Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent | John 8

Today we'll be continuing our journey through the book of John, in Chapter 8. Have you ever played chess with someone who's infinitely better than you? We all know what it’s like to be bested, to lose a game or an argument, to come in last and experience the humiliation of defeat. Well the Pharisees have been looking for Jesus all week and they want to beat him, beat him physically to death, but they’ll settle for an intellectual victory match if they can't do that and get away with it. They're chosen game; a chess match of wits. Where they hope Jesus to maneuvers himself into some kind of verbal corner. The board is set, the pieces put in place. All that’s necessary now is Jesus to maneuver himself into their trap. While Jesus is teaching at the feast in the temple courts. Versus 3 tells us, “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law of Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say? They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.” The Pharisees are going to entrap Jesus with this woman using her like a pawn in a game of chess to catch the king. Verse 3 says, “They made her stand before the group” her humiliation is inconsequential if it will humiliate Jesus. It seems that Jesus's is faced with an impossible move, should he disown Moses or disown this woman? However he moves, whatever he answers, it seems to discredit what he's been saying. Verse 6. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. What was Jesus writing on the ground? I've often wondered about that too. But John doesn't tell us, it could have been the 10 Commandments, or it could have been the name mistresses or people the Pharisees were lusting after themselves or a list of their secret sins. Nobody knows what Jesus was writing.  But it was his checkmate in their twisted game that resulted in them flipping the board and walking away defeated. Here’s the rules of the game. Jesus isn't willing to play games with anyone soul, no matter how bad their sin. Verus 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. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, Sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” That's what everyone longs to hear from God. Neither do I condemn you. And with those few sentences, he sets the pawn free. Go now, leave your life of sin. What's the score of our first round? Round one Jesus, one, Pharisees zero. There will be two more traps in this chapter. The next one sprung in verse 12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jesus spoke this as a 20-foot-high golden lampstand was erected in the courtyard to commemorate what happened in the book of Exodus, where God led them through the desert as a pillar of fire, giving light to his people, guiding them out of slavery. Now keep that in the back of your mind as context for the next couple of conversations this chapter. I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness. He was telling them he wanted to lead them out of their slavery now, not thousands of years ago. They just needed to follow him as the people followed the pillar of fire. Like this 20-foot-high golden lampstand. Stay close to me and you'll see, but have you ever heard someone say something profound only to have only to have other people standing there completely miss it? Verse 13, The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.” You can read the entire conversation, but Jesus says in verse 17. “I'm not alone in your own law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I'm one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father who sent me.” Then they asked him, “Where is your Father? You do not know me or my Father, Jesus replied. If you knew me, you would know my father?” He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come. They couldn't seize him, and they couldn't beat him. When the Pharisees asked, where’s your father, they're pointing to Jesus's questionable birth. They knew the dubious nature of Mary's pregnancy out of wedlock. People talk. They didn't have gossip rags at the news stands. People's gossiping ways had telephone line throughout the centuries. Jesus ignores this first insult but tells them you don't know my father. Well played Jesus. Jesus two. Pharisees 0. But the Pharisees aren't finished yet. They want a rematch. Jesus has already won best out of three, so why engage him again? But they're so frustrated now by not being able to kill him, they'll settle for just one victory. It won't settle the score. But it may settle down their desire to kill him, at least for a bit. Versus 21, Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.” What did Jesus mean when he said you'll die in your sin? That term should have been familiar to them. It was how Moses describes the people who dropped dead in the desert because of their unwillingness to follow God's leading, back in that story that the feast was commemorating, God leading his people through the desert. Jesus, the light of the world is saying ,you can't follow me. But they didn't get it. Where is he going? Is he going to kill himself? They're confused and after trying to figure it out, Jesus tells them, if you do not believe I'm He, you will indeed die in your sins. Jesus doesn't win an argument here, but He tells them exactly when they'll get who He is in verse 28. “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He and that I do nothing of my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The result of this verse, 30 Even as he spoke, many believed in Him. This one was a draw. Nobody won except those who believed. Jesus, by the way, wasn't out  to win arguments, He was there to win souls. And maybe you caught the irony here. While some are only more confused by Jesus's words, others are more enlightened by them. Which of these two, my friend, are you? The score so far? Jesus two, Pharisee 0 and one draw. OK, final round, place your bets. Jesus addressed those who put their faith in him in verse 31. To the Jews who had believed in him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The truth will set you free. Remember, this is what just happened. This same truth that confused the Pharisees set these people free, but the Pharisees, but in again like petulant children, versus 33. They answered him, “We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Let's skip ahead to verse 39. “If you were Abraham's children,” says Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. As it is, you're looking for a way to kill me, a man who told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your own father.” Jesus acknowledges they're descended from Abraham, but rejects that Abraham is their father. Trying to kill me. Abraham did not do such things. You can hear the voice of personal experience when Jesus is talking about Abraham, he's talking about someone He knows. To the Pharisees, Abraham is just someone they know about. You don't act like father Abraham. No, you're more resemble your real father. Ohh. We're going to find out who that is in just a minute. They continue. We are not illegitimate children. They protested. The only Father we have is God himself. Whoa, that's playing dirty. I'm just gonna throw up a yellow flag here that's hitting below the belt. The Pharisees once again decided to throw sand in Jesus's face to sucker punch him by bringing up the questionable circumstances of his birth. When it seemed that Mary had been playing around on Joseph, We Are Not illegitimate children, but Jesus dodges the insult, once again focusing back on their questionable birth. It seemed that they were the ones who didn't know who their daddy was. Jesus is about to tell him. Verse 42. Jesus said to them. “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you're unable to hear what I have to say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, now holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. To sum up, Jesus is saying, if God were your father, you love his boy. I listen to my father and you listen to yours. My father speaks one language, truth. And your father speaks another language, lies. But then in the face of their lies, Jesus drops his final truth bomb, verse 51. Very truly. I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death. This turns the conversation back to Abraham again. Are you greater than our Father Abraham, he died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are? Your father? Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day. He saw it and was glad. You're not yet 50 years old, they said to him. And you have seen Abraham, very truly, I tell you, Jesus answered. Before Abraham was born, I am. At this they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hit himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. I am. Wow. When Jesus makes that statement before Abraham was I am. He's not guilty of that grammar. He's telling them I’m the I am. I am God, they immediately changed the game to a rock throwing contest, who can stone the heretic first but miracle miracle he slips through their fingers. My friend I hope that you come to grapple with who God is and you see him as God and don't let him slip through your fingers.