“LIGHT-HEADED” (John 8:1-12)
Rev. Jeremy Stopford, Retired Pastor
“FOLLOW ME” SERIES – #7
Today’s “Special”: “The Long-winded Pastor”
A Pastor goes to the dentist for a set of false teeth. The first Sunday after he gets his new teeth, he talks for only eight minutes. The second Sunday, he talks for only ten minutes. The following Sunday, he talks for 2 hours and 48 minutes.
The congregation had to mob him to get him down from the pulpit and they asked him what happened.
The Pastor explains the first Sunday his gums hurt so bad he couldn’t talk for more than 8 minutes. The second Sunday his gums hurt too much to talk for more than 10 minutes. But, the third Sunday, he put his wife’s teeth in by mistake and he couldn’t shut up…
Introduction
In today’s message, we continue to look at the times when Jesus said to follow Him. He used such an expression to encourage disciples to leave everything for Him; He directed blind people to exercise their faith; and through it all, we are challenged to do so, too.
Today’s familiar passage invites us to look at life through the eyes of several very unusual people.
PRAYER
John 8:1-12:
8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
1. THE CROWD (v. 2)
Where are they? They are in God’s house! (Heb. 10:25; Ps. 122:1) This was a habit, a routine, a custom. Do we have that habit, routine, custom?
What were they doing? They were hearing God’s Word! (Romans 10:17: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” IF we don’t hear God’s Word, then we won’t have… FAITH!
What did they see? They were observers – to what Jesus does. Do we look at church that way? We should! Then we will be encouraged, or we may even be challenged!
2. THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES (v. 3)
They were the recorders (“scribes”) and interpreters (“Pharisees”) of the Word.
They were considered the guides of religion, the authorities of Biblical application (v. 5) But what did they really teach? See Leviticus 20:10. Did they teach the WHOLE truth? No! Like cults today, they applied a verse to meet their need, rather than read the entire passage.
Their purpose was to “test” Jesus (v.6) Didn’t the tempter do that in the wilderness? Is this a good thing? See Psalm 11:1ff The tempter “tests” (tempts) to destroy the righteous; God “tests” to purify them!
3. THE WOMAN CAUGHT IN ADULTERY (v. 3ff)
Here is the main character of this lesson. She is described as “caught” – she is probably publicly shamed as naked. And so often are we – Hebrews 4:13: “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
And she is the object of grace. Note:
The writing of grace (vs. 6,8). Hey! Check out Exodus 31:18! “And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.” The same finger which wrote the 10 Commandments just wrote in the sand here in John 8:6 !!! Do you think these dudes recognized the writing of the law and were immediately convicted as sinners themselves? Wow!
The digression of grace (v. 9)
The living of grace (v. 10, 11)
Which character are you?
CONCLUSION
Illustration: “A Memory Funny” – The boy forgot his lines in the Sunday School music and drama presentation. His mother, sitting in the front row tried to prompt him, gesturing and forming the words silently with her lips, but it didn’t help. Her son’s memory was blank.
Finally she leaned forward and whispered the cue, “I am the light of the world.”
The child beamed with acknowledgment and in a loud, clear voice so that everyone in the congregation could hear said, “My Mommy is the light of the world.”
Verse 12 tells us that “no one who follows Me (Jesus) stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.” (Message)
God hungers for LIGHT HEADED followers – those who are headed in the light of Christ alone. Are you?
CLOSE IN PRAYER