A Time-Line for JesusMinistry耶穌部時間線

TheWomanTakeninAdulteryChristandtheFallenWoman(detail)-Oiloncoppertransferredfromwood

TheHermitage,St.Petersburg

CRANACH,LucastheYounger

Germanpainter(b.1515,Wittenberg,d.1586,Weimar).1ATime-LineforJesus’MinistryMinistrybegins;Jesusabout30FirstPassover;Jesus30/31January1,AD27January1,AD28SecondPassover;Jesus31/32January1,AD29ThirdPassover;Jesus32/33January1,AD30FourthPassover,Thu,Apr4;Jesus33/34TabernaclesTransfigurationSermononMountWomanTaken

inAdultery2TheLawonAdulteryDeut22:22(NIV):Ifamanisfoundsleepingwithanotherman’swife,boththemanwhosleptwithherandthewomanmustdie.Lev20:10(NIV):Ifamancommitsadulterywithanotherman’swife–withthewifeofhisneighbour–boththeadultererandtheadulteressmustbeputtodeath.3TheDilemmaIfJesushadcontradictedMoseshewouldhavebeendiscreditedwiththepeople.Ifhehadadvocatedthewoman’sdeaththenthePhariseeswouldhavehadgroundstolayacomplaintagainsthimbeforetheRomans:John18:31(NIV):“…wehavenorighttoexecuteanyone,”theJewsobjected(whenPilateatfirstrefusedtojudgetheLord).4ThiswasaSet-upTherecordsaysso:John8:6(NIV):“Theywereusingthisquestionasatrap,inordertohaveabasisforaccusinghim.”“Intheveryact”.Wherewastheman?Bothwereguilty;thelawsaidbothshoulddie.Stoningonlythewomanwouldbeunjust.Theepisodeshowscarefulplanning.Wasthemanoneoftheconspirators?Theyhadnointerestintheactualquestion!5EscapeFromtheTrapTherearequestionstowhichthebestanswermaybesilence.Jesusseemstohaveconsideredthewoman’ssintobelessofapressingissuethanthePharisees’perversity.Awisemannotonlyknowswhentobesilent,healsoknowshowtobesilent.Sohewithdrew–writingontheground

–leadingthemtothinktheyhadtriumphed.6WhatDidJesusWrite?Cannotbeknown;it’spossiblyawasteoftimetoguess.However…Mayhavejustdoodled.Sometextsareapt.Afewsuggestions:7WhatDidJesusWrite?ThepriestshallbringherandhaveherstandbeforetheLORD.

Thenheshalltakesomeholywaterinaclayjarandputsomedustfromthetabernaclefloorintothewater.

AfterthepriesthashadthewomanstandbeforetheLORD,heshallloosenherhairandplaceinherhandsthereminderoffering…

Numbers5:16-18(NIV)8WhatDidJesusWrite?OLORD,thehopeofIsrael,allwhoforsakeyouwillbeputtoshame.ThosewhoturnawayfromyouwillbewritteninthedustbecausetheyhaveforsakentheLORD,thespringoflivingwater.

(Jeremiah17:13,NIV)9WhatDidJesusWrite?ForIdesiredmercy,andnotsacrifice;andtheknowledgeofGodmorethanburntofferings.Buttheylikemenhavetransgressedthecovenant:therehavetheydealttreacherouslyagainstme.

(Hosea6:6,7,AV)10WhatDidJesusWrite?TheLORDsaidtome:“Sonofman,willyoujudgeOholahandOholibah?Thenconfrontthemwiththeirdetestablepractices,fortheyhavecommittedadulteryandbloodisontheirhands.Theycommittedadulterywiththeiridols;theyevensacrificedtheirchildren,whomtheyboretome…Ontheverydaytheysacrificedtheirchildrentotheiridols,theyenteredmysanctuaryanddesecratedit.Thatiswhattheydidinmyhouse.…”(Ezekiel23:36-39)11WhatDidJesusWrite?Oh,thatmyheadwereaspringofwaterandmyeyesafountainoftears!Iwouldweepdayandnightfortheslainofmypeople.Oh,thatIhadinthedesertalodgingplacefortravellers,sothatImightleavemypeopleandgoawayfromthem;fortheyarealladulterers,acrowdofunfaithfulpeople.Theymakereadytheirtonguelikeabow,toshootlies;itisnotbytruththattheytriumphintheland.“Theygofromonesintoanother;theydonotacknowledgeme,”declarestheLORD.

(Jeremiah9:1-3,NIV)12HethatisWithoutSin…(vs7)Jesus’summationmayhavebeenbasedonthelawofwitnessinDeuteronomy17:7–Thehandsofthewitnessesmustbethefirstinputtinghimtodeath,andthenthehandsofallthepeople.Youmustpurgetheevilfromamongyou.(NIV)Onlythosewhoarethemselves“purgedfromevil”arequalifiedtopurgetheevilinothers:Executionersmustbeguiltless!13WithWhatJudgementYeJudge...

Matthew7:2-5TheycameasagrouptoJesus,secureintherightnessoftheircause.Hechallengedthemtomeasurethemselves(even)againstthestandardofMoses’law.Thenhegavethemtimeandspacetofeeltheweightoftheirindividualshareofthatchallenge(vs8).Theyleftasindividuals(vs9),unabletoenduretherighteousnessoftheLordJesus.Whenwejudgeotherswemustfirst,asindividuals,feeltheweightofthatjudgement.14WhatofthePharisees?Dowerelishtheirdiscomfortandhumiliation?Ifsowe’vejustmovedthemintotheplaceformerlyoccupiedbythewoman–andhavetakentheirplaceourselves!Akindofparadox:Criticisingtheunspiritualityofanothermaymerelydeclareourown.15WhoCanStandBeforetheLord?Inthiscaseonlythewoman–whosesinwasopenlyacknowledged!(vs9)ForthewordofGodislivingandactive.Sharperthananydouble-edgedsword,itpenetrateseventodividingsoulandspirit,jointsandmarrow;itjudgesthethoughtsandattitudesoftheheart.Nothingin