Face to Face - Part 7 [Notes]

Lives were changed after an encounter with Jesus... lives of people just like you and me.

Today's Takeaway //  Focus on your own faults and not the faults of others.

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn He went to the•temple complex again, and all the people were coming to Him. He sat down and began to teach them. Then the•scribes and the•Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center. “Teacher,” they said to Him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do You say?” They asked this to trap Him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse Him. Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with His finger. When they persisted in questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then He stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only He was left, with the woman in the center. When Jesus stood up, He said to her, “•Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”
– 1 John 8:1-11 (HCSB)
_{^• In the Jerusalem temple, the complex included the sanctuary (the holy place and the holy of holies), at least 4 courtyards (for priests, Jews, women, and Gentiles), numerous gates, and several covered walkways.
^• A professional group in Judaism that copied the law of Moses and interpreted it, especially in legal cases
^• A religious sect of Judaism that followed the whole written and oral law
^• When used in direct address, “Woman” was not a term of disrespect but of honor. ¹ The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (Jn 8). (2009). Holman Bible Publishers.}

...this spurious section reports quite correctly an actual occurrence in the life of Jesus.²
– R.C. Lenski
_{² Lenski, R. C. H. (1961). The interpretation of St. John’s gospel (p. 592). Augsburg Publishing House.}

Scribes: A professional group in Judaism that copied the law of Moses and interpreted it, especially in legal cases
– HCSB

The story has all the features of a set-up where only the poor woman is presented (not her partner) and the parameters are defined in such a way that mercy and justice are made to be opposing principles. To choose either one would call for the condemnation of Jesus because He would be viewed on the one hand of being against the law of Moses and on the other of advocating mob action involving capital punishment, which...was the province of the Romans. The legalists probably thought they had Jesus on the horns of a dilemma.³
– G.L. Borchert
_{³ Borchert, G. L. (1996). John 1–11 (Vol. 25A, p. 373). Broadman & Holman Publishers.}

[He was] not meaning sinless altogether...but probably, he whose conscience acquits him of any such sin...⁴
– Jamieson
_{⁴ Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 143). Logos Research Systems, Inc.}

I picture their departure “one by one” (“one at a time”) as a kind of slithering away.⁵
– G.L. Borchert
_{⁵ Borchert, G. L. (1996). John1–11 (Vol. 25A, p. 375). Broadman & Holman Publishers.}

“Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don't notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs,^f for they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.⁶
– Matthew 7:1-6 (HCSB)
_{^f 7:6 Pr 9:7–8; 23:9; Mt 15:26
⁶ The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (Mt 7:1–6). (2009). Holman BiblePublishers.}

“Do not assume the place of God by deciding you have the right to stand in judgment over all—do not do it, I say, in order to avoid being called to account by the God whose place you usurp.”⁷
– D.A. Carson
_{⁷ Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary:Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 183). Zondervan Publishing House.}

To “judge” here does not...refer to simple judging at all, whether favorable or the reverse. The context makes it clear that the thing here condemned is that disposition to look unfavorably on the character and actions of others, which leads invariably to the pronouncing of rash, unjust, and unlovely judgments upon them.⁸
– Jamieson
_{⁸ Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 29). Logos Research Systems, Inc.}

Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you also won’t be tempted.
– Galatians 6:1 (HCSB)

He only is fit to be a reprover of others who jealously and severely judges himself. Such persons will not only be slow to undertake the office of censor on their neighbors...but will make it evident that they do it with reluctance and not satisfaction, with moderation and not exaggeration, with love and not harshness.⁹
– Jamieson
_{⁹ Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 29). Logos Research Systems, Inc.}

Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.¹⁰
– Matthew 7:6 (HCSB)
_{¹⁰ The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (Mt 7:1–6). (2009). Holman Bible Publishers.}

1.Do you think most people have the problem of judging other people? Why do you think that is the case? What about you personally? Do you tend to judge others?
2. Read John 8:1-11.In what ways were the religious leader wrong in how they approached the situation with the woman caught in adultery? What are some of the lessons we can learn from Jesus about how He handled this situation?
3. Read Matthew 7:1-6 and Galatians 6:1-2. Do you think it is always wrong to judge someone? Explain your answer.
4. What additional insights do we get from the verses in question 3 about judging or correcting other people?
5. How might you apply today’s lesson to your life?

My Defense / 1,000 Names / Hymn of Heaven / Heart of God

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