Join Dr. Tony Evans in this powerful sermon as he unpacks the profound message of John 8:1-11. Discover the transformative story of a woman caught in adultery, brought before Jesus by the religious leaders. Dr. Evans delves into the trap set for Jesus, the significance of Jesus writing on the ground, and the pivotal moment when Jesus challenges her accusers with a powerful question. Experience the grace and mercy of Christ as he reveals the depth of his forgiveness and encourages us all to value his love. SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/drtonyev… If you would like to download two encouraging, FREE full-length MP3s of Tony’s popular sermons: “The Sovereignty of God” and “How to Handle a Crisis,” you can do so by clicking on this link: https://share.hsforms.com/1atT9MJvXQN…
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Dr. Tony Evans is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder and president of The Urban Alternative and author of over 100 books, booklets and Bible studies. The first African American to earn a doctorate of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, he has been named one of the 12 Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World by Baylor University. Dr. Evans holds the honor of writing and publishing the first full-Bible commentary and study Bible by an African American. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard on over 1,400 radio outlets daily and in more than 130 countries. Dr. Evans’ sermons are also streamed and downloaded over 20,000,000 times annually. #tonyevans #tonyevanssermon #Freedom
[Music]
I hope you know your value if you’ve
accepted Jesus Christ you are
blood-bought child of the Living God you
are a daughter and son of the most high
kid you are somebody because Jesus
thought well enough for you to die on
the cross for our sins and not only that
but he says you don’t have to earn my
acceptance
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
I am sure that many most if not all
particularly if you have lived for a
while know what it is to have lost your
dignity
to have done something for which you are
ashamed that you regret
and perhaps it’s not only something in
the past but something from the past
that stays with you
because shame has a way of hanging out
hanging around
with our regrets
where we have failed and faulted
and you want your dignity back
in John chapter 8 we have a court case
we’ve been talking about the fact that
God does his business with us in a legal
setting
Jesus has gone to the Mount of Olives
but early in the morning he comes again
verse 2
to the temple and all the people were
coming to him Jesus has drawn a crowd
and he sat down and he began to teach
the scribes and the Pharisees brought a
woman caught in adultery
and having said her in the center of the
Court
they said to him teacher this woman has
been caught in adultery in this very Act
now the law of Moses commanded us to
Stone such a woman what then do you say
we’ve got a woman who’s been caught
red-handed
her sin
is been identified
and worse than that it’s been made
public
because she’s in the court in the temple
where Jesus was teaching and a crowd had
gathered and the scribes and Pharisees
put her on blast
put on public display it’s bad enough
when you wrong
it’s worse when everybody else knows it
well she’s in public court
and she’s been found guilty by the
scribes who are the Jewish lawyers
and the Pharisees who were the religious
leaders
and they raised the question according
to verse 5 about what the law says
because this is a legal situation
they say the law of Moses says that for
this act she should be stoned
what say you Jesus
now we’re given something if they’ve
been getting a verse six they were
saying this testing him so that they
might have grounds for accusing him
so they weren’t just after the woman
they were after Jesus
but the accuser uses our sin to
discredit Jesus
so the woman is put on display but what
they’re really after
is Jesus
what say you Jesus the law says we ought
to Stone her
and it was a test it was a
trick
let me tell you some of the elements of
the trick the test
the Jewish law did say you get stoned
but if Jesus would have stoned her based
on what the law said
then he would have gone against Roman
law
because the Roman law wouldn’t let Jews
commit capital punishment
so if he would have insisted on the
Jewish law
they could accuse him of breaking Roman
law so Rome could come after Jesus
because he broke Romans law by keeping
biblical law
but if he went to Roman law
then he would have rejected biblical law
if he would have said don’t Stoner then
he would have been going against what
the law of Moses said which was the
stoner
so he’s going to Catch-22 he then what a
friend of mine called the trick bag he’s
in a situation where either decision not
only that
but Jesus if you read the book of John
has been talking about compassion
compassion compassion compassion and
deliverance and saving and he’s been
talking about being compassionate
if he keeps the law of Moses then he’s
not exercising compassion
and so he discredits himself among the
crowd
but if he shows compassion and say don’t
Stoner then he’s disobeyed the law of
Moses
catch 22.
they were after Jesus
it was a trick it was a trap
to bring him down
by bringing her down
and so the situation is set
let’s go further
according to verse 6 when Jesus heard
the question
but Jesus at the end of verse 6 stooped
down and with his finger wrote on the
ground
and when they persisted in asking him he
straightened up
and said to them he who is without sin
among you let him be first to throw a
stone at her
again he stooped down and wrote on the
ground
when they heard it
they began to go out one by one
beginning with the older ones and he was
left alone and the woman where she was
in the center of the Court
something took place in these
proceedings
something happened in the courtroom
that shook up the deliberations
the scribes and the Pharisees say we got
her
she’s caught
this is what the rules say this is what
the law says you’ve been talking all
this compassion stuff and all of that
what what say you what what do we do
what do we do with this situation Jesus
because we got you
we got you now now obviously they didn’t
know who they were talking to
but something happened in this courtroom
that is critical for me and you and us
today
to regain
what the enemy wants to steal John 10 10
says that the enemy comes to steal and
kill and destroy
when Jesus
gets asked the question
we’re told that he Stoops down in verse
six and with his finger writes on the
ground
we’re told
that they kept asking him the question
verse 7.
he says he that is without sin cast the
first stone and he Stoops down and he
writes again
and when he writes the second time
case dismissed
so now that raises the question doesn’t
it
cause whatever he was writing
and whatever he was saying
shook
the courtroom up
and everybody walked out of the
courtroom
so the question is
what did he write
because
we’re not told what he wrote
we just told he wrote
then we told he wrote again
but whatever it was it was sufficient to
end the proceedings
maybe you need God to write something
for you
or me or us
that will get us out this courtroom
of judgment
the question is
what did he write
because
we’re not told
we just told that he wrote twice
the key to understanding what was
written
is understanding
[Music]
what the discussion is about the
discussion is about the law of Moses
that’s what they’re talking about the
scribes and the Pharisees say the law of
Moses said that this woman should die
for her sins that’s what God’s law says
Jesus Stoops down
writes and responds so maybe if we just
go back to the law of Moses
since that’s what’s on this on the table
we will discover what was written
Dr Evans will be right back after this
important announcement
[Applause]
[Music]
thank you foreign
let’s go back
let’s start a little bible study here
with Exodus
chapter 31. we’re coming back to John
but Exodus chapter 31.
verse 18.
when he had finished speaking upon Mount
Sinai God
he gave Moses two tablets of the
testimony Ten Commandments
tables of stone written by the Finger of
God
whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa
when I go back
to John chapter 8 verse 6 Jesus stooped
down with his finger
and wrote on the ground
they’re talking about the law of Moses
the law of Moses was written by the
Finger of God
God is the lawgiver he writes The Ten
Commandments on the tablet with his
finger they bring up to Jesus the law of
Moses Jesus takes his finger
Jesus say you want to talk about the law
Giver the law give a right with his
finger
he doesn’t write on a tablet he writes
on some dirt
because the woman has been called Dirty
okay let’s go back to
Exodus
chapter 34.
verse 1.
now the Lord said to Moses
cut out for yourself two stone tablets
like the former ones and I will write on
the tablets the words that were written
on the former tablets you shattered
oh wait a minute now we got it written
twice
there are the former tablets
and now these are new tablets
why do we have a second set of tablets
because between chapter 31 and chapter
34
God’s people rebelled against him in sin
in evil they built the golden calf and
they departed from God and as a result
of their departure Moses broke the
tablets chapter 32 verse 19. it came
about as soon as Moses came near to the
camp that he saw the calf and the
dancing and Moses anger burned and he
threw the tablets from his hands and
shattered them at the foot of the
mountain
stay with me here
God gave them the tablets
the people rebelled against God Moses
broke the tablets in chapter 34 Verse 1
God re-raced the tablets why does God
rewrite the tablet number two after they
had failed with tablet number one given
the sin that took place between the two
tablets look at verse 6 of chapter 34.
when he writes the second tablet then
the Lord passed by in front of him and
proclaim the Lord God compassionate
gracious slow to anger abundant and
loving kindness and Truth who keeps
loving kindness for a thousand
generations and forgives iniquity
transgression and sins yet he will no
wise leave the guilty unpunished
he says tablet number one these are my
rules
before he writes tablet number two they
break the rules
God says I want you to know something
else about my character I got the rules
but I’m also full of loving kindness
full of forgiveness
and removing of iniquity yet I still
gonna rewrite the tablets I don’t give
up my rules to be gracious but I don’t
let my rules keep me from being gracious
it tells him
that the tablets are to be Rewritten
so
it is in the midst of this
in between the two
you who are without sin cast the first
stone
if you go now to Deuteronomy
chapter 17.
he says
in verse 6.
he says the first stone has to be from
the witnesses
so the first people who throw the stones
have to have be people who saw the sin
and it can’t be one person it’s got to
be two or at least three Witnesses
before judgment can be rendered and you
can’t be a witness and hide
you got to be the first to throw the
stone you just can’t be whispering in
secret I think I saw this I think I
heard that no you’re gonna throw the
stone first
because you are the one accusing them
now according to chapter 8
we saw this woman
in the very Act
so that means that there is some
witnesses
that can testify
and that ought to be qualified to throw
the first stone
because you had to have two or three
Witnesses oh let’s take it a little
deeper
chapter 19 of Deuteronomy
verse 15.
a single Witness
shall not rise up against a man on
account of any iniquity or sin which he
has committed on the evidence
but on the evidence of two or three
Witnesses shall a matter be confirmed
if a malicious Witness
Rises up against a man to accuse him of
wrongdoing
then both the men who have the dispute
shall stand before the Lord before the
priests and the judges who will be in
office he’ll be in a courtroom the
judges shall investigate thoroughly and
if the witness is a false witness he has
accused his brother falsely then you
shall do to him just as he had intended
to do to his brother thus you shall
Purge evil from among you oh it’s
getting deeper
if you’re going to be a witness
and you’re going to throw the first
stone
but you are found to be a false witness
whatever was going to happen to the
person that you were judging now reverse
back and will happen to you
he says he that is without sin casts the
first stone
Deuteronomy 22 verse 22.
if a man is found lying with a married
woman
then both of them shall die
the man who lay with the woman and the
woman thus you shall Purge the evil from
Israel
wait a minute
wait a minute
in John chapter 8.
only the woman is brought forth
but if you caught in the very Acts
that means there’s a man somewhere all
right
but just like today the woman is blame
and the man walks away
they bring the woman but do not bring
the man they broke the law
I think what you got here is a setup
I think the man was set up to be caught
with the woman which is why he’s not
brought forth he’s part of the plan
because the plan is to trap Jesus
[Applause]
so this woman is being used
she is being used
for Spiritual assaults
on Jesus Christ
it says when he wrote
the second time there had to be two
witnesses well there were not two
witnesses we’re talking about the law of
Moses they were not two witnesses
thus
they all left
because if they broke the law they would
get the Judgment of the law that they
were bringing against the woman would
fall back on them
so because they didn’t want to be the
first to cast the stone which says I’m a
witness which says I know that man was
there but I didn’t bring him into court
which means I didn’t obey the law
then I’m under the Judgment I was going
to dispense
they didn’t know who they were dealing
with
Jesus Christ
watches them with the lady
all go all leave
but wait a minute
and then we got a court with no
Witnesses
it is hard to have a trial
and a decision
if there is no witness
now
this is not changing that the woman was
wrong
it does change what was the outcome in
the court
because there were no two witnesses
this leads to one of the most astounding
hopeful
hopeful
principles
that I want to give you with
for me for you for us
to help you but also to help others
verse 10 of John 8.
straightening up
Jesus said to her
woman
where are they
your accusers well I don’t see nobody
where are they
did not one condemn you
where’s your condemnation
and then he throws a line out here that
is
awesome
she said
no one Lord watch this now
not no one no one Lord I’m submitting to
you
I’m acknowledging you
I’m I’m not I’m not dealing with people
now because I’m dealing with you
no one Lord and Jesus says
I do not condemn you either
go
from now on sin no more
Jesus did not release her from the
reality of her sin what he released her
from was the condemnation of the
consequences of her sin because it was a
death penalty
Jesus in this courtroom becomes her
advocate
the thief comes to steal kill and
destroy John 10 10 but Jesus says I have
come to give you life and to give it to
you more abundantly John chapter 3 verse
17 God did not send his son into the
world to condemn the world
but that the world might have life
through him Romans 8 there is therefore
now no condemnation
to those who are in Christ Jesus
he tells the woman
since there are no Witnesses I don’t
condemn you not because you didn’t sin
but because I must invoke my law
and because my law has been breached
there are no Witnesses I am not going to
hold against you what you legitimately
deserve and the Biblical word is Mercy
I do not condemn you now here’s what you
need to know
yeah this is very important
he does not say
sin no more so that you don’t be
condemned
he says you are not condemned sin no
more
he doesn’t say
get right so that I can accept you
he says I accept you so get right
one of the reasons that we don’t get
right is we don’t value the acceptance
that we have in Jesus Christ
we don’t value the cross and because we
don’t value the fact that he didn’t and
doesn’t operate with us in a spirit of
condemnation we go and keep sinning he
says you’re not condemned
he says and neither do I
I want you to stop sinning because you
appreciate Mercy
I want you to stop saying because you
value my goodness to you and mercy
triumphs over judgment
I hope you know your value
if you’ve accepted Jesus Christ you are
a blood-bought child of the Living God
Jesus started well enough for you well
enough for me and well enough for us to
die on the cross in our place for our
sins and not only that but he says you
don’t have to earn my acceptance I’ma
accept you anyway I just want to see how
much you appreciate it
case dismissed
case dismissed
you are now free cause this courtroom
proceeding is over you know the best way
to make sure your case is dismissed
leave here today with Thanksgiving
leave it a day with gratitude leave here
today with appreciation
that you didn’t get what you could have
gotten if God would elect your accusers
have their way you would not be here
today but it is grace and mercy you
stand in this house with the privilege
of worshiping serving and obeying your
great king because guess what he said
about you every time the devil shows up
case dismissed I’ve already paid the
price
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
thank you