Day 76: John 6:1-John 15:17 - 90 Day Challenge

Who Throws the First Stone? 


Today I'd like to start out by talking about the first part of John 8. The people are trying to trap Jesus, and find a woman who has committed adultery. Remember way back to the Old Testament where it was said that anyone who has committed adultery must be stoned to death? That's the exact point the people bring up to Jesus. So they bring this woman, and stand her up in the middle of a circle of people (a la Jr. High School fight), and they say, "Hey, Jesus, this is what the book of Moses told us to do. What have you got to say about that?" They continued questioning him, but Jesus remained  quiet and wrote something in the ground with his finger. Finally, he stood up, and said, "Whoever is without sin may be the first to throw a stone." And he went back to writing on the ground. Slowly, the people began to leave. Jesus was the only one there without sin. 

When everyone else had left. Jesus went to the woman, and said "No one here has condemned you. And neither will I. Go, and leave your life of sin." Jesus could have condemned this woman. But he didn't. There's no sense in any one of us judging anyone else for their life choices or their sin, because we all have pasts too. The only one who can condemn us is God, and here, he chose to show mercy. 

John, like Luke, includes in-depth descriptions of things that were briefly mentioned in previous books. Another example of this is in John chapter 13--where Jesus washes the feet of the disciples. Jesus, at this point, had known what was going to happen, and he chose to show his disciples the full extent of his love. He washes their feet, washes them clean--as a metaphor for what his sacrifice will do for them. 

Our reading ends with a promise: The Holy Spirit. 

Luke 15:4--Remain in me, and I will remain in you. The Holy Spirit is alive and well with each of us! It is our promise from the Lord that He will return! We are not servants of Jesus, we are his friends. 

Tomorrow's reading: John 15:18-Acts 6:7
Have a wonderful Saturday!
Jill Jafarace
Director of Student Ministries
New Leaf UMC

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