At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. 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, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 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. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
John 8:2-11
Today we have a scripturally-backed story as it was told by Pastor Jim Kane.
This morning, as you sit where you are, imagine with me that this platform is the front of the courtroom. Imagine with me that you sit in the seat of the defendant.
To your right in this courtroom, sits Satan, the Devil. His job is to get a guilty verdict and keep you from experiencing forgiveness and new life. To your left sits Jesus, your attorney. His job is to get you your freedom!
Before you, Jesus, and Satan sits God the Father. He is the judge and the jury. He is perfect!
It is a tense situation, just as tense and full of drama as anything that TV or the movies can deliver. But it is not made up it is real because it is about you!
In Zechariah 3:1 we read, “Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. Satan was there at the angel’s right hand, accusing Jeshua of many things. And the Lord said to Satan, “I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from a fire.”
Satan does the same to us. He accuses us of many things. We are guilty of many things. But Jesus wants us to be declared ‘not guilty.’
So you, your accuser, and your attorney and your Savior wait for the verdict.
The silence is deafening. The tension grows unbearable. Guilty or not guilty?
Then God asks you a simple question, ‘Do you confess your guilt and do you wish to make things right?’
‘Yes!’ you resolutely answer, ‘I do confess my guilt and want to make things right.’
Then another question, ‘Are you willing to pay the price of your guilt?’ You begin to answer, ‘Yes.. .’ but you are interrupted. ‘Father, I have seen to that,’ your attorney answers.
‘Then,’ the judge thunders, ‘NOT GUILTY!’
The gavel comes down and you hear the word, ‘case closed!’
Satan slinks away, grumbling and muttering under his breath. The holy judge gathers Himself up and leaves the bench and you stand there stunned… but free!
You turn to your attorney and you try to say thank you, but the tears interrupt your words and Jesus embraces you and says, ‘Go free! Live free! Serve free!’ And you do… living in the forgiveness of your guilt.
