Lesson: "The Pharisee's Pawn"
Texts: John 8:1-11; 3:16-18
Aim: to understand the attitude we should have when someone we care about is caught up in sin.
ICEBREAKER QUESTION: When you were young, did you ever skip stones on the water? And if so, where were you when you threw the stones, and what is the most skips you could get?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. Is skipping stones a "guy thing" or did any of our ladies skip stones as a child also? 2. Kids naturally love to throw stones, but sometimes the consequences are disastrous. Did anyone in our group ever have a stone-throwing accident when they were young?
In today's lesson we will learn of a time when we should definitely NOT throw stones!
Please turn to the gospel of John (it is the fourth book of the New Testament), Chapter 8. READ Verses 1-4 DISCUSSION QUESTION: In your mind's eye, how do you picture this scene? For example, what tone of voice did the Pharisees use? How do you think this woman appeared when she was dragged before the Lord? And what about Jesus – what expression do you imagine him having? In your imagination, what do you SEE when you read these verses?
DISCUSSION QUESTION: There is a lot we DON'T know about the story of this woman caught in the act of adultery. In fact, what is one thing you WISH that you knew, and why?
Background Note: The Law of Moses (Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 22:22) DOES prescribe the death penalty for adulterers, but it says both the man AND the woman must be punished.
READ Verses 5-6 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. John tells us that the Pharisees were using this question as a "trap." In your opinion, how was this situation a trap for Jesus, and who were they trying to get Jesus in trouble with? 2. Why do you suppose Jesus doesn't answer the Pharisees right away? Why might he deliberately make them wait for an answer? 3. How do you think this woman felt while everyone around her was waiting for a reply from Jesus?
DISCUSSION QUESTION: One of the tantalizing things about this story is that we know Jesus was writing something in the dust with his finger, but we don't know what he wrote! If you were to speculate, what would YOU say Jesus was writing?
LEADER'S INSIGHT: Some commentators have suggested that Jesus was writing down the sins of the woman's accusers!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. Do you think it strange that the Pharisees never use this woman's name? Why, or why not? 2. If you had to guess, what would you say was these Pharisees' view of women in general, and why?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. There has never been a shortage of adulterers, either in the first century or the twenty-first, but when infidelity occurs, do you believe it is still true that women are more likely to be blamed for the problem than men? Why, or why not? 2. Adultery is obviously a serious sin – after all, "You shall not commit adultery" is one of the Ten Commandments – but do you think the dangers of adultery are taken as seriously today as they should be? Why, or why not?
READ Verses 7-8 Let's take a moment to consider the wisdom of the response Jesus makes.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. How does the reply of Jesus enable him to escape the trap of the Pharisees? 2. In addition to avoiding their trap, could Jesus have a deeper motivation in giving this particular response? If so, what might he have been trying to accomplish when he says "If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her"?
READ Verse 9 This verse tells us four separate things: the men in the crowd left; they left gradually, one at a time; the older ones left first; and the woman didn't leave. Let's reflect on each of those facts. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. First, why do you think the men gradually began to drift away? What made them leave? 2. Second, they left "one at a time." Why do you suppose they came as a crowd, but slipped away as individuals?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. Third, when the crowd begins to trickle away, it is the OLDER men who leave first. How would you explain why the older ones are the first to leave, and the younger ones are the last to linger? 2. Once the crowd had left, the woman was free to escape. Why do you suppose she remains behind with Jesus?
READ Verses 10-11 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What do you think Jesus means when he says, "Neither do I condemn you"? Does that statement mean Jesus didn't believe adultery was wrong? 2. What do you learn from this story about how we should react when we discover that someone we care about has gotten caught up in a sinful situation?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. Suppose you were a newspaper reporter for the
[OPTIONAL – IF TIME PERMITS] DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. Suppose you had a Christian friend, and you became aware that his life was heading in the wrong direction. Since none of us can say we are "without sin," does the statement of Jesus mean you cannot speak to your friend? Why or why not? 2. What would you say is the difference between "stone throwing" and expressing concern? 3. Suppose you DO express your concern to your friend about the spiritually unhealthy decisions he is making in his life, and he angrily replies, "You have no right to talk like that to me, because Jesus said it's wrong to judge others, and you're judging me. Besides, none of us is without sin." How would you respond to that statement?
TURN BACK to Chapter 3 of the gospel of John. READ Verses 16-18. SUMMARY STATEMENT: It is important to remember that Jesus did not come to CONDEMN sinners, and he did not come to CONDONE sin. His treatment of the woman in our story today reminds us that Jesus came to SAVE sinners, and to give us a second chance in life. Once we have experienced his saving grace, we will want to leave our old life behind, and we can be more gracious to others who are still caught up in sin!
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