I heard a pastor say that Justice and Mercy have the perfect intersection on the cross.

 

Jesus lived perfectly and was the perfect atonement for our sins.  Justice was fulfilled.  And, in that action, we were given forgiveness that we might be free to live out the call that He has put on our lives.  Mercy was given.

 

And John gets to view it and writes about it in John Chapter 8:

 

John 8 1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. 

7 But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 

11 “No one, sir,” she said. 

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” 

 

Two things are on my heart as I read this today.  And Jesus says both of them:

  1.  “Then neither do I condemn you”
  2.  “Go now and leave your life of sin”

 

Evil men planned to trap the King of the Universe and attain their permission to kill Him.  The enemy had them convinced that murder was the best option for a Jewish itinerant preacher who made them feel like they weren’t doing their job.

 

But God’s plan was bigger.

 

He was there to save a woman who had completely failed.  And He was there to save you.

 

The Bible is not a weapon.  It is not written that we might use it to inflict punishment on others.  It isn’t our legal case to be used against those we disagree with…and it is not to be used to trap others.

 

The Bible is also not to be used as permission live in sin.  We don’t get to change it, or adjust it to our culture, our time era, or our fleshly desires.  I mean…..Jesus was way ahead of His time. He crossed all the boundaries that we continue to be imprisoned by today.  From a political, cultural, strategic, socio-economic, religious, or nationalistic perspective, His plan was a disaster:

  • Two women discovered Him and give the first testimony that He is risen.  His plan, all along, was to elevate women and hold them in high honor. This was not received well.
  • Racial division?  When Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan it offended all who stood and listened.  The Jews believed the Samaritans were “dogs” not worthy to even be talked to. Yet Jesus had chosen to honor them.
  • Money, Power, Religious Status? …. None of these things held any weight with Jesus.  He cared nothing of any of them, nor was He afraid of how others viewed how it looked when He befriended others.
  • And those “evil” Roman soldiers?  They weren’t out of His circle either.  He ministered to them and even healed them or those in their circle without hesitation.

 

So He was either totally ahead of His time or had the worst plan you could have to start a movement.

 

The mere fact that you are reading this blog actually PROVES, beyond any doubt that I could muster, that He is actually God.  Because His “movement” started from nothing and yet we worship Him today.

 

And what He look like today?  Let’s start with just a few things:

  1.  He loves democrats and republicans.  He would find a way to both rebuke and honor—both.
  2.  He would have no issue walking inner city Detroit or Beverly Hills or London or Rome or Damascus or Tehran…..and there are people in each of those places who follow Him.
  3. He would speak, eat with, laugh with, and minister to homeless men, ambassadors, kings, peasants, prostitutes, hardened criminals, elite businessmen, or anyone else.
  4. There would be no VIP’s because everyone would be a VIP.
  5. There would be no “outside” the inner circle or “not dressed well enough” or “not good enough” or “not smart enough” or any of those things.

 

And yet, He is calling us to perfection.

 

He is calling us to find a pursuit of Him and give up our own selfish ambitions and desires.

 

And He is calling us to change the world…just like He did…One person, or several people, at a time.

 

What are you going to do with that?

 

I would hope that you would leave your sin and go find her.  She has been caught in adultery and is getting dragged out in front of the masses to be accused and punished.  And she needs you to stand up for her and tell her about the cross…..and a guy named Jesus who has called her to something greater. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oncIQo5ub0c

 

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

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Coach J