GOD’S FAVORITE

Caught, Condemned, and Set Free

John 7:53–8:11

INTRODUCTION — GOD’S FAVORITE

Good morning, church!

We have been walking through the Gospel of John in this series called “God’s Favorite.”

And I love that title because when John writes about himself, he has this interesting way of describing himself.

He calls himself “the disciple Jesus loved.”

Now John wasn’t saying, “Jesus loved me and not those other guys.”

John had simply become so secure in the love of Jesus that the love of Jesus became part of how he saw himself.

He knew:

I am loved by Jesus.

And church, that same truth is available to us.

You can live knowing:

I am someone Jesus loves.

I am God’s favorite.

And so are you.

That may sound like a contradiction, but that's the beautiful thing about the love of God. His love isn't limited. He doesn't have to love you less so He can love me more.

There is enough grace at His table for all of us.

WHERE WE’VE BEEN

A couple weeks ago, Pastor Dufy preached from John 7.

Jesus’ brothers were going to the festival, and Jesus told them that His time had not yet come.

Yet later, Jesus went.

Pastor called it a “bait and switch.”

Not because Jesus lied, but because sometimes God doesn't show us the whole journey.

Sometimes God gives us enough light for the step we're standing on.

Because if He showed us everything that was coming, we might say:

“Nope. I can't do that.”

But God already knows where the next turn is.

Then last week, Pastor Gabe asked us a powerful question:

“Who is Jesus to you?”

He told us about meeting the parents of someone he had known for years.

Even though he hadn't really known the parents personally, when he finally met them, it almost felt like he already knew them.

Why?

Because he knew their son.

And Pastor Gabe connected that beautifully to Jesus.

If you want to know the Father, get to know the Son.

Jesus shows us what the Father is like.

And today, we're going to see something about the heart of God through the way Jesus treats one woman on what was probably the most humiliating day of her life.

If you want to know what God is like...

Watch what Jesus does with someone caught in sin.

JOHN 7:53–8:11 — CAUGHT

The story begins with Jesus teaching in the temple.

And suddenly, the religious leaders interrupt everything.

They bring a woman before Jesus who has been caught in adultery.

Not accused.

Caught.

There isn't much room here for her to defend herself.

She's guilty.

And they put her right in the middle of everybody.

Imagine the humiliation.

Imagine people staring.

Imagine the whispers.

Imagine knowing that the worst thing you've done has suddenly become the only thing anybody sees when they look at you.

They don't bring her privately.

They put her in front of the crowd.

Then they tell Jesus:

“The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

But John tells us something important.

They weren't really concerned about the woman.

They weren't even primarily concerned about holiness.

They were trying to trap Jesus.

This woman had become a tool in their argument.

Her shame was being used to accomplish their agenda.

And there's another question hanging over this whole story:

Where is the man?

It takes two people to commit adultery.

Yet somehow only the woman is standing there.

They weren't looking for justice.

They were looking for ammunition.

1. BE CAREFUL WHEN SOMEONE ELSE'S SIN BECOMES EASIER TO SEE THAN YOUR OWN

They tell Jesus what she has done.

And Jesus bends down and begins writing in the dust with His finger.

We don't know what He wrote.

The Bible doesn't tell us, and I'm not going to pretend that I know.

But they keep demanding an answer.

Finally, Jesus stands up and says:

“All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” — John 8:7, NLT

Then He bends down again.

And one by one...

the rocks start dropping.

From the oldest to the youngest, they walk away.

I wonder how many times we carry rocks ourselves.

Not literal rocks.

But judgment.

Gossip.

Self-righteousness.

Comparison.

“Well, I would never do what they did.”

Maybe not.

But before I throw my rock, Jesus has a way of reminding me:

“Aaron, do you remember where I found you?”

And suddenly that rock gets a whole lot heavier.

Church, we should never become so focused on somebody else's sin that we forget how desperately we needed grace.

The church should absolutely stand for truth.

We don't call sin good.

We don't pretend sin doesn't hurt people.

But we also remember:

We are not standing here because we were good enough.

We are standing here because Jesus was merciful enough.

2. JESUS DOESN'T IGNORE HER SIN — HE REMOVES HER CONDEMNATION

Eventually everybody leaves.

And I love this picture.

All those voices accusing her disappear.

And now there are only two people left.

The guilty woman...

and Jesus.

Jesus stands up and asks:

“Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

She answers:

“No, Lord.”

And Jesus says:

“Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” — John 8:10–11, NLT

Don't move past that too quickly.

“Neither do I.”

She was guilty.

Jesus knew she was guilty.

Yet Jesus says:

“Neither do I condemn you.”

That is grace.

Grace doesn't say:

“You didn't do anything wrong.”

Grace says:

“What you did wrong doesn't have to define what happens next.”

Grace doesn’t say your sin doesn’t matter.

Grace says your sin doesn’t get the final word.

And somebody needs to hear that today.

You may have walked into church carrying something that happened yesterday.

Or ten years ago.

Or twenty years ago.

Maybe everybody else has forgotten it, but you haven't.

Maybe there's still a voice saying:

“Look what you did.”

“Look who you were.”

“Look how badly you messed up.”

But if you have come to Jesus, you need to hear another voice.

“Neither do I condemn you.”

Romans 8:1 says:

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”

Your past may explain some things about you.

But it doesn't own you anymore.

3. THE LOVE THAT FORGIVES US IS ALSO THE LOVE THAT CALLS US OUT OF SIN

But Jesus doesn't stop with:

“Neither do I condemn you.”

His next words matter just as much.

“Go and sin no more.”

That's important.

Because sometimes we want Jesus to say:

“Neither do I condemn you. Have a nice day.”

But He doesn't.

He says:

“Neither do I condemn you. Now leave this life behind.”

That's love.

If Jesus didn't love this woman, He could have left her exactly where she was.

But Jesus understands something we sometimes forget:

Sin has consequences.

Sin destroys.

Sin enslaves.

Sin separates.

Sin promises freedom and eventually puts chains around us.

And Jesus loves us too much to break our chains and then encourage us to put them back on.

MY STORY

I understand this part personally.

For more than twenty years, drugs were part of my life.

Addiction took things from me.

It affected my decisions, my relationships, my future.

It contributed to me going to prison three different times.

There was a time when if you looked at my life, there was plenty to condemn.

And I wasn't innocent.

I had made choices.

I had sinned.

I had consequences that came from those choices.

But Jesus met me there.

And when I surrendered my life to Him, He didn't look at me and say:

“Aaron, none of that mattered.”

It mattered.

People had been hurt.

Years had been lost.

Consequences were real.

What Jesus showed me was:

“That doesn't have to be the end of your story.”

He forgave me.

He gave me a new life.

He gave me a new identity.

But imagine if after receiving that freedom I said:

“Great! Jesus forgave me. Now I can go back to the same life.”

No!

Why would I run back to the chains Jesus broke?

That's why “Go and sin no more” isn't Jesus taking grace away.

“Go and sin no more” IS grace.

Jesus is saying:

“I have something better for you.”

Don't go back.

Don't return to the thing that was destroying you.

Don't rebuild the prison I just opened.

YOU ARE GOD'S FAVORITE — SO STOP LIVING LIKE THE CONDEMNED

I wonder if this woman walked into that temple thinking her life was over.

She walked in carrying shame.

She walked in surrounded by accusers.

She walked in guilty.

But she walked out...

free.

The crowd wanted her past to determine her future.

Jesus didn't.

And that's where this connects with our whole series.

What does it mean to be God's Favorite?

It doesn't mean God approves of everything we do.

It means He loves us enough to meet us in our worst moment.

It means when everybody else sees our failure, Jesus still sees a future.

It means He doesn't simply forgive us from something.

He frees us for something.

A new life.

A new direction.

A new purpose.

And maybe the biggest question today isn't:

“What have you done?”

Maybe the question is:

“Now that you've encountered Jesus, where are you going?”

Jesus told her:

GO.

Her story wasn't over.

But He also said:

SIN NO MORE.

Her direction needed to change.

THREE PEOPLE I WANT TO PRAY FOR TODAY

Before we leave, I want us to respond to this story.

Because I believe there are three groups of people represented in this room.

FIRST — SOME OF US ARE HOLDING ROCKS.

We've gotten really good at seeing everybody else's sin.

Their mistakes.

Their failures.

Their problems.

And maybe Jesus is saying:

“Before you throw that rock, look at your own heart.”

Our prayer today is:

God, correct my focus.

Help me see people through the grace You showed me.

SECOND — SOME OF US ARE THE WOMAN.

Maybe you're stuck.

Maybe it's addiction.

Maybe it's sexual sin.

Maybe it's anger.

Maybe it's bitterness.

Maybe it's something nobody else even knows about.

You keep returning to something Jesus wants to free you from.

Hear His words today:

“Neither do I condemn you.”

But also hear:

“Go and sin no more.”

There is forgiveness available.

There is freedom available.

There is a new life available.

You don't have to keep returning to the same chains.

THIRD — SOMEONE MAY NEED TO MEET JESUS FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Maybe you've never surrendered your life to Him.

You've known about Jesus.

But you've never made Him your Lord and Savior.

Today you can.

Because when everybody else had a rock in their hand...

Jesus had mercy in His heart.

And that same Jesus is calling you today.

CLOSING PRAYER

Father, thank You for loving us.

Thank You that when we were guilty, You didn't turn away from us.

Thank You for sending Jesus.

Lord, for those of us who have become too focused on the sins and failures of other people, correct our focus.

Help us put the rocks down.

Remind us of the grace that we ourselves have received, and teach us to extend that grace to others.

Father, I pray for those who are trapped today.

Those struggling with addiction.

Those repeatedly choosing something they know is destroying them.

Those carrying secret sin and shame.

Give them the courage to come to the feet of Jesus.

Help them receive the forgiveness that Jesus has already paid for.

And give them the strength through Your Spirit to hear Your words:

“Go and sin no more.”

Help us never return willingly to the chains You have broken.

And Lord, if there is anyone here who has never surrendered their life to Jesus, I invite them to pray:

Jesus, I need You.

I believe You are the Son of God.

I believe You died for my sins and rose again.

Forgive me.

I surrender my life to You.

Become my Lord and my Savior.

Give me a new heart, a new direction, and a new life.

I choose to follow You.

Amen.

And Father, finally I pray for Your church.

Pour out Your glorious blessings upon Your people.

Make us a church known not for the rocks in our hands, but for the grace in our hearts.

Make us people who stand for truth while loving people deeply.

Help us remember who we are:

We are loved.

We are forgiven.

We are free.

We are Yours.

And as we leave this place, help us do what You've called us to do:

Love God.

Love each other.

And reach out to others.

In the mighty name of Jesus,

Amen.