Lesson 7 The Gospel of John, Chapters 8 and 9

Jesus: The Light of the World

Read John 8:1-11 (The woman caught in adultery)

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law brought a woman before Jesus. They had caught her in the very act of adultery. Imagine the scene. They must have raided the bedroom, marched her through the streets of Jerusalem, barely clothed, while everyone was looking at her and shaking their heads. Some picked up stones along the street, so that they could join in giving her the punishment she deserved. They dragged her into the temple courtyard and thrust her into the middle of a morning Bible class. “This woman was caught in the act of adultery,” they scowled. In the very act. “The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say, Rabbi?”

The woman was defenseless. She could not deny it. She was guilty. Caught in the very act. What could she do? Could she plead for mercy from God? God’s spokesmen were standing there with stones in their hands. They had already passed judgment. She had no excuse, and no escape.

How is this situation a trap for Jesus? (v. 6)

Before Jesus answered them, he stooped down and began writing something on the ground. In all the record of Holy Scripture, this was the first and only time that Jesus ever wrote anything. What was He writing? Was it a message for her? Something for her accusers? We do not know, and cannot even guess. But consider this passage from the prophet Jeremiah (17:13) “Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.” Perhaps Jesus’ writing had something to do with that verse.

How did Jesus avoid the trap and get to the heart of the issue at the same time?

Jesus showed mercy to the sinful woman and gave her the opportunity to repent and turn from her sinful ways. He reminded the people that they all needed God’s mercy. He demonstrated his own teaching that He had not come to condemn the world, but to bring mercy, forgiveness, and salvation to the world. (John 3:17). When we have sinned, we can always go to Jesus for forgiveness, even when others condemn us. He showed us that He loves to show mercy, no matter how bad we have been.

Jesus told the woman, “Neither do I condemn you.” How would you respond to someone who said, “It’s wrong for us to condemn sin. Look how Jesus accepted this sinful woman?”

Jesus said “Woman, where are they? Where are the accusers, the condemners?” Let’s ponder this question, not just for the woman, but for us. Dear children of God, where are your accusers, those who would condemn you?

Our accusers are out there in the world. “You aren’t good enough. You’re a failure. You will never change.”

And then there are the voices in our heads! “You are nothing. God doesn’t care about you. You are too bad for Him to love you. There is no forgiveness for that sin.” Accusers. Condemners. In the world. In our consciences.

But in addition to those voices, there is a great accuser, Satan (his name means “accuser”) The Bible says in Revelation 12:9-10 – “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.”

Day after day, hour after hour, Satan accuses. It is his career, his delight. Satan’s accusations and condemnations bring no repentance, just regret. Jesus calls him a “thief, who has come to steal, to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10). He has come to steal your peace, to kill your dreams, and to destroy your future. And he uses people to peddle his poison. People, who dredge up our past, preachers who preach law and no grace.

Condemnation. This is Satan’s specialty. He wants to repeat what happened to the adulterous woman in you. He wants to march you through life, drag you before the Lord on the day of judgment, and broadcast your sin for everyone to know. “This person was caught in the act of … stupidity, immorality, irresponsibility, dishonesty.” And he will pressure God to condemn you to an eternity in hell. And you will not be able to deny his accusations. You will not be able to plead innocence.

But Satan will not have the last word on that day. Jesus will. He has stooped on your behalf. He stooped low enough to sleep in a manger, to work in a carpentry shop, to sleep in a fishing boat, to walk with lepers, tax collectors, and sinners like that woman. He bent down and people spit on Him, slapped Him, and dragged Him through the streets of Jerusalem. He bent down and stretched out His holy arms on a cross for you. And then He bent down to be lowered into a grave for you.

And now He stands beside you, victorious, almighty, and speaks the last word. “I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have died for your sin. I have paid with every drop of My blood for your wrongs. I have defeated Satan, death, and hell. I have given you grace. You are forgiven. Where are your accusers? Neither do I condemn you. Neither do I, the Son of God, the King of Grace, the Shepherd of your soul – neither do I condemn you.”

This is what Paul was thinking about when he wrote: “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Not Satan. Not our accusers. Not our guilt. Because we have God’s grace. “There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Satan is silenced. Sins are washed away. The rocks are on the ground. Why? Because of Jesus. Because of grace. Because His grace is greater than our sin. Because He has stooped for us. Because He has risen up to dispel our accusers.

Read John 8:12-30 (The validity of Jesus’ claims)

The Gospel of John contains many beautiful “I am” sayings of Jesus (“I am the bread of life,” “I am the light of the world,” “I am the good shepherd” – and many more). It is significant that each of them began with the words: “I am.” When the crowds heard Jesus say, “I am,” they immediately thought of the time when Moses met the Lord at the burning bush. Moses asked the Lord, “When I tell the people in Egypt your words, and they ask me what your name is, what should I tell them?”

God replied: “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14)

Thus, the God of the Bible is known as “I AM.” And when Jesus kept on saying “I AM,” people who knew the Old Testament understand that Jesus was claiming to be the I AM God of the Bible, Jehovah, the one true God.

In what way is Jesus the light of the world?
Why did the Pharisees challenge Jesus on this occasion?
What points did Jesus make to affirm the validity of His testimony in verses 14-18?
On what occasions did the Father give witness that His Son is telling the truth?

Matthew 3:17 =
Matthew 17:5 =
John 10:38 =
John 5:39 =

The Pharisees believed in God, yet Jesus said that they did not know the Father. Jesus said this because they did not know the Father who delights in showing mercy, and who had sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. They did not know the Father of free and faithful love. “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. (Exodus 34:6-7). They did not know the Father, who so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son (John 3:16).

This is also true of many people who claim they know God today. They may know a God, but usually He is a God whose love has to be earned. Usually the God they “know” is a God of CONDITIONAL love. The true God is a God of UNCONDITIONAL love, who shows kindness and mercy to those who do not deserve it.

Read John 8:31-47 (The true children of Abraham)

Many people claim to be disciples of Jesus. However, according to Jesus, his disciples are those who “hold to His teachings.” Exactly what did Jesus mean when he said, “If you hold to my teaching…” Surely he didn’t mean that we merely carry around a Bible!

First, he means that we should hold to his doctrine. God would never win a popularity contest these days with some of the things that are in the Bible. The doctrines that life begins at conception, that Christians ought to strive for complete unity in doctrine, that women are to submit to the leadership of men in the home and church—these doctrines and any others that happen to run contrary to someone’s current way of thinking or that may cause someone inconvenience are too easily cast aside. Pastors and church leaders are all too ready to compromise the teachings of Christ in order to gain or retain church members. But real disciples hold to the teaching, popular or not. They hold to His teachings, casting aside their personal opinions and judgments, bringing their thoughts into captivity to the Word of God.

The second thing that Christ means when he says “hold to my teaching” is that those who are really his disciples not only accept his doctrines, but live them, too. One day a man who didn’t believe in going to church was sitting in his car reading the Sunday newspaper and waiting to give his wife a ride home from church. Members began streaming out of the church 10 minutes earlier than usual. The man rolled down his window and rather jokingly asked a passerby, “Is the sermon over already?” The church-goer quickly responded. “No, actually it’s only half-over. The preacher has preached it, but now we have to live it.” That person understood well. Real disciples pattern their behavior according to the Word. It influences their spending, rearranges their priorities, guides their decisions. Everything done in life takes the directives of God’s Word into consideration. The Word is not just heard, but kept.

The third thing that Christ means when he says “hold to my teaching” is that those who are really his disciples continue to make faithful use of His Word. They read the Bible. They study it. They ponder it. They search it. They review it. They grow with it. Christ’s disciples know that spiritual growth will stop and spiritual deterioration will set in if they stop reading or studying Holy Scripture. They see the direct connection between faith and spiritual maturity and the use of the Bible. So they welcome opportunities for Bible study. They rejoice when they have an opportunity to read Scripture. Have you ever found your old high school yearbooks when cleaning a closet or the garage? Did you find that you couldn’t resist opening that yearbook up and reading some of the things your friends wrote to you? Oh, that we couldn’t resist opening up that Bible again and reading the things that God has written to us on its pages! Oh, that we would all renew our hearts and minds by the power of His love recorded in Scripture!

How do Jesus’ teachings set us free?
What was the difference between the children of Abraham the Jews claimed to be and the true children of Abraham Jesus spoke of?

Read John 8:48-59 (Jesus testifies about himself)

What foolish charges did the Jews bring against Jesus?
What did Jesus mean when he said those who keep his Word would never see death?

Read John 9:1-41 (The man who was born blind)

This chapter gives us valuable insight into the cause and effect of human troubles and suffering. When Jesus and his disciples encountered a man who had been blind from birth, the disciples asked Jesus, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, so that he was born blind?”

This question assumed that the man’s blindness was a punishment for a sin – either his own sin or his parents’ sin. In v. 34 we hear that the Pharisees said that the blind man was “steeped in sin at birth.” It seems to have been the popular opinion that this man was born blind because of some sin.

The disciples faced a theological problem. Believing that sin directly caused all suffering, how could a person be born with a handicap? The conclusion was that it was either this man sinned in his mother’s womb (Ezekiel 18:4 – “The soul who sins is the one who will die”) or his parents sinned (Exodus 20:5 – “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.”)

The cause of human suffering is still something people are trying to figure out. Some have concluded that illness, accidents, and all kinds of human suffering are the direct result of some sin we have committed. This was what Job’s so-called “friends” assumed. They (Job 4:7-8) accused him of doing something terrible that God was punishing him for his sins by making him suffer. In fact, this idea was carried out to the point that they even figured that if someone was born with a handicap, it must be because God was angry with the child’s parents for committing some sin.

This view of human suffering as the result of God’s anger and vengeance over some human iniquity, as common as it is, is incomplete and inaccurate as an explanation for our troubles and handicaps. Here are more truths about this matter:

Sin has brought consequences on this world and all who live in it, as we can see from Genesis 3. Specifically, the wages of sin is death, trouble, hardship, and suffering of all kinds. The curse of sin affects all of creation, and all people, believers and unbelievers alike.
Sometimes sin has a direct consequence, such as crime resulting in imprisonment, or drunkenness resulting in a hangover, or adultery resulting in loss of a marriage.
But God is not vindictive. The Bible says that He “does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10). If He did, if we or our parents were punished as our sins deserve, if God would strike everyone who sins with blindness, we would all be blind.
- Because sin has brought trouble and sorrow into this world, we all are affected. We will all experience pain, trouble, and physical death. Every human being is affected.
- Even God’s Son, when He became human and entered our world, was affected by sin. He suffered pain, hardship, and death. Not because He sinned or did anything wrong. But because He lived in a world that was under the curse of sin.
- God is an expert at taking lemons and making lemonade. What I mean is that God can take the troubles and trials that sin has brought into this world, and transform them into something good, even a blessing.
- That was the case with Jesus’ suffering and death. God transformed the suffering and death of Jesus into a blessing for the world (because God used the suffering and death of His Son to redeem the world from sin and hell).
- Likewise, God can transform all forms of human suffering into blessing.

Jesus answered the disciple’s question by explaining that the man’s blindness was not a punishment for anyone’s sin, but for the purpose of revealing the work of God in his life. What is the “work of God”? See John 6:29 – “Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”” (John 6:29). And also Romans 8:28 = “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28).

God sometimes uses hardships to display his work in our lives. The healing of our bodies shows God at work, When God uses hardships to return our focus on His mercy and help, and shows us our great need for Him, then He is at work in our lives.

When we experience the hardships, troubles, and suffering that are a part of our human existence, then we must remember that Jesus has suffered the penalty for all of our sins. John writes: “the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:7). God will not punish us for the same sins that have been forgiven through the blood of Christ.

Rather our hardships are not to be viewed as punishments, but as discipline. See these passages.

“When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.” (1 Corinthians 11:32).
“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:7-11).
“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.” (Revelation 3:19).

When Jesus healed the blind man, he did a strange thing. He put mud on the man’s eyes and told him to go and wash it off in the pool of Siloam in order to be cured. Why did Jesus use such unusual means to heal the blind man?
What are some examples of how God calls us to do things that don’t seem to make much sense on the surface?

Note that Jesus not only cured the man’s physical blindness, but also cured his spiritual blindness, bringing him gradually to the true faith.

In v. 11 he only called Jesus a “man.”
In v. 17 he confessed that Jesus must be a prophet. (So this was progress in his understanding who Jesus was.)
In v. 33, he says that Jesus must be “from God.” (He is coming to believe.)
In v. 38, he worships Jesus and says that he believes in Him. (He not only can see, but He can see the Light of the world.)

Our next lesson will cover chapter 10, known as the “Good Shepherd chapter” of the Bible. Please prepare the lesson prior to class. PAGE 1

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