Week 2: Jesus Brings Life
Eye for an eye. Tooth for a tooth. The punishment must fit the crime. Our society loves the idea of "fair." We binge-watch murder mysteries and courtroom dramas. We’re all about justice. That is, until we’re the ones on trial. Suddenly, justice doesn’t feel so great. It feels heavy, harsh, and we start wishing for mercy. Jesus had a knack for challenging the way people viewed justice, mercy, and condemnation. He introduced a new way to think about what is “fair.” As you read today, think about how Jesus might treat you if you were the one on trial.
Read John 8:2-11 (ESV)
2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Reflection:
Do you ever feel like you’re too far gone for Jesus to save?
What does this passage teach about how Jesus sees us in our failures?
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