Verses: John 7 : 53 - 8 : 11
My thoughts about the verses:
This is a story that many people have heard about. How Jesus writes in the sand and tells the accusers to throw the stone if they had no sin. This was not what the leaders had expected and one by one they left the scene. Then Jesus looks at the woman caught in sin and says who judged you. She stated no one. Then Jesus sends her on saying I do not judge you either but do not sin again.
There are several lessons that come out of this story. The one that most people talk about when they come to this story is not to judge others. The only one that can truly judge us is God. That humankind has all sinned and therefore the right is not theirs. Though this is one of the lessons being taught there are several more.
The first people to leave are the older men. They leave because they realized that they were sinners. They were setting example for those that were younger than them. The fact is they understood that they were not innocent. They knew that sometime in the past they had also broken the law given to Moses. They left because of the guilt they felt for what they had done. The young men then followed their lead. Therefore another lesson being taught is that elders should teach the young to follow the Savior. It also teaches young people to follow the example of their elders when they do the right thing.
The last lesson has to do with the weight of sin in our life. The stoning process involved using not pebbles but stones that would be large enough to torture the individual until death. Yet, the stone was not to be so big that the first one tossed would kill the person. The stones represent the sins of the accused. This act was an act of purification. So by throwing the stones they were cleaning their community of the act that had been performed.
There is only one person that was able to carry that much weight on their shoulder and that was Christ.
Jesus did not die by stones. Yet, his punishment was much larger. He carried his own cross to a hillside in which he would be put to death. Not for his own crimes but for the sins of the world. Then the purification took place when Jesus was taken from the cross and placed in the tomb. The largest stone that could be rolled was placed between us and Jesus. Then three days later God rolled the stone and Jesus arose in when led to the purification of the people.
Prayer:
Dear God thank you for giving us the greatest purification. Thanks for freeing us from the grips of sin. We ask that you help us grasp the sacrifice that was given freely for us. May we understand the weight that was carried that day to the mountainside. Dear God we ask that you help us roll the stones away from our hearts so that you may enter. Help us understand that we place the barriers and you desire to free us from our sins. In your Holy Name we pray. Amen
Questions:
My thoughts about the verses:
This is a story that many people have heard about. How Jesus writes in the sand and tells the accusers to throw the stone if they had no sin. This was not what the leaders had expected and one by one they left the scene. Then Jesus looks at the woman caught in sin and says who judged you. She stated no one. Then Jesus sends her on saying I do not judge you either but do not sin again.
There are several lessons that come out of this story. The one that most people talk about when they come to this story is not to judge others. The only one that can truly judge us is God. That humankind has all sinned and therefore the right is not theirs. Though this is one of the lessons being taught there are several more.
The first people to leave are the older men. They leave because they realized that they were sinners. They were setting example for those that were younger than them. The fact is they understood that they were not innocent. They knew that sometime in the past they had also broken the law given to Moses. They left because of the guilt they felt for what they had done. The young men then followed their lead. Therefore another lesson being taught is that elders should teach the young to follow the Savior. It also teaches young people to follow the example of their elders when they do the right thing.
The last lesson has to do with the weight of sin in our life. The stoning process involved using not pebbles but stones that would be large enough to torture the individual until death. Yet, the stone was not to be so big that the first one tossed would kill the person. The stones represent the sins of the accused. This act was an act of purification. So by throwing the stones they were cleaning their community of the act that had been performed.
There is only one person that was able to carry that much weight on their shoulder and that was Christ.
Jesus did not die by stones. Yet, his punishment was much larger. He carried his own cross to a hillside in which he would be put to death. Not for his own crimes but for the sins of the world. Then the purification took place when Jesus was taken from the cross and placed in the tomb. The largest stone that could be rolled was placed between us and Jesus. Then three days later God rolled the stone and Jesus arose in when led to the purification of the people.
Prayer:
Dear God thank you for giving us the greatest purification. Thanks for freeing us from the grips of sin. We ask that you help us grasp the sacrifice that was given freely for us. May we understand the weight that was carried that day to the mountainside. Dear God we ask that you help us roll the stones away from our hearts so that you may enter. Help us understand that we place the barriers and you desire to free us from our sins. In your Holy Name we pray. Amen
Questions:
Can you throw the first stone? Do you understand the power that has been placed in your hand? Are you willing to show others the life that they can have through the saving power of Christ? Have you placed barriers between you and God? Is it time to allow God to roll those stones away so that you can live freely?
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