Many women seem to carry the guilt
of past events, failures and emotional baggage as if they don’t understand that
they can let go of them. Jesus took them upon Himself at the cross. They don’t
belong to you anymore! It’s time to release the weight of these burdens instead
of carrying them around with us. God wants to break all false yokes of
condemnation!
What we see throughout the gospels
is the ongoing theme of two worlds colliding. The kingdom of God challenged
kingdoms of men. This was true in Jesus' day and it's true now, in every
nation, tongue, tribe, and culture. That is why the gospel message as well as
the scriptures remains just as relevant today as when they were written. It's
important to understand that this is what sets the tone for the gospel
accounts. It was the power struggle between the existing religious order and
the message of grace as Jesus came on the scene. In almost every place or
situation, power encounters and struggles for control are at the heart of many
spiritual battles.
In the gospel accounts, there was a
tremendous amount of tension because the old order did not want to make room
for grace. Jesus knew the real matter was about power and control. With the
Pharisees, it was always about who would control the people. They wanted
leverage, and entrapment was the method they choose to try to fulfill their
agenda. When hearts are wrong, judgments will be skewed. They weren’t
interested in justice or truth, they were interested in getting rid of the
anointed one (Jesus) that could see through their motives and free those under
ungodly control. God gave people a living example of His grace because their
belief system was rigid and unyielding. Their hearts were bound by fear and
pride and grace offended them. Jesus knew their judgments were predisposed to
judgment and fault finding. What is interesting is that when Jesus was in the
wilderness being tested and tempted by the enemy, one of the first things Satan
did was challenge His identity. In Matthew 4:6 Satan said, “If you are the Son of God...” Satan was
appealing to Jesus’ humanity and trying to create doubt. Satan knew if Jesus
didn’t know who He was, He would not be able to fulfill His purpose. The
interesting thing is, once Jesus began His ministry, He was the one that
challenged the religious crowd on their
identity issues. He told them they didn’t know what spirit they were of and
they didn’t know who their father was! He knew who He was, and who did not
belong to His Father! Identity issues are at the heart of many problems, and it
was no different in Jesus’ day. The balance of power was shifting! Prophecy was
being fulfilled before their very eyes!
Jesus was always clear about the
fact that He was a messenger sent to reveal a Kingdom and a different reality
than what they had known. Jesus said if
a person saw Him, they saw the Father. John 1:17 says that 'grace and truth
came through Jesus Christ.' The people needed someone to demonstrate the
reality of the message of grace, so Jesus showed them how it was done. He gave
them grace when they didn't deserve it. He didn't fight back when people wanted
to kill him, mock him or spit angry words in His face. Instead, He demonstrated
real concern over their welfare by speaking truth in love and showing them in
practical ways how the Father really loved them. He healed them, fed them
spiritually, multiplied food when they were hungry, and cast out the demons
that tormented their souls with fear. He encouraged them, spoke kindly to them,
and didn't condemn them for their sins. Love wants others set free, healed and
restored to God. Love wants relationships restored, healthy and moving forward
towards the good plans that God has for people's lives. Jesus, in His own
words, proclaimed that the one that came to Him would by no means be cast out.
(John 6:37) God’s heart is for restoration, not condemnation.
The Encounter with the Woman Caught in Adultery
John chapter 8 gives us the story of
a woman caught in adultery who was dragged to Jesus by a mob of angry Pharisees.
In perhaps one of her worst moments of shame this woman found refuge and
forgiveness. The enemy only has power when his schemes are covered by the cloak
of darkness, and when no one stands up to defend those he attacks. This woman
found a defender and a liberator in Jesus Christ. The Pharisees wanted to test
Jesus by challenging him to a duel of the law. They thought they could force
him into a corner. Instead, Jesus reminded them of things that pricked their
own conscience and brought such conviction that the crowd dropped their stones
and walked quietly away. “He who is
without sin, cast the first stone,” He said. Perhaps he wrote the 10
commandments in the sand, or perhaps he wrote things pertaining to their own
sin that only God would know, but it was enough to convict their consciences
and shut down the attack of the mob. Condemnation is a tool of the enemy which
he uses to strip us of our real sense of identity. Legalism thrives on
condemnation, finger pointing and people comparing themselves to others. Jesus
knew this. This is why He never backed down and he didn’t let others control
him. He stood his ground. When the accusers left, Jesus asked the woman, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours?
Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no
more." (John 8:10,11)
The Liberator Sets a Woman FREE from Shame
Religious spirits aren’t afraid to
make a public example out of others in order to exercise fear and intimidation
as a means of controlling others. Jesus didn't condone the woman’s sin, but He
didn't condemn her, either. The amazing thing is, He extended grace without her
even asking for it. Before He went to
the cross. Before she prayed a
"sinner's prayer" or demonstrated repentance. Nothing speaks more of
the Father's intention to extend forgiveness and grace than this verse. This
woman didn't know Jesus personally, but she was about to. She met Jesus when
she met Grace and Kindness. Who doesn't want
to know a God like that?
God did not curse the woman. If
He had cursed her, he would have to curse us all, but He sent His Son to
deliver the world from condemnation and judgment. We are all guilty of being
the adulterous woman. We are all guilty of elevating judgments and criticisms
more than we have loved others. We are all guilty of sharing our affections
with worldly lovers. We’ve loved materialism, greed, ungodly attitudes and
allowed other masters to divide our loyalties to the One who came to save us.
Many people have had one foot in and one foot out of God’s Kingdom, wondering
why they haven’t experienced more from life. Yet, even when we were still
sinners, Christ laid down His life for us. The answers we need are found in
Him. The very purpose for which He was sent to this earth was to demonstrate
God’s great love, mercy and kindness to a world that had no idea of their true
identity as sons and daughters of the Most High God. Over and over in the
scriptures we see GOD humbly taking our rejection, anger, betrayal, as He watches
and waits for people to realize how much He truly loves us all. He won’t break
covenant with us, but so many times we have broken our vows to Him, even when
we told ourselves we would live to honor Him. When we may be tempted to judge
others we must stop to remember the adulterous woman lives inside all of us. If
we judge others, we reap that same judgment into our own lives according to the
principle in Matthew 7:1.
Jesus was there to liberate her, and He is
here today to liberate all of us. Jesus didn’t condemn her, He consoled
her. This is a wonderful example of how Jesus stepped in and became her
advocate. He took the position as her defender, her attorney. This is the power
of the cross of Christ and the cleansing power of His blood! This is the
message of the gospel! Jesus stood between those that wanted to have her stoned
and saw no value to her life, and the Father’s desire to have her experience
the goodness of God. The Pharisees cared nothing about this woman’s life, her
feelings or her future. They wanted to stone the woman but Jesus wanted to set
her free. They looked for someone to accuse and to blame; Jesus looked for
someone to forgive and exonerate. The truth is, hard heartedness blinded those
that thought they could see, and the kindness of God allowed a sinful woman to
experience an encounter with Divine Love. Her eyes were opened to see Him in
Spirit and in Truth. The mob mentality was anger and hatred from people who
weren’t interested in knowing Grace; they were only concerned about being
right. A bunch of angry, offended people presented the facts, but they weren’t
living in truth, at least not the truth of the scriptures they seemed to hold
in such high regard. Fear is at the root of religious legalism. A religious
spirit looks for ways to manipulate and control others. It withholds acceptance
and approval until demands are met by those wielding control. A religious
spirit is exclusive rather than inclusive, and it divides rather than
unifies. A religious spirit will try to make people’s judgments sound biblical
but often they are not. God always acts in mercy before He is willing to
execute judgment. That is just who He is! He extended forgiveness of sin and
acted in this woman’s defense. He didn’t demand brokenness from those that were
already broken. He comforted them, spoke kindly and reassured them that as they
came to Him, (an act of faith) - their sins were forgiven. What graciousness!
What love He displays that releases peace to the lives of those that
desperately need Him! The important thing for each of us to understand is that
God expended His wrath upon His Son; He hasn’t held it back to unleash it upon
us. The price for the sin of all mankind has already been paid in full. It
wasn’t a down payment. The BLOOD of CHRIST is sufficient! We can’t earn any
part of the grace that Jesus paid for with His blood. The bridge between sinful
man and a Holy God has been made through a relationship of love. God’s
intention is not to condemn the world but to save those in the world. If the
message isn't the good news of forgiveness, grace, restoration and relationship
then it's not the gospel. It's somebody else's message, but it isn't
the message the Father sent by His Son.
It is the kindness of God that leads
men to repentance. How often we forget! And when we forget to be kind, how can
people possibly see or understand the kindness of the God that Christians
profess to serve? We are messengers of a different reality, a different kingdom
than what people are used to. We are
ambassadors sent from the Father, just like Jesus was sent to us.
Jesus confronted heart issues and
what motivated people to exalt their judgments above the law of love. Jesus
told the Pharisees in John 5:39, "You search the Scriptures for in them
you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But
you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." Jesus was trying to get the religious leaders
to see beyond the physical aspects of teaching to the real issues, that if they
believed on Him they would have eternal life. Pride blinded them to their own
need for grace and so they rejected Him in the process. The law that they used
to judge others became the law that was used to judge them. They exalted their
knowledge of the law to the point where it completely blinded them to their own
need to come to God on His terms. No one can come to God on their own
terms and be justified. They must come on His.
In the story about the adulterous
woman there were people that were convinced they were righteous, but weren't
following God at all. They followed a god of their own understanding and
clearly missed the boat entirely when it came to understanding Father’s heart.
The irony of the situation is that they accused the woman of adultery but they
were equally guilty of spiritual adultery. They weren’t having a relationship
with God. They loved their judgments more than they loved Him. They loved their
false gods of control, pride, unforgiveness, anger and hate. Jesus did not come
to condemn the world. He came to judge the works of the enemy. There is a big
difference. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the
world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:17,18
This story in John 8 reminds us that
no one is above being tempted by the enemy, no one is above failure. Jesus
judged with righteous judgment because He did not judge by the flesh. (See
Isaiah 11: 3,4) He took all things into account, including heart attitudes,
motive and intent for people’s actions. Our position is not to act as judge or
juror against others, but to show grace and mercy in hopes that kindness opens
the door for people to be reconciled to God. Release words of life or share a
testimony. Tell someone how God met you with love when you didn’t deserve it. Encourage
others the way you would want someone to minister to you. It is so easy to
judge someone else without having to walk in their shoes or live their life.
Sometimes failure is life’s greatest teacher, and failure is the thing God uses
to bring people to Himself. The God of compassion meets people at their lowest
point. Even when He brings correction, He is gracious and kind.
The story about the adulterous woman
carries a profoundly deeper message of hope for every person. The Book of Matthew
chapter one lists the genealogy of some very notable women among the catalog of
names. Four women in particular are mentioned and given extraordinary emphasis:
Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba. Each one was notorious for having a disreputable
reputation and carried the stigma of being “unclean” or “unworthy” in every
sense of the word. Even Mary, a young virgin girl who would become the mother
of Jesus - handpicked by God because she said yes to His greater purposes -
bore the burden of being falsely accused. She bore the reproach of a disgraceful
reputation for many years. Do you think that others believed she was
impregnated by the Holy Spirit? Did they even know who that was? She said yes
to God but His favor meant that she had to carry the stigma of being marked by
God. God is not afraid of shame or
reproach on a person’s reputation. He allows it to be there for a reason.
Each of these women had a strength, determination and tenacity that refused to
give up. Against all odds, they overcame. They wrestled with God and man and
prevailed. This is the quality that God looks for in those that will give birth
to His promise.
God is not put off by people’s sin.
Jesus took care of our sin issues. God Himself provided the solution for our
redemption, sanctification and justification. God supplies the grace and uses
the scandal, accusation and pressure to birth what He wants to release into the
earth. He chooses people that the religious cast out, deem unfit and despise
because it causes them to be jealous for His encounter in their lives. He loves
His bride but He is jealous for the world, too. He will win them to Himself
using vessels the church has rejected and cast off. “But God chose the foolish things of the world to
shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly
things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to
nullify the things that are, 29 so
that no one may boast before him. (1 Cor. 1:27-29) God is outrageous in
the ways He chooses His servants. His ways are incomprehensible and far above
the thoughts of man! What good news for all of us! There
is no sin or bad reputation that is beyond God’s ability to redeem and restore.
His arm is not too short to pull those who call on His name out of the deepest
pit. He can lift the lowest of the low out of the ash heap, out of despair and
shame, and place them in royal lineage just as He did with Tamar, Rahab, Ruth,
and Bathsheba. He can use the woman that is the outcast, the rejected, and the
least likely to win the spiritual Miss America pageant. What these women could
probably not foresee was the bigger picture of how their life would impact
generation upon generation of those that would come after them. This is the
truth that we all need to understand. It’s
not all about us. God’s love is so deep for mankind, He wants no one to
perish. He wants all people to be saved. He is willing to go to great lengths
to restore each of us because first and foremost, we belong to Him. We are His
children. God uses our lives and our testimonies to reach more people, all with
the intent purpose of winning them back to Himself so that others can enjoy the
blessing of knowing their sins are also forgiven, and share eternal life with
Christ and our Father in heaven.
The question each of us must answer
is, “Can God forgive so completely that the stigma of a scandalous
reputation is no longer a sign of rejection?” Can people be transformed in
their minds, looking at the reproach and stigma of a tainted reputation and see
it in a new light? Will people stop to consider the fact that God remakes our
human vessels? The very things that might offend our sense of propriety could
in fact be the very mark of God that indicates an individual has received His
approval and acceptance. If there is anything offendable in us, God will bring
it to light. He will challenge the self-righteous attitudes in all of us. This
is the decision all will come to when God chooses to work through ordinary,
earthen vessels that have been redeemed, refashioned and made honorable for His
purposes. Praise God that He never throws away the clay! Praise God that He
sees people through eyes of faith! He knows exactly where to find something
worth redeeming in us - because He put it
there! Praise Him, because your life is not outside the grasp of a loving
God that has good plans for your life, thoughts of peace and not of evil. His
ways are not our ways; they are so much higher than what we can imagine. God’s
wisdom turns the kingdoms of men upside
down.
Lord Jesus,
Thank you
for liberating me from shame. Thank you that even when I fail, Your love and
acceptance are constant and assuring of my place in the kingdom. No one can
take that from me. Thank you for standing as a shield and a protector from the
voice of condemnation. I love You, Lord. Please continue to unravel the lies I
have taken into my belief system so that I can be truly free. In Your name I
pray, amen.
#Jesuslovestheadulterouswoman, #Jesusourliberator, #Heunderstandsourpain
