Lazarus and the Life of the Believer

Pastor Eric Conley | John 7:53-8:11

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Well, good morning, Kingsland. If I have not had the opportunity to meet you yet, my name is Eric Conley. I have the privilege of serving as the campus pastor at our North Katy campus. And it is always such a treat for me to be allowed to come over here and open God's word and worship with our central campus family. And I'm just so grateful that Pastor Ryan would give me this opportunity today. I love working with Pastor every week. We get to work on our messages together. I've learned so much from him over the years. And I'll be honest with you, I steal a lot more from him than he does from me. And that's exactly the way I like it. And so I am just so glad to be here today. And I just want to mention, I love the heart that Pastor Ryan has for Kingsland. But this morning, just in his video, he told you he is preaching down the street. He's literally just down the street in Katy because he has a heart not just for Kingsland, but for the church in Katy. And I don't know too many senior pastors who would do what he's doing this morning. And I'm just so grateful that we collectively get to follow that kind of a leader. We are truly blessed with an amazing man. This morning, we're going to continue our series in the Gospel of John. We're going to be in John chapter 8, and you can start making your way there right now. Grace and mercy are closely connected words that we see throughout Scripture. They also carry great weight and meaning in our lives. If we really want to understand the gift that Jesus Christ truly is, we must understand not just these words, but their meaning and their application. You see, grace is getting something that you don't deserve. But mercy, on the other hand, is not getting what you do deserve. And although these words are very similar, they show us different aspects of God's love and his care for us. Grace is salvation, it's forgiveness, it's freedom that we are offered because of Jesus' death and his resurrection, victory over the grave. Mercy, on the other hand, is Jesus taking our place on the cross. Jesus paying the penalty for the sin that we have committed. He's paying the penalty that we should pay, that we rightfully deserve. We talk a lot about grace. But today we're going to double-click on the mercy of Jesus Christ. Let's dive in. Look on with me if you will. John chapter 8. We're going to pick up the last verse in chapter 7. It says, Then each one went to his house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he went down 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. Now, in the law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman, 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, and just for the record, I love it in Scripture when Jesus gets just a little sarcastic. It happens from time to time, and this is one of those moments. He looks up and 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. Now, before we get into really the meat of this passage, you may notice that this text is probably bracketed in your Bible, and it comes with a footnote that reads something like this the earliest manuscripts do not include 753 through 811. Footnotes like this don't show up often in our Bible, and so when they do, we need to pause and understand why they're there. You see, the inerrancy of Scripture, meaning that the Bible is free from any error, is vital to our Christian belief system. If all of the Bible is not true and trustworthy, how could we trust any of it? If you're skeptical that the Bible is true, this passage this morning may be one of the places that you start to build your case against the Bible. However, there are a few key reasons that I believe this passage in particular actually supports the inerrancy of Scripture. I'm gonna give you three reasons real quickly for that. First, biblical translators, they self-identified this as being added later. There is virtually no trustworthy theologian who would argue that this section of John was in the original manuscript. Almost to a person. Every commentator that I read, though, said two things. One, they are glad that this is included in our Bible. And two, they're also glad that it is called out, it is separated in the Bible. The fact that in 2026 we have anything in Scripture that we would say, hey, look, we think this is good, but just in case, uh, we're gonna move very carefully as we understand what God is saying here. That's fascinating to me. You see, the bar of inerrancy is so high that we would rather parse something out as questionable than promote something that could destroy everything. Second, Bruce Metzger points out that it doesn't make sense for this story to be added later. Or I'm sorry, for this story to be made up by a transcriber, by a scribe. He notes no aesthetically minded monk would have invented a narrative which closes with what seems to be only a mild rebuke on Jesus' part. It doesn't make sense that it would have just been made up. And finally, maybe most importantly, this story is consistent with who Jesus is, what Jesus taught, what we have already seen Jesus do. This is not a story about adultery. This isn't even a story about the religious leaders' attack on Jesus. This is a story about the mercy of Jesus Christ that all people, regardless of their background, regardless of their sin, regardless of their mess, the mercy of Jesus that all people can receive. Friends, I believe that this story is God breathed, that it is inerrant. I believe that this is a real story that really happened in the real life of Jesus Christ. And that makes it incredibly valuable for us to study today. The first reality that we must understand is that Jesus acknowledges the weight of our sin. Jesus acknowledges the weight of our sin. The religious leaders attempt to trap Jesus in an impossible situation here. If Jesus agrees with their request to stone this woman, he would for the first time be aligning with the Pharisees and he would compromise his message of grace, mercy, and freedom. However, if he allows her sin to go unpunished, he is going against a very clear Old Testament law. So at face value, it would seem that the Pharisees have Jesus right where they want him. But then only as Jesus could do, he turns this whole situation around. Look at his response in verse 6. Says 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, The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her. According to the moral code of judicial conduct, rule 2.11, in any United States court, a judge is supposed to recuse themselves from any case in which their impartiality could be even reasonably questioned. That could be on the grounds of an existing relationship with one of the parties. It could be prior knowledge of people or situation. It could be because there was a financial gain or financial ramifications that could result for the judge personally from a verdict or judgment. What this code doesn't say, and what's not mentioned anywhere in our legal system, is that the judge must be perfect, never making any wrong choices or stepping a toe out of line in order to hear a case. If that were the case, no one could ever become a judge. In our passage, Jesus allows the woman to be stoned as long as the person doing the stoning is without sin. You see, the lives of the accusers have now come under indictment. The problem, at least in my opinion, isn't that the Pharisees had sinned at some point in their life. It's not that they had broken the law ever. Rather, the problem is they were likely complicit in trapping this woman in adultery. These Pharisees wanted Jesus to execute judgment on their terms, on their behalf, but the Pharisees weren't innocent in this matter. Consider the Old Testament law that they're trying to use here. It's Leviticus 20, verse 10. It says, if a man commits adultery with a married woman, if he commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. Did you notice that last part? Both, the adulterer and the adulteress, must be put to death. Look, by nature, the very act of adultery requires two people. Scripture makes it abundantly clear. Verse 3 says that she was caught in the act. Both are equally responsible. Both deserve the same penalty. But they have only brought the woman for judgment. That seems a little out of place, right? More than that, why does Jesus need to be involved at all? The law is clear, the sin was clear, this is an open and shut case. And to make matters worse, Jesus isn't part of the Sanhedrin. They don't even look at him as a rabbi, as a teacher, as someone who has authority in their lives. Why are they bringing this to Jesus at all? Jesus sees right through their facade. And rather than play by their rules, he turns the table on them. He points out that they are in no position to judge this woman. This is a case that they should have recused themselves from. He stands up, he looks at them as if to say, okay, if you're righteous in this situation, if you are without blame, if you carry no sin, then you have every right to stone this woman. So go right ahead and do it. These words from Jesus highlight the sinful hearts of these men. But additionally, with these words, Jesus is able to uphold the law. While the sin of the woman is what brought the Pharisees before Jesus, it was their sin that made them leave. But look back at our passage. Verse 10, 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. As this interaction comes to a close, Jesus says something insightful. He says, Go and from now on, don't sin anymore. Sometimes this gets lost in this story. You see, regardless of the circumstances surrounding her, this woman was in the wrong. She had sinned. She was not okay just because there wasn't a Pharisee around anymore to throw a stone at her. In fact, Jesus was sinless. And he had every legal right to pick up a stone and put her to death. But Jesus, in just a few words, he acknowledges the weight of her sin. And then he told her to change your ways, to live in the light, to walk away from your life of sin. And friends, whether we want to admit it or not, we are just like this woman. And what may be harder for us to stomach is often we are just like the Pharisees. We are not okay. We are not sinless. We are not without blame, especially as we stand before a righteous and just God. Paul wrote in Romans chapter 3, he said, For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Like this woman, every single one of us deserve death. Maybe not by stoning, but we all deserve to pay the penalty for our sin. And this is what makes Jesus' words to this woman so incredibly sweet. Not only does Jesus acknowledge the weight of her sin and our sin, but his words also give us the second reality that we have to understand this morning. Number two, Jesus offers freedom, not condemnation. And look, if you're taking notes, you only have two points today. Please don't tell Pastor Ryan. I just want you, I want your notes to be right. Two-point sermon. Jesus offers freedom, not condemnation. Look back at verse 11. The woman looks at Jesus, says, No one is here to condemn me, Lord. And Jesus says, Neither do I condemn you. Jesus looked at this woman who was surely full of guilt, shame, and regret. She had to think that the worst was about to happen. This holy man, this rabbi, this teacher was surely about to condemn, convict, and have her killed. Because we have to remember she was caught in the act. There was no question that she was in the wrong and that she was due the full penalty of the law. And then Jesus utters the sweetest words that anyone could ever hear. Neither do I condemn you. Can you imagine the shock, the surprise, the overwhelming gratitude that she would have felt in this moment? I love that Jesus didn't excuse her sin, but I love even more that he didn't leave her in it. He offered her forgiveness and he sent her towards a transformed life. One commentator noted, he doesn't give her a license to keep sinning, he gives her a reason to stop. What this woman didn't know is something that we know today. Those were not just words from Jesus. No, those words were beatings. Those words were nails. Those words were a crown of thorns and a spear in his side. Forgiveness is free, but it is certainly not cheap. The freedom and forgiveness that Jesus offered this woman, it came at the cost of his life. The sinless paying the price for the sinful. If we aren't careful, though, we can miss something powerful that's happening behind the scenes. You see, there's a stark difference between this woman and the Pharisees that we must be sure to understand. The woman was a known sinner, caught in the act, hopeless, helpless to stand up against the law. She should have rightfully been punished. The Pharisees, on the other hand, are known to live holy lives, keeping the whole law all the way to the letter. But they miss the power of the Savior. One of these received freedom and forgiveness, the other left ashamed. Have you ever been there? Have you ever been convinced, like the Pharisees, that you've got it all figured out? That you are good enough for Jesus, that your life is righteous, that you don't struggle with sin. The answer for most of us to that question is pretty easy. No. I've never thought that. But how about this? Have you ever thought, probably like this woman, that Jesus might not accept you? That Jesus might not like you. That if there was any hope for Jesus to look on you and to accept you and to love you, that you need to clean yourself up, that you need to figure out how to be the best version of yourself, that you need to do all the right things, and then maybe there was hope for you. Maybe that's why you're here today. Maybe that's why you cracked open your Bible this past week. Maybe that's why you bargained with God in prayer that if he would just get you through this crisis that is swirling, that you would do better, you would work harder, you would just devote yourself more and more to him. Friend, following the letter of the law, doing good works, trying to be righteous enough has never been a path to Jesus. Doing good works, being a good person is not what gets you grace and mercy from God. Consider what Paul says in Romans chapter 3. He says, No one will be justified in his sight by works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law. You see, the law was given to indict each and every one of us. Just like the Pharisees, not one of us will ever be perfect, even by the standard of the law, let alone the standard of a righteous and holy God. And friend, that's exactly the point. You and I will never be good enough for Jesus. But my hope for all of us is that today we will find ourselves more in common with the adulterous woman than with the Pharisee. The Pharisees came to Jesus full of righteous indignation, but they left accused and condemned. This woman came to Jesus condemned, but she left free and forgiven. That is the power of the mercy of Jesus Christ. And friends, that mercy is available to you today. As we close, I want to tell a story that the late and great Charles Spurgeon shared about the ancient Saxon king. Now, this king, he had a reputation for being the most loving and fair man who had ever lived. One day the king discovered that someone was stealing from the royal treasury. So he called the whole kingdom into his court, and as they gathered, he stood before them and said, Friends, no one should be in need. If you will let me know the need, I will make sure that you have enough for yourself and your family. There is no need to steal from the treasury because stealing is sabotage and it hurts all of us. Days went by and the stealing continued. And so the king sent out an edict and he said, The person who is caught stealing from the treasury will be punished with ten lashes. A few weeks went by and the stealing continued. So the king doubled the punishment to 20 lashes for the person who was caught stealing. A few more weeks went by, and the king sent out another message. He said, As much as it hurts me to say this, the punishment for the person caught stealing is now 40 lashes, which is in essence a death penalty. Two days later, the thief was caught red-handed. And it was no other than the king's own daughter. The whole court was filled with the kingdom. Wondering how the king would respond. Because to punish her would be just and it would be fair, but it would not be loving. But to let her go would be loving. And a long way from being just and right. The king would have to make a decision. His decision was swift and his decision was final. He said, The law is the law, and the punishment must be carried out. So they took the king's daughter before the whole court. They tied her to the whipping post. They tore open the back of her shirt. And as the guard was about to bring down the first lash, the king stood up from his throne and said, Stop! He stepped off of his throne and slowly walked down, looking his daughter in the eyes. He proceeded to take off his royal robe. He tore the shirt off of his own back and he laid his body on top of his daughter. While gritting his teeth with tears streaming down his face, he looked back at the guard and said, Now you can hit her. The guard objected. He said, My king, if I bring the whip down, I'm going to hit you. I cannot do it. And the king said, Now you hit her. And the guard obeyed, carrying out the full punishment. Forty lashes, every one of them on the back of the king, not one touching the daughter. The king would die. And the daughter went free. A crime was committed. Justice was demanded, and a sentence was carried out. You see, the penalty was paid in full. Friends, this is exactly what Jesus has done for you. Second Corinthians 5 says, He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. It is by the sacrifice of Jesus in our place that we can know freedom and forgiveness. Paul wrote in Romans 5, he says, but God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. In the midst of our sin, Christ died for us. What every one of us deserves is the wrath of God. We deserve to receive the punishment for every wrong thing that we have ever done. Every time we've stepped a toe out of line, we deserve to pay the penalty for that. And yet, Jesus, in his grace, in his love, in his goodness, in his mercy, does not give us what we deserve. Instead, he takes our punishment. My friend, you will never be good enough for Jesus. We all have a sin problem that we are helpless and hopeless to fix on our own. But Jesus, in his love for us, he made a way for us to be free and forgiven. And that way it was him laying down his life in our place on that cross. And I just wonder if you know him today. Or like the Pharisees. Do you think you can be good enough on your own? We're going to sing one of my favorite songs as we close this morning. These are powerful words. It's a powerful reminder of what Jesus has done for each of us. As we sing, I want to encourage you to just have an honest look at your life, have an honest look at your heart. Have you trusted Jesus to be your Savior and your Lord? Or are you trying to pay your own way? The penalty for sin is severe. The bill always comes due. And that is the choice that is before you. Do you want to pay it yourself, or do you want to accept the gift of that payment by Jesus Christ? Folks, your good works will leave you in bondage. They will leave you accused and condemned. Salvation and forgiveness only come when Jesus sets you free. As we sing this song, we'll have a few people available at the front. If you have questions about who Jesus is, about how he could love someone like you, it would be an honor and a privilege for any of us to spend a few moments with you this morning. Church, would you pray with me? Lord Jesus, we thank you for doing for us what we were helpless to do on our own, taking the punishment that we deserve, making us righteous, whole, and holy in the eyes of our God and Father. To say thank you is not enough. But sometimes that's all we have. Thank you, Jesus, for your cross. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for paying our debt. Father, for the believer in the room today, I pray that there would not be a day go by that we minimize the gift that you have given us. For the man, the woman, the child who is here today, who is wrestling with how Jesus could love them, I pray that today they would hear the sweetness of the words. Neither do I condemn you. Father, have your way in this place. It's in the name of Jesus we pray.

unknown 28:48

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 28:49

Hey, Pastor Ryan Rush here, and I just want to thank you for being with us at Kings Lombline today. What an honor. But I'll tell you what'd be even better. We'd love to see you get connected with the physical church in the days ahead if you haven't already. And that means maybe if you're local in the West Houston area, we'd love to see you at Kingsland. Otherwise, regardless, we'd love to help you facilitate uh jumping into a local church near you, and we can do that together. You can go to kingsland.org slash online connect. Kingsland.org slash onlineconnect to find out the next steps on your journey. Listen, thanks again for being with us today at Kingsland.