Scripture was more important than what the church had done historically, he blurted out “I don’t care what the Scripture says; we have never done it like this.” In that moment everyone in the room embraced the plan and we never looked back. In that poorly-phrase and ill-timed comment, the church took an even deeper look into Scripture and decided to move forward with the plan. What this man thought would drive home his viewpoint actually drove people away from his viewpoint and toward the truth. In a similar way, the religious leaders’ plan backfired.
The first to recognize the impact of Jesus’s words were the older men. We aren’t told why, but perhaps they were the first to leave because of their life experiences or the depth of their own sin. Whatever the reason, they dropped their stones and walked away while Jesus bent back down to write in the dirt again. The reality is that all of us are sinners and we share a common outcome: death.
Question 3:
When are you most tempted to “throw stones”?
John 8:10-11
10 When Jesus stood up, he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”
The right question can be powerful. It can engage us, draw us in, and force us to reflect and respond. The Bible is full of more important questions. “Who do you say that I am?” (Matt. 16:15). “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). To this woman brought before Him, Jesus asked two questions that had life-changing answers. Jesus asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” This woman was facing death at the hands of the Pharisees, but then the Messiah spoke. Jesus didn’t say much, but His words were poignant and powerful. Jesus’s questions pointed to a great truth for this woman: her accusers were gone!
This same Messiah who refused to condemn this woman caught in the act of adultery is the same Messiah who came to save you and me. We are just as guilty of sin. Just like her, we deserve to die, but instead we are given life through faith in Christ. Jesus offers us the same grace-filled truth He gave to this woman: “Neither do I condemn you.”
Question 4:
How can we communicate to others they are sinners without condemning them?
Note the last words of Jesus to this woman as she soaked in His grace. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” This is the heart of repentance. It means that we receive the gift, turning toward the Savior and away from sin. It means we walk away different than we came. We draw close to Him and away from the world. Repentance coincides with grace.
We don’t repent in order to receive grace. Notice that Jesus told the woman she was not condemned before He told her to stop sinning. We repent as we see the gracious gift of Christ applied to our lives. Through grace we are set free from the law of sin in our lives. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:1-2). Do you stand boldly in the grace of Jesus, no longer condemned, or are you still struggling with the accuser trying to live under the law of sin? Embrace the freedom Jesus provides.
Question 5:
In what ways does this encounter clearly demonstrate the gospel?
FREE FROM SIN
Use the space below to draw a picture that represents the concept of “sin” for you. This could be a specific memory from your childhood, an abstract representation of sin, an illustration, or whatever else comes to mind. You could also write a lyric from a song.
“The way to no longer feel guilty is not to deny guilt, but to face it and ask for God’s forgiveness.”
RANDY ALCORN
LIVE IT OUT
Jesus took my guilt and set me free. Choose one of the following applications:
Confess sin. What are some ways sin has reared its ugly head in your life? Take a moment and think about the consequences of that sin. Confess those sins to Christ. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Write a prayer. Most of us speak our prayers, but writing prayers can be a powerful exercise. Write a prayer of thanksgiving to God for saving you from your sin. Mention His mercy and grace. Ask Him to help you show grace to others even as He has shown grace to you.
Extend grace. Rarely a week goes by when there is not some situation that has me flustered. Someone has cut me off in traffic or one of my kids has pushed my last button. Prepare yourself now to extend grace. Extend grace to others. When you do, you reflect Christ to others.
It’s a powerful thing indeed when someone recognizes their need for forgiveness and repents. As those who have experienced that forgiveness, let’s be quick to offer that hope to others.
Teacher Notes:
Click Here to Watch
Robert Holmes Bell Jr. (born August 23, 1970)
is an American author, speaker, and former pastor. Bell founded Mars Hill Bible
Church in Grandville, Michigan, and pastored it until 2012. Under his
leadership, Mars Hill was one of the fastest-growing churches in America. Bell
is also the author of the New York Times bestseller Love Wins and the writer
and narrator of a series of spiritual short films called NOOMA.
In 2011, Bell announced his resignation from Mars Hill Church to start "a spiritual talk show in Los Angeles". Bell's 2011 book, Love Wins, had caused controversy within evangelical circles because of its teachings about hell; that controversy caused thousands to leave Mars Hill and led to Bell's departure. In 2018, there was a documentary about Bell called The Heretic. Bell denies that he is a universalist and says that he does not embrace any particular view but argues that Christians should leave room for uncertainty on the matter.
My Encounter with Jesus
The Bible is full of these stories of people
that encountered Jesus in their moment of need – the lonely, the blind, and
people caught in sin.
The Woman at the Well & The invalid man at
the Pool of Bethesda
John 8:2-11
The Woman Caught in Adultery
There are
few encounters recorded in the Scripture that are more thought-provoking than
the woman caught in adultery. Why is that?
Our lesson
says that it’s because we see ourselves in the text.
· Sometimes we can see ourselves as the sinful
woman.
· Other times we see ourselves as the
self-righteous religious leaders who
wanted to throw stones. We look at someone’s sin and, in our zeal for truth and
righteousness, we forget what it was like to be the one in need of grace. We
are more interested in revenge or exacting justice.
Jesus Gave Me Grace and Forgiveness
John 8:2-11
At dawn he
went to the temple again, and all the people were coming to him. He sat down
and began to teach them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman
caught in adultery, making her stand in
the center. “Teacher,” they said to
him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. In the law Moses
commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They asked this to trap him, in order that they might have evidence to
accuse him. Jesus stooped down and started
writing on the ground with his finger.
When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The
one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he stooped down again and continued writing on
the ground. When they heard this, they left one by one,
starting with the older men. Only he
was left, with the woman in the center. When Jesus stood up, he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin
anymore.”
………………….
Who is the
universal character of this story? Why?
· The adulterous woman – because we all are just
like her
Who do we
tend to be most like in this story? Why?
· The Scribes and Pharisees - Self-righteous
Self-righteousness is a sin all people are guilty
of but often oblivious to in their own selves. Jesus’
encounter with the woman caught in adultery exposes this pharisaical,
hypocritical tendency in us all.
This episode provides an excellent example for us
to follow when we find ourselves reacting judgmentally or with an attitude of
self-righteousness toward someone else’s sin. We must remember how much God has
forgiven us and that none of us has the right to throw stones (Matthew 6:14–16;
Mark 11:25; Luke 6:37). God wishes to reconcile the world to Himself, and
Christians are called to be ministers of that reconciliation (2 Corinthians
5:18).
Why are we so quick to throw stones at other
people's sins?
When are you most tempted to “throw stones”?
Why is our first reaction so often to judge
others?
Forgiveness
is in short supply in our culture. We hold grudges, and sometimes we do so for
years. We get easily angered with total strangers while we’re driving. We
despise those who politically disagree with us, even when the issue is
relatively minor.
The inability to forgive is often fueled by our need to be forgiven. While others may hold our words and actions against us, we are offered forgiveness from God, the One from whom we need it most.
What did Jesus mean when He said,
“The one without sin among you should be the
first to throw a stone at her.”
From this
passage we learn that we do not accuse others unless we first thoroughly search
our own hearts and minds to make certain that we are pure in every possible
aspect (Matthew 7:3). Also, if we must admonish someone, we should do so as
instructed in Scripture; we always look to God’s glory and never cause
unnecessary division or harm (Matthew 18:15), but we do work to keep the church
pure. Moreover, Jesus was the only sinless person in the temple scene, and,
instead of condemning the woman, He looked ahead to His work on the cross and
offered her life. Likewise, we should use every possible opportunity to forgive
and to reach out with the gospel and the love of Christ, always remembering
that we, too, are sinners in need of the Savior (Romans 3:23).
How are each of us in the same situation as the
woman in the story?
1. I had broken God’s laws and deserved
punishment.
The woman
stood before Jesus as we all stand before God. We have rejected Him, His Word,
and His love. We stand deserving the judgmental separation that falls on all
who refuse Him. In that state we are without hope. Jesus changes that hopeless
despair into joyous freedom. Some people are so caught up in the legalism of
religion that they lose sight of the compassion of relationship. We need to
exercise caution that we are not guilty of twisting God’s Word for our own
purposes. Sin is deserving of judgment and punishment but both actions are
God’s to carry out not ours.
In what
unusual way did Jesus respond? What suggests the impatience or uncomfortable
feelings of the accusers during the moments of silence after they posed their
question to Jesus? Explain Jesus’s reply in light of passages like Deuteronomy
17:6-7. Why might Jesus have stooped a second time to write in the dirt? How
did the woman’s accusers respond? If you were the woman, how might you have
felt in this situation? What do we learn about Jesus’s desire for us in our
sin?
Jesus intervened on my behalf.
We have
been where she was. Condemned by our sin, Jesus intervenes or intercedes to the
Father on our behalf. How will we respond?
Jesus knows the truth and knows what is in our
hearts even when unspoken. No one is without sin. We are left to contemplate
how we will respond to the word of the Lord. Jesus came to intervene for us and
set us free.
Jesus showed me grace and forgave me.
Jesus’s
mercy was to motivate her to live a new kind of life. Of course, we don’t know
what she did. Even so, He has shown to us grace and forgiveness in our times of
moral failure. As the apostle Paul would later write to the Christians in Rome,
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus”
(Rom. 8:1). We can live in freedom. We can claim that promise; live in that
hope; all because of what Jesus has offered to us.
Christ did not come to condemn but to save. Christ
has come that our lives may be changed. Grace and forgiveness are given with
the expectation that a person will live as one who has received grace and
forgiveness and is grateful for it.
How can we communicate to others they are
sinners without condemning them?
Jesus took my guilt and set
me free – He changed me.
How does Jesus communicate the woman's sin without condemning her?
Galatians 5:19–21 (NIV)
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual
immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord,
jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy;
drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I did before, that those who
live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Does Jesus overlook sin?
“Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”
Conclusion
The account of the woman caught in adultery is
the story of an amazing act of acceptance on Jesus’s part. We stand before Him
just as we are in our sin. We deserve judgment and punishment. Instead, He
extends mercy and grants forgiveness. Once again, we see how valuable we are in
His sight. Not trash to be thrown out but a treasure to be reclaimed.
Therefore, we are set free, not to do what we choose, but to live as those who
have been changed by an encounter with Jesus and His grace.
How does
seeing how Jesus dealt with this woman in her sin help you face your own sin?
What lesson
do you learn from this story about how to treat others who have fallen in their
sin?
