Jesus took away the condemnation this woman was facing by the crowd of angry, self-righteous, overly zealous Pharisees. Their attitudes were definitely out of line, and they needed Jesus’ reminder of their imperfections. But now Jesus no longer focuses on those accusers. He puts His focus on the adulterous woman…
Can you imagine the relief this woman experienced as the men who’d dragged her to the street now left? I picture her knees going wobbly, her spine collapsing, desire to race for a safe place overwhelming her but being unable to move because the fear and adrenaline drained her of…
HYMN DAY! “Grace Greater Than All Our Sin” by Julia Johnston. The refrain on this one is so neat to listen to, with the echoes. If you’d like to hear it sung a capella by a Mennonite choir, go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xUYE8s_Efw 1 Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, grace that…
Notice what Jesus did. He didn’t point at anyone—not the woman who’d broken the law concerning adultery, not the men who so pompously paraded her sinful state in front of others—but instead placed His finger against the sand and wrote. Wrote…what? We don’t know. Probably because it doesn’t matter. What…
There have always been penalties in place for law-breakers. And there should be. Rules and consequences for breaking them are necessary for a civil society. In Jesus’ time, adultery was against the law; the penalty: death by stoning. I would consider the threat of that consequence a pretty good deterrent!…
Jesus would depart. He would go to the cross, He would suffer and die, He would CONQUER THE GRAVE, and then He would return to His Father. But He wouldn’t leave those who’d trusted in Him alone and empty. His Spirit would come and fill each of His believers. The…
Jesus spent a lot of time during the Feast of the Tabernacle teaching and preaching in the temple. His authority and knowledge astounded some people, confused others, and angered still more. He invited the Jewish people, who were familiar with the prophecies about the coming Messiah, to see Him for…
HYMN DAY! A copyright of 1959 means “His Name Is Wonderful” by Audrey Meir isn’t an “old” hymn, but oh, these words! Sing them with hands raised high in adoration. His name is Wonderful, His name is Wonderful, His name is Wonderful, Jesus, my Lord; He is the mighty King,…
As we discovered last Friday, many of those who trailed after Jesus decided His message was too hard to accept and left. Jesus then asked the Twelve if they were leaving, too. Peter’s answer is so profound, so full of trust, so full of truth, that it leaves me breathless.…
There’s something about this simple verse that gets me right in the middle of my heart. I can imagine the Twelve—Jesus’ closest earthly friends—watching the crowd disperse. All those people returning to their homes and their “regularly scheduled lives,” while these chosen ones remained without a shelter, without the assurance…
