Jesus encounters us during times of temptation, awakening us to the danger we face and drawing us back to Him. We have the free will to stay on the wrong path or listen to the voice of the good shepherd. In John 8:6–11, the scribes and Pharisees tried to trap Jesus by using the …
The Compassion of Jesus is what every believer experiences along our spiritual journey as the Lord guides and often intervenes in our lives. In John 8:1–8, Jesus returned to the Temple where a crowd gathered to hear Him teach. The religious leaders interrupted by bringing a woman caught in adultery and placing her before Him. …
Grace that meets us in our brokenness is a gift that our Savior extends to us in His mercy and compassion. Jewish leadership brought the woman caught in adultery before Jesus, her sin exposed and her fate seemingly sealed. John 8:6 They (religious leaders) were trying to trap him into saying something they could use …
When Jesus refused to condemn the woman caught in adultery, forgiveness releases the burden of sin. The Pharisees tested Jesus and suggested that she be stoned. John 8:7 They kept demanding an answer, so he (Jesus) stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”[1] All the …
The woman caught in adultery in John 8 experienced the shame of an outcast. Society refuses to accept an outcast and tosses them aside. Merriam-Webster defines shame as a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcomings, or impropriety.[1] Guilt results from knowing we have done something wrong, but shame tells us we are wrong. …
This week’s story is often titled “A Woman Caught in Adultery.” But it could have just as well been titled “Men Caught in Hypocrisy.” One cannot commit adultery alone; it takes two. John 7: 53 Then the meeting broke up, and everybody went home. 8:1 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next …
Keep us from temptation is part of the Lord’s prayer because the Lord knows our weaknesses. We can better resist temptation when it is far from us. Adam and Eve fell into sin because they relied on their strength and became easily manipulated by satan. Instead of staying away from the tree, they were not …
Do you have a desire to be compassionate? Is the Lord prompting you to grow in compassion for others? If we are honest, I believe this is God’s desire for all of us. “Compassion is a deep awareness of and sympathy for another’s suffering. Jesus is the model of compassion.”[1] No matter your past, the …
Jesus gives grace to believers, but what about those who don’t have faith? The Bible tells us those people will be separated from the Lord in eternity because they have not accepted the free gift of salvation. Jesus’ last words on the cross were, “It is finished.” What was finished? His sacrifice was payment for …
Lord, forgive me are the words of a repentant sinner who releases a great weight like setting down a heavy backpack. I remember hiking in the Rocky Mountains; my pack seemed more burdensome over time. It would have been easier if I had dressed like a distance runner with lightweight clothes and shoes. Unfortunately, when …