Posts
CHAPTER 13
THE SAYINGS OF JESUS
We beginning with something Jesus claimed in John 8:51
“Verily, verily, I “SAY” unto you, If a man keep my “SAYING”, he shall never
see death.” In this opening text one of
his sayings is, “he will never see death.”
So, as we get into these many sayings of Jesus, and learn to keep them,
the result with be as He said, “NEVER SEE DEATH.” Keeping this text in context, Jesus had
“SAID” things before verse 51. Let’s
take a look at what he had said before this verse.
In John 8: 2 we see that He “taught them and us.” What did He teach them, what can we learn?
1. There will be those that will test and tempt
you, trying to trip you up. What do you
do in those moments? 8:6 “This they said, tempting him that they might have to
accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and
with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.” (here is what we learn):
a. In those moments appear to have ignored them
buying time. They will continue to ask
you as they did Jesus. Under your
breath, “Ask” God for an answer. Don’t
be forced into a quick reply. Learn from
another saying of Jesus, John 12:49-50 “For I have not spoken of myself; but
the Father which sent me, He gave me commandment, what I should say, and
what I should speak. 50. And I know that His commandment is life everlasting;
whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”
b. You
heard their question yet are not distracted by it. Look away, stoop down as Jesus did if it is
feasible; wait for the Spirit’s words, then look up or stand up as Jesus
did: 8: 7 “So when they continued asking
Him, He lifted up Himself, and said unto them, “He that is without sin among
you, let him cast a stone at her.”
Up to this point, what can we draw from this? They all were about to “JUDGE” this woman
caught in adultery. If they had starting
throwing stones at her she would have died, correct? They had done it in the past, this stoning of
someone caught in adultery I’m sure, yet now when Jesus SPEAKS one of his
sayings they don’t. Thus she lives and
now catch this,” they live.” How
so? Listen to this other saying of
Jesus, “Oh man that judges another, you condemn yourself, you do the same
thing.” Yet you might think, “Not
everyone in the crowd had committed this particular sin of adultery that day.” But notice this, God the Father through Jesus
that day was not addressing a “single sin;” He was addressing the nature of us
all. For the first time in their
self-righteous life, they saw something they had not seen before, “The
Condition of us all.” So, in light of
our keeping the sayings of Jesus and living, if we would not judge we would
live longer lives; we and the ones we judge.
Remember, love covers a multitude of sin.
One more thing must be brought out; the circumstances of
that particular day. The Jewish nation
was under bondage to the Roman Empire and rules. If Jesus had said to the crowd stone her,
they would have done so, yet would have called the Romans to judge him for
getting the crowd to stone the woman to death.
The Jews, under Roman rule, could not enforce their religious rules
without first consulting Roman courts.
You see where the Pharisees were setting Jesus up; what is meant by
their tripping him up in his words. Also
notice that if Jesus had simply said to let her go, they knew the crowd would
stone him to death for breaking the laws of Moses. He was damned if he did and damn if he
didn’t. Know this also, under the laws
of Rome, the woman was in a legal profession, a prostitute.
The crowd that day, by not throwing stones, were admitting
their condition, they were not without the sin nature of Adam, and thus had
some form of the by-product of that nature, acts of sin in their lives; maybe
not this particular sin of adultery, yet they sinned.
From the least to the greatest, they saw this and the crowd
that day lived along with the woman. You
hear it in some more of Jesus sayings, “Woman, where are your accusers? She replied, “there are NONE.” Then Jesus said, “Go, and sin no more.”
So, where are your
accusers? Someone free of the sin nature
of Adam; only that person would have the right to judge us. Jesus was such a person, yet He doesn’t judge
her or us. With that understanding, go
and sin no more.
Yet we go and sin again.
Why? Could it be that we aren’t
keeping in mind this one saying of Jesus, “you who are without sin, throw the
first stone.” Quit throwing stones
(judging) and you will not sin anymore.
Remember the strength of sin is the law.
The more you judge the more you will sin. When we see the true condition of all of us,
then and then only will we cease to sin;
love your neighbor as you love yourself.
Keep His sayings and you will not see death in any form, physical,
mental or spiritual. The death process
may have taken its toll in your life, but by ceasing to judge you put it on
hold. (Don’t confuse decision making with judging. We are all called to make decisions in life;
judging others is a different matter all together. That day they were trying to get Jesus to
make a judgment; his “decision was to ask the Father, one we should all do.
Note this also, this doesn’t mean finding a dead letter text and using it again
one another. The Jews that day were
doing this; Jesus didn’t go with the dead letter, He sought the LIVING WORD.)
