Class Lesson December 20, 2015

Priceless: Finding Your Value In God

You are loved by God. You are priceless.

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How can know you are highly valued by God?

  

7 things God has done for you that prove your worth to Him.

1. Adopted in God's Family
2. Freed by God's Forgiveness
3. Saved by God's Son
4. Strengthened by God's Power
5. Equipped with God's Gifts
6. Used in God's Service
7. Cherished in God's Eyes

When have you felt captivated by a rescue mission?





Lesson Point

Jesus came to earth to rescue us.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

“Some assembly required.”

Many of us dread those words. Maybe you’ve known that terrible feeling that comes when you finish assembling some item, only to find you have one part left over. Everything seems to be in working order, but you stare at that unknown piece—wondering. What’s it for? Can I throw it away? Do I start over?

It’s not always easy to determine the purpose of some things. And that goes beyond spare parts. Maybe you’ve even asked yourself that all-important question: What am I here for?

One person who never questioned His purpose was Jesus. The apostle John began his account of Jesus’ life by making sure his readers had a clear understanding of Jesus’ purpose. We could use a lot of good theological terms to express that purpose, but let me state it simply: rescue.

                                            Jesus came to earth to rescue us.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

John 1:1-5,9-14 (NIV)

 
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 

11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 


The Word (v. 1)—In the first century, the Jews used logos to refer to the authoritative word of God, especially as He spoke through the Old Testament. For the Greek philosophers, logos was the principle that guided the order of the world. John used this term to refer to Jesus as the One who brought both God’s power and light to those in the darkness of sin and separation from God. 

His own (v. 11)—Jesus was born to Mary, a Jewish mother who was married to Joseph, a man whose lineage included such heroes as Abraham, King David, and King Josiah (see Matt. 1:1‑16). Jesus came as the Messiah God promised through the Old Testament prophecies to send to His people.

 John 1:1-5

The first verses of John 1 are all about “the Word.” The Jews of John’s day equated that term with Scripture, which makes sense. Words communicate, and Scripture is one of the major ways God has communicated about Himself. The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself—including His rescue plan for humanity.

“The Word” is also a fitting title for Jesus, because He is the ultimate revelation of God. Everything God wanted to say to humanity, He said through Jesus Christ. As an example, consider what John 1:1-5 reveals about Jesus, the Word. He is:

• Eternal. Before anything was created, Jesus existed. He had no beginning and He has no end.

• Divine. Jesus is God. He is not dependent on anything else, while everything else is dependent on Him for existence. Jesus is unlimited by time, space, knowledge, or power. He is eternal, omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. He is God. Period.

• Life. Creation has been messed up by human sin and rebellion. Yet that’s the very reason Jesus came to earth—to restore life to us. “In him was life” (v. 4). Life is found only in Jesus. 

• Light. Like light, Jesus offers many benefits in our lives. Light reveals, for example. In the same way, Jesus shines in the dark places of our hearts to reveal our need for forgiveness. Light also gives guidance when it’s time to take the next step. Similarly, Jesus leads us in the right direction; He is our guide. Finally, light gives assurance when we’re scared of the dark. Jesus brings us peace and assurance when we rest in the promise of His salvation.

 

John 1:9-13

The central story of the Bible is how God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to rescue us from sin. The Old Testament points to our need for a Savior, the promised Messiah. God planned our rescue, our redemption, before creation. What we celebrate at Christmas is the fulfillment of that plan. God’s Son came as a human—as one of us! He was born of Mary, a virgin. He is Immanuel, God with us (see Matt. 1:23).

God has revealed Himself through His Word, Jesus Christ. And there are only two possible responses to that revelation:

Reject Jesus. The world has already rejected God as Creator (see Rom. 1:20-21), so we shouldn’t be surprised at John’s words in verse 10: “the world did not recognize him.” Yet even “his own” (v. 11)—the Jews who had the Scriptures pointing to the coming Messiah—rejected Him. To reject Jesus as the Word is to continue to live in darkness and spend eternity separated from God. 

Accept Jesus. When we accept Jesus for who He is—the revealed Word of God—He gives
us light and life. John used two words to describe the process of accepting Jesus: “receive” and “believe” (v. 12). Receiving Jesus means submitting to His Lordship over your life and believing in your heart that He is your Savior.

Obviously, one of these choices is best!

When we humbly accept Jesus as our Savior, He brings us into His family. We become children of God. All of this happens by His grace; we don’t have to work for it. God gives us a new birth and “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade” (1 Pet. 1:4). 

In other words, our rescue from sin and death has come in the form of God’s free gift.

John 1:14

“The Word became flesh.” This is the miracle of the virgin birth. God became flesh. God, the One who is eternal, came into the fullness of time. God, the One who lives “in unapproachable light” (1 Tim. 6:16), became visible for all to see. Jesus, the Lord of lords, left heaven’s throne to be born as a baby in Bethlehem.

Other than an angelic announcement to a few shepherds (see Luke 2:8-14), Jesus came with no fanfare. No baby shower. No baby registry. But even then—and throughout His earthly life—John notes that “We have seen his glory.” Jesus did not set aside His deity. Throughout the Gospels, we see glimpses of Jesus’ divine nature. Consider His miracles and His teachings. John could write about seeing His glory because he was there when Jesus “was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun” (Matt. 17:2). “Transfigured” in the Greek is where we get the word “metamorphosis.” Jesus’ glory that was on the inside came through on the outside.

James MacDonald refers to glory as God’s fingerprint. Glory is His signature. Jesus’ life radiated glory! And He did this by exhibiting two of the most important qualities of God: His grace and His truth. Jesus displayed both of these perfectly.

During His earthly life, Jesus’ truth did not lessen His grace, and His grace did not lessen His truth. We should follow Christ’s example. We who have experienced God’s grace should be “truth” people. And we who believe God’s truth should also be growing in grace. We need both clarity and charity. Too often we choose one to the exclusion of the other, but Christ never did. As Paul wrote: “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Eph. 4:15).

At Christmas, parents get great joy out of giving gifts to their children. God delights in giving us gifts, as well. He has given us His grace and truth. He has blessed us with His glory. And He did all this when He sent His Son to rescue us. Now that’s a gift!

  


LIVE IT OUT

Jesus has come. How will you respond to that simple and profound truth in the days to come? Consider the following options:

• Consider the impact. Make a list of ways Jesus’ coming to earth impacts you today. Thank Him for leaving Heaven, taking on flesh, and giving His life so that you might be adopted into His family.

• Show grace. Be on the lookout for ways to show grace to others around you. Represent Christ well in the way you interact with others.

• Speak truth. Stand for truth in today’s culture, but let the truth be immersed in God’s grace.

Jesus rescues us and gives our lives purpose. And that purpose is to follow Jesus and bring glory to God. 

 

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Our Lesson Sunday:

 

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SAVED BY GOD’S SON


Matthew and Luke, in particular, began their Gospels with narratives about the birth of Jesus. John, on the other hand, began his Gospel by stepping back into eternity before time or place. John was less focused on historical details and chronological events as he was in presenting the theological meaning of Jesus’ coming into the world.


This is where we will visit this morning. Because we can lose sight of the deeper meaning of Christmas as it’s more than just a baby in a manger. Jesus is Christmas!




I. Jesus: The Eternal One

John 1:1-5

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.



What did the Jews of John’s day equate “the Word” to mean?

• The Jews of John’s day equated that term with Scripture, which makes sense. Words communicate, and Scripture is one of the major ways God has communicated about Himself. The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself—including His rescue plan for humanity.

Why is the Word a fitting title for Jesus?

• “The Word” is also a fitting title for Jesus, because He is the ultimate revelation of God. Everything God wanted to say to humanity, He said through Jesus Christ.

What does John 1:1-5 reveal about Jesus, the Word? He is:

• Eternal. What does this mean? Before anything was created, Jesus existed. He had no beginning and He has no end.
• Divine. What does this mean? Jesus is God. He is not dependent on anything else, while everything else is dependent on Him for existence. Jesus is unlimited by time, space, knowledge, or power. He is eternal, omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. He is God. Period.
• Life. What does this mean? Creation has been messed up by human sin and rebellion. Yet that’s the very reason Jesus came to earth—to restore life to us. “In him was life” (v. 4). Life is found only in Jesus.
• Light. What does this mean? Like light, Jesus offers many benefits in our lives. Light reveals, for example. In the same way, Jesus shines in the dark places of our hearts to reveal our need for forgiveness. Light also gives guidance when it’s time to take the next step. Similarly, Jesus leads us in the right direction; He is our guide. Finally, light gives assurance when we’re scared of the dark. Jesus brings us peace and assurance when we rest in the promise of His salvation.

Just as John links life with Christ, he links light with Christ. Just as the first Creation began with “Let there be light!” so the New Creation begins with the entrance of light into the heart of the believer. The coming of Jesus Christ into the world was the dawning of a new day for sinful man.


To the people of John’s day, light was symbolic of deity. The Rabbis used light as a name for the Messiah that was promised to come. When John said Jesus is the light, he is claiming that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. It was another way he was saying that Jesus is God.


What are some ways you depend on light in your everyday life?


In what ways do you depend on Jesus as a Light in your life?



II. Jesus: The Only Way to Become a Child of God
John 1:9-13

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.



How is Christmas a celebration of God’s central story in the Bible?

• The central story of the Bible is how God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to rescue us from sin. The Old Testament points to our need for a Savior, the promised Messiah. God planned our rescue, our redemption, before creation. What we celebrate at Christmas is the fulfillment of that plan. God’s Son came as a human—as one of us! He was born of Mary, a virgin. He is Immanuel, God with us (see Matt. 1:23).

God has revealed Himself through His Word, Jesus Christ. And there are only two possible responses to that revelation – what are they?

1. Reject Jesus. The world has already rejected God as Creator (see Rom. 1:20-21), so we shouldn’t be surprised at John’s words in verse 10: “the world did not recognize him.” Yet even “his own” (v. 11)—the Jews who had the Scriptures pointing to the coming Messiah—rejected Him. To reject Jesus as the Word is to continue to live in darkness and spend eternity separated from God. “Did not recognize” means did not know. It is more than intellectual knowledge. It is more than knowing facts. It means failing to know intimately, like a brother would know a brother. Knowing is a relational idea in this Gospel. The people missed a profound opportunity when Jesus visited planet Earth. The world missed its great opportunity. It did not know the Word when the Word was in its very midst. The world did not recognize Jesus. But, the world never does.


2. Accept Jesus. When we accept Jesus for who He is—the revealed Word of God—He gives us light and life.


John used two words to describe the process of accepting Jesus – what were they?

To “receive” and “believe” (v. 12). Receiving Jesus means submitting to His Lordship over your life and believing in your heart that He is your Savior.


Obviously, one of these choices is best!


What do these verses teach us about salvation?

• Salvation is a gift of God, not something a person earns, merits, or wills for himself or herself.
• When we humbly accept Jesus as our Savior, He brings us into His family. We become children of God. All of this happens by His grace; we don’t have to work for it. God gives us a new birth and “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade” (1 Pet. 1:4).
• In other words, our rescue from sin and death has come in the form of God’s free gift.

In a few short verses John has takes us from eternity past to the beginning of time and creation and now to the present. He turns the corner in his grand introduction of Jesus from telling us about Jesus to our personal response to Him. The two key words in this verse are believe and become.


Tied up in these words are the response that Jesus wants and the result that we desire. If we believe in Him we will become all that we were intended to become.



What does it mean to believe?

• Believing means trusting that Jesus is God in flesh that came to earth to die for your sins. It means resting on Him so completely that He is your only hope of salvation. It means committing your all to Jesus knowing that He alone can save you. It means yielding yourself up to be possessed by the One in whom you believe. The New English Bible makes this thought clear, “To those who have yielded Him their allegiance, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12 NEB).

What does it mean to become?

• While the words, gave, right, and children are important; the key word is become. This says something about the status of believers. Because people have received Jesus and believed on His name, they now are raised to a new position. They become children of God. While all people are created by God, not everyone is a child of God. Sometimes people carelessly say, “We’re all God’s children,” but the Bible says no such thing. We are not naturally children of God. God only gives the privilege of being His children to those who by personal faith receive Jesus as Lord and believe in who He is.

III. Jesus: God Himself Dwelling Among Us

John 1:14

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.


Praise the Lord!

Story: One country preacher recognized how important worship is and even trained his mule with words of worship. The day came when he had to sell the mule. The preacher told the new owner the mule was trained to go when the rider said “Praise the Lord,” and to stop when the rider said, “Amen.” The buyer mounted the beast and commanded, “Praise the Lord,” and the mule shot off like a rocket. The startled rider panicked. “Whoa!” he screamed. The mule was headed straight for a cliff, “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” At the last second he remembered the minister’s instructions. “Amen!” he shouted, and the mule screeched to a halt right at the edge of the cliff. As the owner peered over the precipice, he wiped his brow and sighed, “Praise the Lord.” … At least, he entered heaven with praise on his lips.


Praise toward Jesus is the most appropriate message that can be on our lips this Christmas.


What did “The Word became flesh” point to?

• This is the miracle of the virgin birth. God became flesh. God, the One who is eternal, came into the fullness of time. God, the One who lives “in unapproachable light” (1 Tim. 6:16), became visible for all to see. Jesus, the Lord of lords, left heaven’s throne to be born as a baby in Bethlehem.

When John said, “We have seen His glory” what was he referring to?

• Other than an angelic announcement to a few shepherds (see Luke 2:8-14), Jesus came with no fanfare. No baby shower. No baby registry. But even then—and throughout His earthly life—John notes that “We have seen his glory.” Jesus did not set aside His deity. Throughout the Gospels, we see glimpses of Jesus’ divine nature. Consider His miracles and His teachings. John could write about seeing His glory because he was there when Jesus “was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun” (Matt. 17:2). “Transfigured” in the Greek is where we get the word “metamorphosis.” Jesus’ glory that was on the inside came through on the outside.

How can we this Christmas be full of grace and truth?

• During His earthly life, Jesus’ truth did not lessen His grace, and His grace did not lessen His truth. We should follow Christ’s example. We who have experienced God’s grace should be “truth” people. And we who believe God’s truth should also be growing in grace. We need both clarity and charity. Too often we choose one to the exclusion of the other, but Christ never did. As Paul wrote: “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Eph. 4:15).

At Christmas, parents get great joy out of giving gifts to their children. God delights in giving us gifts, as well. He has given us His grace and truth. He has blessed us with His glory. And He did all this when He sent His Son to rescue us. Now that’s a gift!


LIVE IT OUT

At this point in the season, the beautiful story of Christmas has already been told many times through readings, musicals, carols, drama, and other forms of media. However, as beautiful and well-known as the story is, this lesson reminds us that Christmas is more than a sweet story about a baby in a cradle, an image so typical of this season. We must move beyond it to recognize who the Baby is and what He had come to make possible.


God wanted to communicate who He is, what He is like, and the great blessing He has for all humankind.


Merry Christmas to you all and remember: 

Prayer of Commitment

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son into the world that I could be saved and have eternal life. Knowing that is true gives me great cause to celebrate this blessed season. Amen.



Hope to see you on Sunday!


In His Love,


David & Susan

Class Lesson December 13, 2015

Priceless: Finding Your Value In God

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  You are loved by God. You are priceless.

How can know you are highly valued by God? This study will examine seven things God has done for you that prove your worth to Him.


 

1. Adopted in God's Family
2. Freed by God's Forgiveness
3. Saved by God's Son
4. Strengthened by God's Power
5. Equipped with God's Gifts
6. Used in God's Service
7. Cherished in God's Eyes

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

Our neighbor Mr. John was in his 80s. So when I saw all the cars in his driveway, I knew it could only mean one thing: he had died. I felt convicted because I’d never talked to him about the Lord. I didn’t know where he would spend eternity.  

The next day, though, Mr. John was outside shoveling snow! I went to his driveway and said: “Mr. John, it’s good to see you. When I saw all the cars yesterday, I thought you had died!” After a big laugh, he explained it was his birthday party. I wasn’t about to let another opportunity pass, so I asked, “Mr. John, if you had died yesterday, would you be in heaven today?” 

He said: “I can’t go to heaven, because when I was young, I caught my wife with another man. She left me to raise our five children alone. I have hated her all these years.” 

That morning I shared with Mr. John a truth Jesus expressed to a group of unforgiving men and one adulterous woman: no matter what we’ve done, we can know the freedom of God’s forgiveness.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?


John 8:2-11 (NIV)

2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 

 
3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 

 
4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

 
5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 

 
6 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. 

 
7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 

 
8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

 
9 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. 

 
10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 

 
11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”


The temple courts (v. 2)—The word “temple” was used to refer both to the primary building and to the entire temple area with its courts. Since Jesus was not teaching in the temple building itself, but in one of the courtyards, many translations refer to the “temple courts” or use similar wording.

AMAZING LOVE

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We deserve punishment, but God forgives.

 
John 8:2-6

Some people just like to throw rocks. Rocks of arrogance. Rocks of condemnation. Rocks of entrapment. In John 8, the scribes and Pharisees threw just those kinds of stones at a woman caught in the act of adultery. They brought this woman before Jesus—not because they cared about her, and not because they wanted justice. They just wanted to use her to trap Jesus. (There is no mention of the adulterous man, for example, which was a major oversight.)

For many rabbis, the three big sins were idolatry, murder, and adultery. These particular scribes and Pharisees sounded so righteous as they quoted Scripture (Lev. 20:10) at the woman, but they only quoted the part that was convenient for them. They twisted the Scripture into a self-righteous rope, which they used to tie her hands and put a noose around her neck.

At the same time, let’s not downplay the woman’s guilt. She was caught in grievous sin. Perhaps she had the same mindset as many people today: Whatever I do is okay as long as I don’t get caught. If so, she was ignoring another biblical truth: “Be sure that your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23).

God is holy. Therefore, He must punish sin. From the beginning, God has set a standard of righteousness, and failure to live by that standard brought death and separation from Him. Adam disobeyed God and faced death (see Rom. 5:12). The consequences of sin and disobedience continued throughout Scripture, and they continue today. In the end, no one gets by with their sin. “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).

Thankfully, that’s not where the story ends.

We deserve punishment, but God forgives.

John 8:7-9

In a purely legalistic sense, the religious leaders could have stoned the woman in accordance with the law. After all, she’d been caught red-handed in the act of adultery. She was guilty.

Jesus never denied the woman’s guilt, but He didn’t approach the woman’s sin or attack her personally in the same way the religious leaders did. That’s because Jesus wasn’t thinking legalistically; He was thinking and acting out of love. Jesus lived out the truth of James 2:13: “Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

Surprisingly, Jesus didn’t deal immediately with the woman’s guilt at all. Instead, He focused on the scribes and Pharisees and addressed their guilt! Jesus wanted the religious leaders to see beyond their legalism and realize they had no right to throw a single stone.

• He wrote. “Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger” (v. 6). We have no idea what He wrote. Remember, this was the same finger that inscribed the Ten Commandments on stone tablets (see Ex. 31:18). I wonder if Jesus might have written down the commandment these men were guilty of breaking.

• He spoke. “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (v. 7). Jesus forced the accusers to look inward. He challenged them to confront the darkness in their own hearts. One by one they left, convicted.

We all make mistakes. No, far more than mistakes—we all sin. We’re all bent toward sin: this woman caught in adultery, the scribes and Pharisees who stood before Jesus, young and old, you and me.

When we stand before Jesus, none of us is without sin.

 
John 8:10 -11

 
I used to wonder about Jesus’ command in verse 11: “Go now and leave your life of sin.” That’s it? Just go and don’t do it again? Did Jesus let the woman off too easily?

In reality, Jesus neither ignored nor casually dismissed the woman’s sin. In fact, Jesus openly acknowledged her sin. Just as importantly, however, His words called her to repentance.

How could Jesus offer such forgiveness and grace? After all, He is God—the sinless, perfect Son of God. The answer is that, while sin must be punished, Jesus knew He would shortly be taking the punishment she deserved. He was about to die for her sins (and ours). Jesus freely offered forgiveness, but that forgiveness was not cheap. Notice the order of Jesus’ words: He offered forgiveness before He called her to repent and start anew. You have to be right with God before you can do right for God.

I preached on this passage one Sunday at my church. A young lady I had never met came to me after the service and told me her story. Five years before, she was a drug addict. Her kids had been taken from her. Just one month before that Sunday, she had overdosed and almost ended her life. But while she was in the hospital, different members of our church went to see her. They came at different times and on different days, but each one placed a stone beside her bed and said: “I cannot cast this stone at you. I just want you to know that
I love you and I’m praying for you.”

This woman showed me a bag with seven small stones. She said, “I keep these stones as a reminder of what Jesus has done for me.” Every time someone left a stone beside her bed, it was like Jesus was standing by her bedside saying: “Then neither do I condemn you... .Go now and leave your life of sin.”

And now here she was in church—with her kids—because Jesus had set her free. What a beautiful picture of God’s amazing grace. Jesus did for my friend what He did for the woman in John 8.

And He will do the same thing for you.




We deserve punishment, but God forgives.

LIVE IT OUT

God’s grace and forgiveness are available to all people—including you. Consider the following options for responding to that truth in the coming week:

• Thank God. Set aside an extended period of time this week to thank God for His gift of forgiveness. Praise Him for the work He has done in your life.

• Pray for others. Use the Prayer Request section on pages 6-9 of this resource to list at least three friends or family members who do not yet know Christ. Pray daily for their salvation and ask God to give you opportunities to share the gospel with each.

• Share your experiences. People often think Christians are supposed to be perfect. Therefore, opening up about the mistakes you’ve made—and the forgiveness you’ve received—can make the gospel message seem more approachable.

Remember my neighbor Mr. John? He couldn’t do what was right, forgive, until He experienced God’s forgiveness himself. I shared the good news of Jesus with him, and right there in the snow, Mr. John prayed to receive Christ. What will you do with God’s gracious offer of forgiveness?

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Our Lesson Today:

How do you know how valuable you are to God?

FREED BY GOD’S FORGIVENESS

You know we aren’t a whole lot different from the scribes and Pharisees in our story today - when we see or read about some sexual sin, we typically want justice and punishment carried out. But when it comes to our own sins, what do we want? We want mercy.

• C.S. Lewis once said that everyone thinks forgiveness is a wonderful idea until they have someone to forgive.

• Lesson Point: We deserve punishment, but God forgives.

We are going to see in our lesson this morning how Jesus extended forgiveness to a woman that was caught in adultery. She deserved punishment but she experienced mercy.



I. Judgment for Sin Belongs to God, Not Us

John 8:2-6

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. 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.


For many rabbis, what were the 3 big sins of the day? ___________, ___________, __________

• For many rabbis, the three big sins were idolatry, murder, and adultery.

Where is the Law’s reference to the act of adultery? Leviticus 20:10 

What was the punishment? Put to death

• These accusers sounded righteous as they quoted Scripture at the woman, but they only quoted the part that was convenient for them. What did they leave out? (the adulterous man)

Was the act of adultery a grievous sin?

• Yes, let’s not downplay the woman’s guilt. She was caught in grievous sin.

• God is holy. Therefore, He must punish sin. From the beginning, God has set a standard of righteousness, and failure to live by that standard brought death and separation from Him.

What were the intentions of the accusers in bringing this woman to Jesus?

• To trap Jesus. If Jesus chose mercy, they could accuse Him of acting in opposition to the Law of Moses. If He chose judgment, He would have been encouraging the illegal enactment of capital punishment. (Only the Romans had authority to pronounce a death sentence.)
• They brought this woman before Jesus—not because they cared about her, and not because they wanted justice. They just wanted to use her to trap Jesus.

Are we responsible for exposing the sins of others? Could our silence be sinful?

• Cheaters - Is your significant other cheating on you? This show dispatches a surveillance team to follow the partner suspected of cheating and gather incriminating video evidence. After reviewing the evidence, the offended party has the option of confronting the unfaithful partner.
• Ignore it and it will go away. That’s not the biblical pattern for dealing with sin in the church. In fact, it directly contradicts the apostle Paul’s instructions for dealing with false converts and professing believers whose sin is corrupting the church. To the church at Ephesus he wrote, “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). Our Christian responsibility goes beyond abstaining from the “deeds of darkness.” We are also called to expose them. To ignore evil is to encourage it, and to keep quiet about it is to help promote it. The verb translated as “expose” (from elegchō) can also carry the idea of reproof, correction, punishment, or discipline. We are to confront sin with intolerance. Sometimes such exposure and reproof will be direct and at other times indirect, but it should always be immediate. When we are living in obedience to God, that fact in itself will be a testimony against wrong. When those around us see us helping those in need rather than exploiting them, hear us talking with purity instead of profanity, and observe us speaking truthfully rather than deceitfully, our example will be a rebuke against selfishness, unwholesome talk, and lies. Simply refusing to participate in a dishonest business or social practice will sometimes be such a strong rebuke that it costs us our job or a friendship. Dishonesty is terribly uncomfortable in the presence of honesty, even when there is no verbal or other direct opposition.

What are we not responsible for regarding the sins of others? ______________________

• Any judgment requires ability to read hearts and minds. Since men cannot read the hearts and minds of others, they cannot properly judge. Therefore, any human's censuring and judgment will be biased—based on imputation of motive. God will not look kindly upon anyone who imputes motives and judges harshly on the basis of prejudice. Only God can read hearts and minds. Therefore, only God can truly judge men. This responsibility should not be assumed by any man. Any human being assuming such a responsibility will find himself guilty before God.
• Jesus is the ultimate Teacher whose goal for those who learn from Him is life change.
• Some people are so caught up in the legalism of religion that they lose sight of compassion for others.
• Sin is deserving of judgment and punishment, but both actions are God’s to carry out, not ours.
• Judgment for sin belongs to God, not us.

II. No One is Without Sin

John 8:7-9

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 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.


But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger. So it appears that there was a moment of silence as if Jesus was ignoring them. Verse 7 When they kept questioning Him, He straightened up and spoke.



How did Jesus respond to their question?

• He stooped to write and He stood to speak.
• Jesus didn’t deal immediately with the woman’s guilt at all. Instead, He focused on the scribes and Pharisees and addressed their guilt! Jesus wanted the religious leaders to see beyond their legalism and realize they had no right to throw a single stone.
• He wrote. “Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger” (v. 6). We have no idea what He wrote. Remember, this was the same finger that inscribed the Ten Commandments on stone tablets (see Ex. 31:18). I wonder if Jesus might have written down the commandment these men were guilty of breaking.
• He spoke. “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (v. 7). Jesus forced the accusers to look inward. He challenged them to confront the darkness in their own hearts. One by one they left, convicted.
• Jesus makes a significant statement about judging others. Because He upheld the legal penalty for adultery, stoning, He could not be accused of being against the law. But by saying that only a sinless person could throw the first stone, He highlighted the importance of compassion and forgiveness.

So, who is this woman?

• She's you. And she's me.

What kinds of “stones” do we often throw today?

• Some people just like to throw rocks. Rocks of arrogance. Rocks of condemnation. Rocks of entrapment.

Remember:

• We need to exercise caution that we are not guilty of twisting God’s Word for our own purposes.
• Recognize your sinful nature, and look for ways to help others rather than hurt them.

III. God Forgives Us by His Grace


John 8:10-11

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.”


Was anyone there that day that was qualified to stone the woman?

• Ironically, Jesus was the only one qualified to stone her and He didn’t do it. He could have condemned her, but instead He granted her compassion. The woman was freed by Jesus’ forgiveness.
• Jesus did not come to condemn but to save.
• Jesus 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.

I used to wonder about Jesus’ command in verse 11: “Go now and leave your life of sin.” That’s it? Just go and don’t do it again?



Did Jesus let the woman off too easily?

• Jesus didn’t condemn the woman accused of adultery, but neither did He ignore or condone her sin. He told her to leave her life of sin. He called her to repentance.

Two principles must be remembered from this illustration:

1. The accuser is equally guilty, with no real right to condemn another.
2. Mercy is the more significant spiritual principle. Jesus Christ found tolerance and understanding imperative. But, He did instruct her to go and sin no more.

LIVE IT OUT

The account of the woman caught in adultery is the story of an amazing act of acceptance on Jesus’ part.

It also reminds us that we stand before Him just as we are in our sin, that we deserve judgment and punishment. Instead, Jesus extends mercy and grants forgiveness.

See how valuable we are in His sight?


We are set free, not to do what we choose, but to live as those who have been changed as witnesses of His grace.

Prayer of Commitment

Dear Lord, what a privilege to come before You as Your child and to call You Father. Thank You for such love - love manifested in Christ, who has come once and is coming again. Amen.


Hope to see you on Sunday!


In His Love,


David & Susan