Spoken For

Student Ministries

Making it Real

How many of you can truly say that your Bible reading time is exciting? Most of you will at one time or other struggle with boredom. It's not that you aren't interested in God… I mean we don't actually talk like that today. They don't even have a Wal-Mart in Bible times! How does God expect us to relate when things are so different today?

Things may not be as different as you sometimes may think. People are people regardless of when or where they may have lived. The situations they face and the trials they go through can still help us in our lives today.

Probably one of the biggest problems we face while reading the Bible is that the stories are just a bunch of words on a page. Ho hum, I have read my three chapters tonight. Guess I have scored a few brownie points with God today.

Sorry guys, that's not how it works. We read the Bible for our benefit, not God's. So what's a person to do? You have good intentions. You really do plan to read the Bible everyday, but stuff just happens. As bad as you may hate to admit it, sometimes you are just too tired and not very interested.

There is a solution! You have to make it REAL . Which would you rather – read a detailed account about someone's experience at Six Flags or actually go there yourself? I know what you are thinking… even if you wanted to there is no way that you can go back in time and experience the events of the Bible. Maybe not, but you can make it real.

When you make a story real, it comes alive! It becomes more than just words on a paper. It becomes an event to be experienced. So grab your Bible and hold on for the experience of a lifetime.

Step 1 – Check your surroundings. Are there any distractions? Can you really study your Bible with the television on? How's your energy level? Do you function best early in the morning or late at night? Schedule your Bible study time when you are alert and focused. (Don't expect this to be easy. Satan doesn't want you to read your Bible. If you are looking for an excuse not to read it, he will gladly give you one. Refuse to be defeated.)

Step 2 – Pray. Ask God to guide your thoughts and help you to understand what you need to know for your life today.

Step 3 – Focus. Where are you reading from? Are you one of those people who just open the Bible up and point to a verse, “Guess I'll be reading from here today.” Stop doing that! Get focused in a book and dig in. If you are new to reading the Bible, I suggest the gospel of John. For today, our focus will be John chapter 8.

Step 4 – To make the Bible come alive, find out as much as you can about what you are reading. You know that stuff at the beginning of the book that you usually just skip over. Who is actually writing the story and why?

Step 5 - Read and IMAGINE. What does it look like? How does it smell? How would you feel?

Today's story is from John chapter 8. It is written by John the disciple. It is about a woman caught in adultery. This is what it might have been like…

Jesus woke up early one morning and slipped off to go to the Mount of Olives to pray.

It was a beautiful morning not a cloud in the sky. After he finished, he went back to get his disciples and they go to the temple. Jesus sat down in the courtyard and began to teach. It wasn't long until he had 40 or 50 people gathered around him to hear his words of great love and wisdom.

Things were calm, not a cloud in the sky, the birds singing, a nice breeze - everyone was listening to every word that came from the mouth of Jesus. Then all of a sudden off to the left of Jesus come a large crowd of men, and they looked very angry. There was a cloud of dust that followed them and they were shouting something.

Everyone began to look that way as Jesus stood to his feet. Those that were just a few minutes earlier lost in his words stood to their feet and moved off to the sides because they wanted to see what was going on, but they did not want to be involved.

Jesus was left standing with just a few of his closest followers looking towards this angry mob waiting for them to voice their complaint.

The group of men parted and two very nicely dressed men, probably businessmen or rulers, stepped out of the group clutching a woman.

She was almost naked as if they had dragged her right out of bed. She was holding her clothes tightly to her body trying to keep herself covered. Her face was a muddy mess from where the dust had stuck to her tear soaked face.

The mob throws her to the ground at the feet of Jesus and then forces her to stand. Some were calling her names, spitting on her, and throwing dirt at her. It was almost as if they were putting her on trial. Jesus had been teaching in the temple courtyard. It was the perfect place to decide the fate of this woman.

One of the men raises his hand to quite the mob down. He yells at Jesus- this woman was caught in the very act of adultery and by law she must die. The woman cried even harder and fell to her knees again.

Jesus, ignoring the question, stoops down and begins to write in the sand. The crowd gets loud again the leader raises his hand and they get quiet one more time. He addresses Jesus angrily, “She was caught in adultery and by our law she must be stoned, what do you say, answer us. What do you say Jesus, what must we do with her?”

As Jesus looks up at the group and the woman laying on the ground sobbing and says, “He that is without sin cast the first stone,” and then bows his head again.

The woman knew she was guilty. She knew that she was about to be stoned to death as payment for her crime. She began to cry even harder and louder; her body curled up in a ball every muscle in her body tight, waiting for the first stone to make contact. At that moment, she heard a thud… the first stone hit the ground. She screamed and cried out thinking that the first stone had missed her by mistake. She heard the stones hitting the ground all around her, but not one of them had made contact. What was going on? Then it grew silent. One by one, starting with the oldest the angry mob had left.

Jesus was left alone with the woman. He slowly walked over and stooped down by her side. He slowly reached out and touched her face raising it to look in to her eyes. Her body was shaking from fear and uncertainty - not sure what had just happened. Her eyes were blood shot and her face and hair a muddy mess. Jesus gently said, “Where are your accusers?”

She looked around and to her surprise the mob had left and she was alone. With a weak and quivering voice she replied that no one was left. Jesus, with Love and Compassion in his voice, looked deep into her eyes wiped her face and said, “Neither do I condemn you go and sin no more.” He gently helped her to her feet. Before leaving, she turned to look at Jesus one last time. She wanted to memorize the face of the man that gave her back her life.

This event happened because the leaders were trying to find a way to trap Jesus. They knew that He was full of love and mercy. They knew that He would find a way to help this woman. They also knew that by law, she deserved to die. They were forcing Jesus to choose between obeying the law and showing mercy to a sinner.

Jesus did both! They were correct. She did deserve to die, but then so did each and every one of them. All had sinned. Everyone, except Jesus. Jesus was the only one with the right to condemn her. He chose to forgive her instead.

So how does this apply to you today? There are so many different lessons in this chapter. Do you have trouble judging anyone? Or maybe you have committed a sin that you think God could never forgive you for. Be encouraged! God loves you. There is nothing you could do to make God love you less.

“Go and sin no more.” He is waiting to help you overcome any problem you may face. Jesus can give you back your life. What are you waiting for? Talk to him.