Great is Thy Faithfulness

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

Message by Anita Giardina Lee – March 5, 2023

“Every passage of the Gospel of John is about Jesus. Not us. Not you. Not me. Jesus.” – Scot McKnight, Bible Scholar, Author

John 8:2-11 NIV 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.”

[Note: The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53—8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.]

Leviticus 20:10 NIV ‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbour—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.

What is striking about this story is that Jesus treats the woman as the social and human equal of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus speaks to both sets of characters about sin. – Gail O’Day, Bible Scholar

Who are you in the story?

What is your invitation?

How do we, as God’s people, behave in God’s world?

This story is about God’s love.

Matthew 22:37-40 NIV Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

You can find the sermon on YouTube here.

About Anita Giardina Lee: Anita is a former BIC pastor, full time mom, and part time team member at Boundless Communications Inc. that is leading Jesus movements around the world. Her writing, thinking, serving, and speaking tend to gravitate toward the meeting place of the Christian faith and the female experience. She lives in London, ON, with her husband, baby, and their very cuddly cat.