Stories of Redemption

But First...

• What is one thing you can thank God for this week?
• Any testimonies of those who have shared what they've learned about God with someone else this week?
• Are you still praying for those 3 individuals you thought about last week?

Week 6: A Woman Getting Stoned

1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.



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.”

What does this mean to us??

• Can someone summarize the events of this passage from their perspective?
• Is there anything that you particularly like about this passage?

Background

• Again we find Jesus in a situation where the Pharisees are trying to trap him.
• Why do the Pharisees want to accuse Jesus?

Background

• A woman caught in adultery
• Jesus had been performing miracles, and preaching and teaching, gaining followers. The pharisees felt threatened
• This sin can not be committed alone, so the question arises as to why only one of the offenders was brought forward?
• Set up to trap Jesus, and the offenders wanted to humiliate the woman.

Background

• To stone such a woman
• The accusers had actually altered the law a little. The manner of execution was not given unless the woman was a betrothed virgin
• Deuteronomy 22:23-24
• Also, the law required execution of both parties involved in the act, not just the woman.

The Trap

• Romans did not allow Jews to carry out death sentences, so if Jesus said to stone her he would have been in violation of Roman law.
• If He said not to, He would have been accused of going against the Mosaic Law.

Jesus' Response

• Verse 7
• Jesus disarms the crowd. By speaking of throwing a stone he could not be accused of not upholding the law, however the qualification he gave to cast the stone prevented anyone from acting

The Gift of Redemption

• Read vs. 9-11
• No one present was sinless, but Jesus Himself, so they all went away
• Jesus offers no condemnation, but rather a life of Salvation.
• He calls her out of her life of sin, and gives her the gift of redemption
• Read John 3:17

How does the world accuse us today?

So what do we learn about God from this passage?

Can we as Christians be the first to cast the stone at others?

What is this passage expecting from us?

How does this passage change you personally?

Finally, what have we learned about the Redemptive power of Christ over the last 6 weeks?