February 6, 2005
Morning Sermon Outline
“Jesus, a GREAT LIGHT Confronting Great Darkness”
John 7:53-8:11

I. Jesus’ Excellence seen in and at the END of the feast –
1. Two definitions from the word, END
A. “Man’s chief end” WSC Q. 1
B. “The End” as the end of a movie
2. For Jesus the Feast of Tabernacles had the first kind of end.
3. For most of the others the Feast just ended, they went home.
4. We should evaluate ourselves by Jesus’ example

II. The Great SIN of those who would try to trap Jesus
1. Biblical law condemned adultery
2. Jewish law in Jesus’ day made getting caught quite difficult
A. You’d have to have multiple witnesses
B. You’d have to catch someone in the very act
C. If you had caught someone in the act, you would have to catch both the man and the woman
D. Yet, here only the woman is brought for judgment
E. Some would suggest even the woman was trapped, others say she might be easily found at the Feast
F. Either way, her being brought to Jesus shows a lack of sincerity on the part of the Pharisees (what end did they have for the Feast?)

III. What were the men thinking bringing this woman to Jesus?
1. They must have thought they had an impossible to escape trap
2. If Jesus says “release her,” He be guilty of slighting God’s law
3. If He says, “Stone her!” He differs from His own Gospel of Grace
4. Yet, think of the wickedness behind this, they themselves are guilty in that they would use this woman either killing or excusing her without concern for righteousness or mercy, to get at Christ!

IV. How Wonderfully Jesus Replies!
1. His reply thwarts their dark plan
2. His reply shows them their own sin
3. His reply leaves room for grace toward the girl
4. His reply does not condone her sin
5. His grace foreshadows His work on the cross on our behalf

Pastor Arnold Brevick